Acoustic recommendations?

Beyond Black

Beyond Black

Well-known member
I know fuck all about acoustic guitars, so throw me some suggestions for my early 20’s nephew who’s about a year in and shows major promise with finger picking. $5-600 range used. Thanks y’all 🤘🏻
 
Beyond Black said:
I know fuck all about acoustic guitars, so throw me some suggestions for my early 20’s nephew who’s about a year in and shows major promise with finger picking. $5-600 range used. Thanks y’all 🤘🏻
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I’ve got a nice USA made Martin for a little more $800. Maybe uncle Jeff can help him out

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Speeddemon said:
Are you looking for nylon stringed (Spanish/cassical) acoustics or steel-stringed (Western) ones?

For steel string, I'd look at Martin, Taylor, Takamine, LAG maybe.
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Steel string. Just today I gave him a 70’s Alvarez classical that my friend’s dad who recently passed bought new, and my friend was kind enough to hand down to him.
 
There are late 90s/early 00s US Martins for around that price. Every once in a while there will be MIM Martin Special/Road series (non x/hpl) which are all solid wood for around $600-800 on MF/GC. 70s Yamahas are aged and ready to go. Lots of Breedloves if he's into that look. Seagulls are well made.
 
Wife has a Japanese Yairi-Alvarez branded Hohner that is a Martin D-41` knockoff but laminate top and I have the model 710 jumbo copy. Great guitars for the dough though they do have some blushing in the old poly. Blueridge also makes a really nice, reasonably priced acoustic. A lot of bigger name bluegrass artists tour with them so they don't risk their vintage axes. I had one of their Gospel model auditoriums. Really sweet for the cash. Some of the newer Epiphone inspired by acoustics are really nice. Wife had the Hummingbird.

There are just a lot of decent quality mid priced acoustic guitars out there right now. Find out what specs he's after and go shopping.
 
Just my opinion also, but I wouldn’t go with the Martin models recommended here for finger picking. IME they’re better suited for flat picking styles
 
I really liked my Martin DXMAE, and it can be had around that price range. One on reverb for $630 right now, but I've seen cheaper. I'll second Yamaha as well, everything I've played from them so far has been shockingly good for the price. Was at the local GC today helping someone pick out a first guitar at wallet-friendly prices, and we landed on a Yamaha APXT2. Very surprised with how well it played at that price, though it does have some of that "small guitar sound". The 2000's Pacifica I picked up used for $50 feels almost as good as my Schecter Reaper 6, and sounds fantastic. My Yamaha CG172SF sounded pretty good with my favorite strings, and after replacing the nut and saddle with bone ones it sounded even better. Lastly, those old Yamaha 4x12's with V30's rock. To sum up... Yamaha is alright in my book, and a good bet.
 
Oh, and this Reverb seller is local to me: https://reverb.com/shop/backroadsguitars
If anything pops up that catches your/his eye, I can pop in and check it out when I get the chance. They claim they make sure everything hanging on their wall is stage and studio ready, and so far everything I've played (a 1400$ Schecter V and a 160$ used Jackson) has felt great.
 
Epiphone Inspired by Gibson line is impressive for the $. Have the J45 and totally happy with it. Got it for $500 with the intention of leaving it out and about in the house- if my kid bangs it up I’m not worried about it.
 
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