:(

I have been messing around with guitars since I was 12, I am now 52. I have not seen very many what you would call bad acoustic guitars until the last two or three years, so I thought it would be nice to mention the really bad ones to save some beginners some grief. So here goes!


[1] ANY cheap guitar from Mexico. These are the ones that are bought right across the border. In my humble opinion made for show not playing.

[2] Any Brownsville. These are mainly carried by Sam Ash and others like them. They cannot take any kind of punishment. A little heat and the neck warps. The electronics in the acoustic electric models fries within days of buying it. A lot of kids at my church bought these as a beginner guitar and all but 1 out of 11 the electronics have quit. If you really need a beginner’s guitar and this is all you can afford stay away from the acoustic electric and go straight acoustic.

[3] Any Jasmine. These are made by Takamini, but at a much reduced cost and quality. A little heat and the neck warps have seen three do that. In my experience with them the guitar will not stay in tune. One of the guys I play with bought one for his son and he is for ever tuning it. One good thing is that according to the manufacturer the electronics in both guitars are the same. :p WOW

[4] The guitar advertised by Stephano or what ever his name is. Made by Brownsville although you will pay more for it because he advertises it. I have worked on more of these guitars for kids than any other! Bad news. The amp ain’t bad.

[5] Any Ibanez guitar under $250 US. You would be surprised how the quality jumps up when you go from $200 to $250! Like a completely different world. I have seen many $200 Ibanez guitars that just would not stay in tune, but none in the $250 range and above.

Some of the best $250 to $400 range guitars I have had experience with is:

Art&Lutherie

Ovation Celebrity

Ibanez (see above)

Takamini

Dean

Sigma (made by Martin) hard to find

Hope this helps some beginner. BTW Most shops will not take back guitars so be careful when buying one. Take a friend who knows something about guitars with you if you can. Shop till you drop before buying one!