Help with buysing solid-body guitar

I'm trying to buy a solid body guitar but dont know exactly what to look for. I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me some guide to buying a solid body a/e guitar. Also im assuming a guitar with a proper wood top is a solid-body as opposed to a guitar with a laminated top which i absolutely do not want since i already have one. Thanks.

i solid body is any guitar that doesnt have any cavities in it. so basically the standard electic guitar.

i am sort of confused what kind of guitar you are askin about, can u give me a better idea what you want, like egzamples. ( i cant spell that word).


you might be confusing them wilth arch tops but im not reall sure.

Originally Posted by: Fret spideri solid body is any guitar that doesnt have any cavities in it. so basically the standard electic guitar.

i am sort of confused what kind of guitar you are askin about, can u give me a better idea what you want, like egzamples. ( i cant spell that word).


you might be confusing them wilth arch tops but im not reall sure.

Ah! The trouble with being a noob is mixing up terms. What i actually want is an a/e guitar that doesnt have the laminated and glossy top thats on cheap guitars. I want something thats solid wood. I hope that makes more sense.

I just need a guide to knowing what to look for in wood, electronics etc.

Originally Posted by: bunmiadefisayoAlso im assuming a guitar with a proper wood top is a solid-body as opposed to a guitar with a laminated top which i absolutely do not want since i already have one. Thanks.

Actually, many solid-bodied guitars have laminated tops (basically every Les Paul falls into this category). A guitar with a laminated top usually has a fancy piece of maple stuck to the body of the guitar and then sprayed with transluscent lacquer, so you can see the wood figure.

Example:





What you don't want is a guitar that is made from laminated wood throughout the whole body, but usually only the cheapest guitars are made this way.

If you aren't sure what to look for yet, perhaps you can tell us the kind of music you like to play and listen to and what your budget is. Then we can offer more specific suggestions for you.


EDIT: I see you've come to the same realisation. :D Make sure to let us know of any songs that you really like the guitar tone from. That helps lots.

OK good, thanks so much. I actually have a budget of $350, i can stretch it to $400 if need be. I know this is nothing but its what i can afford at the moment and i have been searching ebay and seen some Ovations going for that.

The best i describe the sound i want is this; i heard a guy playing a bowl-shaped guitar, an Ovation i think. The sound was SO nice. I dont know if it was bcos it was bowl-shaped rather than the normal flat-back. Anyhoo thats the sound i want, mellow and not too birght. I dont know if its possible to get that on an a/e.

Like i said, any guide on wood, electronics etc is great. Also does the bowl-shape make any difference in sound?

I've tried Ovations, and my ears ring too much for me to pick up subtle differences in tone - I find I can't make a bowl backed guitar stay on my lap when playing sitting down. Might just be me.

My first acoustic years ago was a washburn - it was the cheapest guitar I could find with solid top / back and sides, but it was fully acoustic and I bought a soundhole pickup for it, which did enough for me. The tops of all the guitars that were in that price range when I bought mine were sitka spruce as I recall.

I believe the electronics are nothing to shout about until you start spending more money, but I'm not 100%. Just so you've thought about it, consider a standard acoustic and separate pickup - it'll widen your options...

ZRP

so you are actually looking for an acoustic?

well, if you like the Ovation, get it! Ovations are great acoustics.

Ive been wanting the CC44 .

You want a solid-body acoustic-electric? You mean something like this?

Is this the guitar your looking for?

http://www.ovationguitars.com/index.cfm?fa=lxfeatures

Other models...

http://www.ovationguitars.com/index.cfm?fa=lxmodels

The first guitar I ever bought was an Ovation, and in hindsight (as I didn't know any better starting out) I gotta say it wasn't all that. It was about the same price as the range you're lookin at, $350ish if I remember right. It had pretty high action, fairly bad intonation (notes staying in tune) after the 7th fret, and weak sound on it's own unamplified. I sold it years ago, and don't miss it at all. I'm not saying that all Ovations are crap, I'm sure they make some really good ones, but sometimes you get what you pay for. On the other hand, I've been very impressed all around with my latest purchase, an Ibanez nylon string a/e. It was $325 with tax and all...awesome deal for the tone (both stand-alone and amped) and playability. You prolly don't want a nylon string, but I'm sure the quality of the steel strings are just as good. Just look to the right side of that link and it will show those.

Originally Posted by: Mark PavYou want a solid-body acoustic-electric? You mean something like this?

"Drools" NICE!!!!!!!

That's a Raven West guitar. Theyre' actually very cheap for the quality you get. So, like only $300-ish for that style of guitar. Apparently the quality is as good as guitars that are many times more expensive. A friend of mine bought one and I'll see how good it is when it gets here.