300 episodes says a lot - about the quality of the content, and about you as our host. Thanks for your commitment and inspiration that makes playing the acoustic guitar the absolute joy that it is. Carry on!
I purchased the Taylor Academy 22e about 1 1/2 years ago just before starting the TAC program. My adjectives may not be entirely accurate but I love Taylor due to their rich, full “coffee house” sound especially in the lower registers. I know Any Powers, one of the lead designers at Taylor in San Diego. So when I asked him about a quality Taylor to start my journey, and having stubby, arthritic cigar fingers, he didn’t hesitate and suggested the Taylor academy which hadn’t been released for very long at the time. He said, “that’s what we designed it for. So I was happy to see it highly recommended in your video. Great video, just like all your content. Thanks Tony.
I bought my wife the Martin DX Johnny Cash model for her first guitar. Partly because she is a Cash fan & mostly because it is HPL & I don’t have to worry about cracking or the occasional whack. Plus it could hang on the wall without fear of “drying out”.
My first guitar was the Academy 12E. I bought it after taking lessons as my Alverez DY70 was a little big for me doing the extended practice sessions. I have since used the Alverez quite a bit, but I still love the Academy 12E. Great show, Tony and TAC is a great experience and it is excellent.
Orangewood Oliver Jr. Nearly identical to the Taylor gs mini, and a fraction of the price. A bad first guitar is like learning to drive with no working lights and failing brakes lol. Mine was an old pawnshop Cort with a warped neck lol. I think it slowed my progress quite a bit.
I have a Gibson J-185, Guild D-35NT, and a Martin J12-15, but I recently bought an Art and Lutherie Legacy as a "sofa" guitar and now is my most played guitar. I highly recommend it as a good first, sofa, travel, or primary guitar....much better than the Stella that was my first guitar.
My first acoustic guitar (had a nylon string Spanish guitar for years prior to this), was a Simon & Patrick (Godin) SP6 cedar top guitar. Found it in a 2nd hand store in Aberdeen for £150. Bought it immediately as finding a great deal like that on a left-handed guitar was impossibly rare. Still got it 20 years later.
My first decent acoustic guitar was a Yamaha FG450SA from late 80’s/early 90’. After a long lay off from playing I picked it up again some 25 years later and it still sounded sweet. It has now been sold and I now have 2 Faith guitars (PJE legacy models) which are truly superb value for money. Enjoying the show😊
Congrats on the 300 episodes. I completely agree with getting a smaller body and / or scale guitar as a first instrument. Of course it is still subjective, but I struggled a lot until I got a Yamaha APXT2 and got it properly set up by a luthier. It is very important to not have to fight the instrument especially as a beginner.
My firsts guitar was an equivalent to the Yamaha model you mentioned. It's a trooper and amazingly holds tune very well. My addition to the list is an Eastman PCH1. It's under $500 and has a solid Sitka (thermo-cured) top. Great value.
My favorite first and last guitar: The Ibanez AVD 10, all solid wood thermo aged body, bone nut and saddle. True value comparable with Martin D-18s and Gibson J´45s. Absolutely mindblowing. Price point: 530€ new, about 400 and less 2nd hand. Buy it guys.
It's really good to be hearing from you again, Tony. I followed your content closely when you were over there, somewhere else, and now you're here, and that's good. You have a pleasant personality, and the reasoning and discussion is very worthwhile to me, as a near-novice but not completely ignorant guitar player. Thanks very much.
Just started your program 2 weeks ago and progressing very nicely. My first guitar I purchased was a Yamaha FX335C. Great feel and sound. Appreciate all you do to continue to grow the interest for playing the guitar.
My first was a nylon stringed from a pawn shop. My folks bought it for me. I think they spent $30 on it. The first I purchased was a spruce/rosewood Blueridge dreadnought in 1986 for $600. That was pretty expensive at the time. That guitar went on the road with me. It was signed by several country music stars. I was wondering if you would have the GS mini on your list. I think the mahogany is best bang for your buck. I like the Koa one too. It was nice to hear the riffs that you used on guitar reviews from Music Villa again. I've watched hundreds of those old videos while doing research for a new acoustic.
1st guitar Ibanez AC-340 and I absolutely love it. 2nd 1st guitar, bought a week later Yamaha FG-850 and I like that one too but tend to play the Ibanez more. My qualifications were... no electronics, a solid top and recommended in multiple under $500 guitar reviews. The Ibanez popped up a lot and the Yamaha FG-800 series did as well.
My first acoustic was a Simon & Patrick woodland pro folk guitar. They’re connected with Godin. It’s a solid wood, small bodied guitar that is beautiful both aesthetically and tonally. I paid $500 for it in 2011 and still own it. I have custom martins and still can’t let this one go. The quality is excellent for the price point if you can find one.
Congrats on 300 shows. My first guitar, just last Christmas, was the Martin DX-2E. This is actually the one with a spruce top. The DX-1E has an HPL top. Love the guitar but it made me want and all solid wood guitar. Thusly, my Taylor Builder's Edition 324CE. Love both guitars and Tony's Acoustic Challenge. Keep up the good work, I love the show!!
Congratulations on 300! My first guitar was an inexpensive Fender DG8S. I have had it almost 9 years and it has been an extremely reliable guitar. Solid spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides. It sounds great for an inexpensive guitar. I now have 3 other guitars that are much more expensive and I still grab this one all the time.
The first guitar I laid my hands on was a Decca guitar. Yes, from Decca Records. I may have had one of a very few they had made with their Decca name on it. My father worked for the company as a manager in Gloversville, NY where they stamped the records out and created 8-track tapes!! He brought the guitar home one day and I got hooked. It was difficult to play with very high strings but I got the idea. Not sure what happened to it, but it was so unique, I bet it would be worth something today! I now still play a1972 Les Paul Custom I used in bands a while back, and have a Breedlove acoustic as well as a Traveler electric guitar today. I also still have an older Guild F Body acoustic. Congratulations on 300 shows!!
My first guitar was a Johnson. One of my kids pulled the label off the inside, so I can’t say for certain which Johnson it is. It’s obviously a Johnson, because that’s the name on the headstock. I bought it at the Musician’s Toy Store in 2002 while the store was still in the Jacksonville Mall (Camp LeJeune area). Despite my 3-year-old autistic son having bumped a side of the guitar into a corner of the coffee table resulting in a crack followed by peeling of the paint finish, I still love how it sounds. Considering how much I paid for it and what I’ve been able to see on-line regarding reviews, I’m guessing it is a JG-100.
My first guitar was back in 1965 and was a new Montgomery Ward - Airline acoustic, $25.00, action so high. Many blisters and bloody fingers trying to learn chords. Also pitch pipe tuner. My first decent acoustic when I decided to try guitar again was a Recording King RDC-57, solid Sitka top, and solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, with ebony bridge and fretboard. Been playing at guitar ever since - a decent guitar with good set up makes a big difference and helps the learning curve.😀
My first guitar was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul JR Double Cutaway. I bought it and an Epiphone Pathfinder, I paid $100 for the whole setup. My first acoustic guitar was a Kay and it was awful. If I had started out with the Kay there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have continued to play. From the guitars you listed I would recommend the PRS P20 not the P20e. In my experience amplifying your first guitar can be really discouraging, all your mistakes are LOUD. I bought a P20 to take camping and after a setup and finding strings I liked on it it really is a nice little guitar. I sold the camper but kept the guitar.
The LEGEND is in the BEARD, big thanx 4 getting me back into guitar from scratch rhythm and learning how to play a proper G chord. You're doing God's work my friend. ❤
I purchased the GS Mini a couple of years ago, and it sounds good. Very good. I have the Rosewood finish model, to me, it sounded the best of the 3 finishes available.
It wasn't my first guitar; but my current "go to" acoustic guitar is the Martin D-X2E priced at $649. It has the sitka spruce top, mahogany neck, and HPL back and sides. I don't worry about it as much especially in the hot Las Vegas climate. I do however keep a Music Nomad guitar soundhole humidifier on it when I'm not playing the guitar and it's in it's case to protect that spruce top. Plays well and sounds fantastic both when played acoustically or plugged in to an amp. I've had other guitar players tell me they can't believe how good the guitar sounds.
The guitar I wish I’d started with is the Yamaha CSF1M. It’s got a short scale length, and because it’s a ‘travel sized’ guitar is much easier to play for a beginner. I use it for things I find hard on other guitars - stretches etc.. it helps you get the confidence to playing things which you couldn’t necessarily play on an OM or dreadnaught. Also sounds great even though it’s petite. It’s my go to sofa guitar and am surprised it’s not more popular
Thanks, Tony. I agree with most of your beginning guitar list. I did find a Blueridge BR63 for $500. Eastman also has some nice starter guitars that your former employer, Music Villa, carries. Thanks
Congratulations on 300. I recently got a Fender CC-60 S all mahogany. Solid mahogany top, laminate mahogony back and sidess, doncert size and under $200. Really love this guitar.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!300 episodes is a wonderful achievement!!! May there be a million more!! Love the content. I have been watching since number 1 and hope to keep on...As for this episode, I think you would be a remiss to leave off Takamine and their G-series. Affordable and wonderful guitars can be a first and a forever. I still have my 1983 G330(lawsuit era), yes a Martin clone with Spruce top and Nato back and sides but a great guitar. Their build quality is top notch. And mine ,40 years gone, sounds sweeter than ever Again congrats on 300!!
CONGRATULATIONS - 300 episodes and a new Dad, too!!! My 1st acoustic guitar was a birthday present on my birthday (1964) - brand new Stella parlor guitar (Harmony Model H-929). Loved it, but not really a good first guitar (came with Black Diamond mediums and action so high you could drive a VW under). I started my Granddaughter on the Taylor Baby-Taylor - she loves it)
Really getting into Breedlove guitars. Will probably get one as my first guitar. Used to play but have not touched a guitar in about 30 years. So i feel like it will be my first guitar.
Congrats on 300. First guitar Esteban Limited Edition. Epiphone Pro-1 given for completion of G4V online lessons. So much easier to play. I can even do that dreaded F-barre.
My first guitar was a Martin DM (~1997) and it was a great guitar for ~20 years but was too big for me and I traded out for an OM and am much more comfortable with the OM body size. The best first guitar is the one that inspires you to play which will mostly be about how it feels in your hands, playability, and how it looks. For a beginner, I think these are the most important factors in being inspired to pick up the guitar and play it. I'd recommend going to a guitar shop with a friend and just picking up a holding some different guitars in your price range and see how they feel in your hand. When you grab the neck does it feel like it was made for your hand or is it an awkward fit? When you put your arm over it does your arm relax nicely over the top edge or does it feel like you are stretching or hunching? Ask a store rep (or your friend) to play a few chords on the ones that feel the best and see if one sounds significantly better (or worse). For a starter guitar, I would recommend the Taylor GS Mini and I'm surprised it was so far down on the list. They are great guitars all around, and are especially approachable for beginners because of the smeller size and shorter scale. There are a ton of them available (new and used) so folks should be able to find a model that they like in their price range. The other guitar I'd recommend is the OrangeWood Echo (on the list!) or the Oliver Jr. - again because of the small size - but coming in at half the price of the Taylor GS Mini it's less of an investment for a new player and is highly reviewed. I haven't ever played an OrangeWood but people seem to really like them. I have played a few GS Minis and they are great and there is no shortage of good reviews so they seem like a safer bet to me if you can afford it. But - the best guitar for the beginner is the one that fill inspire them to keep playing! Also - I think it's important that a beginner get someone to check out their guitar and make sure the action isn't crazy high which will make it harder for the beginner to learn. Thanks for all the amazing content, Tony!
Speaking of action, I’m wondering if the action is supposed to be higher on classical guitars. I have a Yamaha C40. I bought it, because that was the one in the shop that sounded pretty to me that I could afford. I struggle with the width of the frets though. So I just wonder if lowering the action will help, but more importantly, I wonder if it’s a kosher thing to lower the action on a classical guitar.
300! Mazel Tov!! Love the show. Your perspective is informative and inspiring. As for the beginners, I’ve been so impressed with the couple of GS Minis I’ve played, one mahogany, one koa, both easy to fret, comfortable to hold, and a joy to strum or pick.
@@angelaskipping3110 I don't know much about classical/nylon string guitars but I do know that your guitar should be comfortable and easy to play so I'd take yours to a guitar shop and see what they say. One thing you can try to help with the fret width is to lower the tuning a half-setp and put a capo on the first fret. That gives you the feeling of a shorter scale guitar - but not as small as a 3/4 size like the GS Mini or OrangeWood Jr. line.
Hey Tony! I would've loved to watch this video about 3 years ago when I picked the guitar back up man, although luckily I did manage to buy something similar to the $299.00 Yamaha you suggested here, I just chose one with a cut out though ( I forget the model number ). Since then and after watching your feeds every Tuesday I have two Martins and I love both of them. A GPC28E w/ a beautiful Sunburst finish and also a 12 fret 000-15SM. Both play and feel fantastic but have completely different voicings quite obviously. I also noticed the clip you used via Alamo Music, I love their channel too and Cooper can play one hell of a guitar too! 👍 Anyhow, I'm a life member to TAC and your newer daily lessons are F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C! Thanks for all you do man, you make the journey that much more interesting, Tommy~
My first gigging guitar was a Martin Drs1. All solid Sapele that came with a pickup and a solid case. All that for $800 Canadian. Sold it to put towards an HD 28, something I kind of regret. I shouldn't have gotten rid of my first Martin.
I think this is a great list, but I am struggling to see why Eastman didn’t make this top 10. Just my humble opinion, but Eastman PCH one OM or E1OM hands-down best budget friendly acoustic guitars I have ever tried along with old solid top Yamaki guitars from the 70s
@@billallen1594 ah I see. I’m up in Canada and stumbled into my first Eastman 11 years ago now. Really changed my perception of things as I ended up trading a Gibson in for it. I watch that channel “the acoustic shop “a fair bit and I think it gave me a false perception of how popular Eastman guitars are, or not in the states. Haha. Of course we all have different tastes and I can understand how Eastman wouldn’t be one players cup of tea. It all depends on what we’ve played for a long time. Lots of great guitars out there
My first acoustic is a model I have been unable to find who manufactured it. (I have a Squire electric). For Xmas I bought a Martin LX1E Little Martin.($949AUD) Sounds good to me and easier to play than the "inknown" model. So I consider the Martin as my first guitar.
Tony, Buyer beware for Orangewood guitars. My first 2 were fine but last 3 sounded poor and were not properly set up. For some reason, they were in shipping so long that the return date was part when it arrived. Very poor customer service. So buying direct from them is a gamble. I'll stick with a local guitar store.
@angelaskipping3110 sometimes the item I'm hunting is unavailable locally. There are a few stores I trust: Music Villa in Bozeman MT; The Acoustic Shoppe, (John or Liz on guitars) Springfield MO, Empire Music (Joe) Pittsburgh PA, and my local shop. I've given Taylor GS Minis, Yamaha FS830, Guild 240 Memoir, a Seagull, an Orangewood, and an Eastman to grandchildren. Eventually, they will inherit my guitars. Thanks.
If you're going to buy the FG800, get the FG830 instead. The FG800 is great, and the FG830 is a bug step up for only a little more money. You will not be disappointed.
My first guitar was a Stratocaster copy when I was 14 in sunburst color action was to high. My second guitar was a all mahogany harmony from Zordans music in Roseland in Chicago I was sixteen and I couldn’t afford a guitar from Chicago music exchange downtown where Steven Stills and other famous artists of that time shopped. Meanwhile I progress to two years ago ,I bought my first guitar I ordered it from Alamo music after going to two different guitar gallery in Denver area, at seventy and started taking lessons , I bought a GS Mini Koa ,I was also looking at a Gt urban ash at the time. Know I know to check the nut size. 0:57
As a very long time guitar player (50 + years) I tell people to buy nothing under $300-400.00 as a first guitar. If they decide they are not interested, they can resell it and get some of their investment back. The $500 and up first guitar can become your forever guitar. In my case a Yamaha FG580 bought in 1974 for $400 Canadian. Still using it today. The other part of first guitar is making the right string choice. Strings do not sound the same on different guitars and guitars have different tones with different brands of strings. My List Yamaha, Sigma , Blueridge , Godin, Seagull, .
PS ~ Congratulations on the big 300 man! If someone asked me what they should buy as a first time acoustic, I'd certainly tell them to check out Yamaha and Orangewood :)
My issue is a light stroke , that has left me with dexterity , but, somewhat of a sensation of "disassociation" , knowing it would be worse to give in stop right there. pushed on , and bought a nice used laminate , for 125.with very good action, not a corroded metal component, or dead fret on it.what better therapy , physical or spirit nurturing guru can be found?
ok, this is another of several lists on acoustic tuesday with a glaring omission of eastman guitars. again, is there some bias against eastman on this channel?
Gs mini mah is awesome and well enamored by others- now I want a louder richer addition to my growing skills And a full size with cutaway that can strum solid and pick and play please advise - I am a smaller person so growing from bt-1 to gs-mini I am a Taylor fan but also have an a120 and d25 guild. 120 westerly to be used to learn to flat pick and not there yet and d25 is too heavy but sounds amazing for 500$. I want to see a pearl action for the Beaty of it! Thanks if you are able to link me in the direction or comments appreciated
10 reliable brands smallish guitar solid top laminate back and sides is all you need. 200-300 dollars. There are at least 20 reliable brands in that bracket..
Tony, Congrats on show 300 and on the new addition to your family! My first guitar was in 2007, or should I say my wife’s first guitar was a Burswood Esteban steel string acoustic dreadnaught. The action was so high and my teacher Todd Bethune of Classical Graffiti fame sent me to Elderlys for a restringing and guitar set-up. They really filed down the nut grooves to make it more playable for $24.00 but on the invoice slip wrote down “uneven frets” . There is a note on the 13th fret D string that won’t play the next chromatic note D# but rather plays a muffled D again. I put 13’s on it, thanks to your restringing video and I use it for my alternate tuning guitar like for “She talks to Angels” and it really sounds great! It has an inch and 11/16ths nut width which for my big hands is tough. So years later after a comment my Mom made “You don’t play guitar any more do you?” I ordered a new Seagull S6 from guitar center on the recommendation of my previous guitar teacher Todd Bethune years previous which has a 46 mm wide nut for $579 and have used it for TAC lessons ever since. I love it and have restrung the S6 by myself. I just recently restrung my AEG 50N nylon string after watching TH-cam videos on it. My last comment is I bought my oldest daughter a Farida OT - 62 J-45 ish guitar from Elderlys a couple of Christmas’s ago as her first guitar. What a cannon, bone nut and saddle, 24 and 3/4 scale length and for$444 out the door. What a great first guitar for her. I have gone on too long, love the show and love TAC. Miss the in person lessons with my old guitar teacher though cheers!
Tony states these are not in order of preference…@13:15 @2:30 #10 Taylor GS Mini ~$699 (MSRP) @4:04 #9 Yamaha FG800 ~$299 @4:52 #8 PRS-SE P20E ~$599 @6:00 #7 Alvarez AF30 ~$299 @7:05 #6 Guild M240E ~$519 @8:05 #5 Seagull S6 ~$779 @9:36 #4 Bristol BM16 / BD16 (by Blue Ridge Guitar) ~$279 @11:20 #3 Taylor Academy 22e ~$899 @13:25 #2 Orangewood Echo ~$345 @14:11 #1 Martin DX1E ~$549
I have seen 4 Martin X series guitars coming apart, and all with super high action.I have one on my work bench now. This one is the worst and was obviously treated like a guitar should never be treated.but the high action and unadjustability of the neck with the truss rod on all of them I can not account for except for its a problem with these guitars.
I have a Martin D-X2E and it's super comfortable to play. The action is better than my other Epiphone acoustics which aren't bad. I've been totally happy with it. I keep in the nice bag Martin provides when I'm not playing it and I use a Music Nomad soundhole humidifier to keep the spruce top from drying out since I live in a very dry desert climate.
Thats great , I can only tell you my eperience with these ones, and im sure it dosent represent the life of all x-series guitars out there. However it does seem to be prevailent amongst many of them to have these issues, but only from what I have seen and talked about with repair techs and luthiers.
@@jimdoner3443, if you're mostly talking to luthiers and repair techs, then it's probably no surprise that you're seeing mostly the guitars with problems. I've just never personally experienced a bad Martin guitar; although I'm sure some do develop issues from time to time.
I'm sure you're well intenioned, but this list is ridiculous. Other than the Yamaha, they DO NOT qualify. It's ridiculous to pay more than $200 for a first guitar, and you should know better.
![[#2024MAMA] BIGBANG (빅뱅) - 뱅뱅뱅 (BANG BANG BANG) + FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EQsYfiPR9uM/mqdefault.jpg)
300 episodes says a lot - about the quality of the content, and about you as our host. Thanks for your commitment and inspiration that makes playing the acoustic guitar the absolute joy that it is. Carry on!
I purchased the Taylor Academy 22e about 1 1/2 years ago just before starting the TAC program. My adjectives may not be entirely accurate but I love Taylor due to their rich, full “coffee house” sound especially in the lower registers. I know Any Powers, one of the lead designers at Taylor in San Diego. So when I asked him about a quality Taylor to start my journey, and having stubby, arthritic cigar fingers, he didn’t hesitate and suggested the Taylor academy which hadn’t been released for very long at the time. He said, “that’s what we designed it for. So I was happy to see it highly recommended in your video. Great video, just like all your content. Thanks Tony.
Vince Gill once said that one of the greatest things his parents did for him was to invest in a good guitar as his first quitar.
$700 for a beginner?
I bought my wife the Martin DX Johnny Cash model for her first guitar. Partly because she is a Cash fan & mostly because it is HPL & I don’t have to worry about cracking or the occasional whack. Plus it could hang on the wall without fear of “drying out”.
My first guitar was the Academy 12E. I bought it after taking lessons as my Alverez DY70 was a little big for me doing the extended practice sessions. I have since used the Alverez quite a bit, but I still love the Academy 12E. Great show, Tony and TAC is a great experience and it is excellent.
Orangewood Oliver Jr. Nearly identical to the Taylor gs mini, and a fraction of the price. A bad first guitar is like learning to drive with no working lights and failing brakes lol. Mine was an old pawnshop Cort with a warped neck lol. I think it slowed my progress quite a bit.
Eastman PCH any model. They are all phenomenal and come in between 300-400.
Also a huge Breedlove fan. Discovery and Pursuit series from 450 to 750. Easy playing great sound, very individual look.
I love the sound from a Breedlove as well.
I have a Gibson J-185, Guild D-35NT, and a Martin J12-15, but I recently bought an Art and Lutherie Legacy as a "sofa" guitar and now is my most played guitar. I highly recommend it as a good first, sofa, travel, or primary guitar....much better than the Stella that was my first guitar.
My first acoustic guitar (had a nylon string Spanish guitar for years prior to this), was a Simon & Patrick (Godin) SP6 cedar top guitar. Found it in a 2nd hand store in Aberdeen for £150. Bought it immediately as finding a great deal like that on a left-handed guitar was impossibly rare. Still got it 20 years later.
The Yamaha fg830 would be my reccomended first guitar. Best guitar I've ever heard for a 350$ unit. Has that legendary scooped sound that d28s have
Love my Seagull! I have the S6 in Mahogany. Really nice passive pickup too.
My first guitar I bought was a Seagull S-6 in 2011 and LOVE IT!!!!
I think this is a great time to start playing guitar. There are so many great options out there.
My first decent acoustic guitar was a Yamaha FG450SA from late 80’s/early 90’. After a long lay off from playing I picked it up again some 25 years later and it still sounded sweet.
It has now been sold and I now have 2 Faith guitars (PJE legacy models) which are truly superb value for money. Enjoying the show😊
Congratulations on 300 episodes! My first guitar is a Big Baby Taylor and I still love playing it to this day.
Congrats on the 300 episodes. I completely agree with getting a smaller body and / or scale guitar as a first instrument. Of course it is still subjective, but I struggled a lot until I got a Yamaha APXT2 and got it properly set up by a luthier. It is very important to not have to fight the instrument especially as a beginner.
My firsts guitar was an equivalent to the Yamaha model you mentioned. It's a trooper and amazingly holds tune very well. My addition to the list is an Eastman PCH1. It's under $500 and has a solid Sitka (thermo-cured) top. Great value.
I started with the Yamaha FS800, more like an OM size. Great guitar and still love it. Also got a PCH1 and regret selling it
My favorite first and last guitar: The Ibanez AVD 10, all solid wood thermo aged body, bone nut and saddle. True value comparable with Martin D-18s and Gibson J´45s. Absolutely mindblowing.
Price point: 530€ new, about 400 and less 2nd hand. Buy it guys.
It's really good to be hearing from you again, Tony. I followed your content closely when you were over there, somewhere else, and now you're here, and that's good.
You have a pleasant personality, and the reasoning and discussion is very worthwhile to me, as a near-novice but not completely ignorant guitar player.
Thanks very much.
Just started your program 2 weeks ago and progressing very nicely. My first guitar I purchased was a Yamaha FX335C. Great feel and sound. Appreciate all you do to continue to grow the interest for playing the guitar.
Yamaha FGX800c looks and sounds great and the size was perfect for me getting into learning and playing this past year and 1/2
My first was a nylon stringed from a pawn shop. My folks bought it for me. I think they spent $30 on it.
The first I purchased was a spruce/rosewood Blueridge dreadnought in 1986 for $600. That was pretty expensive at the time. That guitar went on the road with me. It was signed by several country music stars.
I was wondering if you would have the GS mini on your list. I think the mahogany is best bang for your buck. I like the Koa one too.
It was nice to hear the riffs that you used on guitar reviews from Music Villa again. I've watched hundreds of those old videos while doing research for a new acoustic.
1st guitar Ibanez AC-340 and I absolutely love it.
2nd 1st guitar, bought a week later Yamaha FG-850 and I like that one too but tend to play the Ibanez more.
My qualifications were... no electronics, a solid top and recommended in multiple under $500 guitar reviews. The Ibanez popped up a lot and the Yamaha FG-800 series did as well.
My first acoustic was a Simon & Patrick woodland pro folk guitar. They’re connected with Godin. It’s a solid wood, small bodied guitar that is beautiful both aesthetically and tonally. I paid $500 for it in 2011 and still own it. I have custom martins and still can’t let this one go. The quality is excellent for the price point if you can find one.
Congrats on 300 shows. My first guitar, just last Christmas, was the Martin DX-2E. This is actually the one with a spruce top. The DX-1E has an HPL top. Love the guitar but it made me want and all solid wood guitar. Thusly, my Taylor Builder's Edition 324CE. Love both guitars and Tony's Acoustic Challenge. Keep up the good work, I love the show!!
Congratulations on 300! My first guitar was an inexpensive Fender DG8S. I have had it almost 9 years and it has been an extremely reliable guitar. Solid spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides. It sounds great for an inexpensive guitar. I now have 3 other guitars that are much more expensive and I still grab this one all the time.
The first guitar I laid my hands on was a Decca guitar. Yes, from Decca Records. I may have had one of a very few they had made with their Decca name on it. My father worked for the company as a manager in Gloversville, NY where they stamped the records out and created 8-track tapes!! He brought the guitar home one day and I got hooked. It was difficult to play with very high strings but I got the idea. Not sure what happened to it, but it was so unique, I bet it would be worth something today! I now still play a1972 Les Paul Custom I used in bands a while back, and have a Breedlove acoustic as well as a Traveler electric guitar today. I also still have an older Guild F Body acoustic. Congratulations on 300 shows!!
My first guitar was a Johnson. One of my kids pulled the label off the inside, so I can’t say for certain which Johnson it is. It’s obviously a Johnson, because that’s the name on the headstock. I bought it at the Musician’s Toy Store in 2002 while the store was still in the Jacksonville Mall (Camp LeJeune area). Despite my 3-year-old autistic son having bumped a side of the guitar into a corner of the coffee table resulting in a crack followed by peeling of the paint finish, I still love how it sounds. Considering how much I paid for it and what I’ve been able to see on-line regarding reviews, I’m guessing it is a JG-100.
My first guitar was back in 1965 and was a new Montgomery Ward - Airline acoustic, $25.00, action so high. Many blisters and bloody fingers trying to learn chords. Also pitch pipe tuner. My first decent acoustic when I decided to try guitar again was a Recording King RDC-57, solid Sitka top, and solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, with ebony bridge and fretboard. Been playing at guitar ever since - a decent guitar with good set up makes a big difference and helps the learning curve.😀
My first guitar was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul JR Double Cutaway. I bought it and an Epiphone Pathfinder, I paid $100 for the whole setup. My first acoustic guitar was a Kay and it was awful. If I had started out with the Kay there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have continued to play. From the guitars you listed I would recommend the PRS P20 not the P20e. In my experience amplifying your first guitar can be really discouraging, all your mistakes are LOUD. I bought a P20 to take camping and after a setup and finding strings I liked on it it really is a nice little guitar. I sold the camper but kept the guitar.
My first was a used Ovation I paid 250 for. I still have it and it's still in rotation. I have 3 I rotate between humidification and playing.
The LEGEND is in the BEARD, big thanx 4 getting me back into guitar from scratch rhythm and learning how to play a proper G chord. You're doing God's work my friend. ❤
I love my first guitar I got shortly before starting TAC. All mahogany Fender CD-140S. $200.
I purchased the GS Mini a couple of years ago, and it sounds good. Very good. I have the Rosewood finish model, to me, it sounded the best of the 3 finishes available.
It wasn't my first guitar; but my current "go to" acoustic guitar is the Martin D-X2E priced at $649. It has the sitka spruce top, mahogany neck, and HPL back and sides. I don't worry about it as much especially in the hot Las Vegas climate. I do however keep a Music Nomad guitar soundhole humidifier on it when I'm not playing the guitar and it's in it's case to protect that spruce top. Plays well and sounds fantastic both when played acoustically or plugged in to an amp. I've had other guitar players tell me they can't believe how good the guitar sounds.
Congratulations 300! Thanks to everyone that makes it possible.
Semper Fi
The guitar I wish I’d started with is the Yamaha CSF1M. It’s got a short scale length, and because it’s a ‘travel sized’ guitar is much easier to play for a beginner. I use it for things I find hard on other guitars - stretches etc.. it helps you get the confidence to playing things which you couldn’t necessarily play on an OM or dreadnaught. Also sounds great even though it’s petite. It’s my go to sofa guitar and am surprised it’s not more popular
Thanks, Tony. I agree with most of your beginning guitar list. I did find a Blueridge BR63 for $500. Eastman also has some nice starter guitars that your former employer, Music Villa, carries. Thanks
Congratulations on 300. I recently got a Fender CC-60 S all mahogany. Solid mahogany top, laminate mahogony back and sidess, doncert size and under $200. Really love this guitar.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!300 episodes is a wonderful achievement!!!
May there be a million more!! Love the content. I have been watching since number 1 and hope to keep on...As for this episode, I think you would be a remiss to leave off Takamine and their G-series. Affordable and wonderful guitars can be a first and a forever. I still have my 1983 G330(lawsuit era), yes a Martin clone with Spruce top and Nato back and sides but a great guitar. Their build quality is top notch. And mine ,40 years gone, sounds sweeter than ever Again congrats on 300!!
CONGRATULATIONS - 300 episodes and a new Dad, too!!!
My 1st acoustic guitar was a birthday present on my birthday (1964) - brand new Stella parlor guitar (Harmony Model H-929). Loved it, but not really a good first guitar (came with Black Diamond mediums and action so high you could drive a VW under). I started my Granddaughter on the Taylor Baby-Taylor - she loves it)
Really getting into Breedlove guitars. Will probably get one as my first guitar. Used to play but have not touched a guitar in about 30 years. So i feel like it will be my first guitar.
Congrats on 300. First guitar Esteban Limited Edition. Epiphone Pro-1 given for completion of G4V online lessons. So much easier to play. I can even do that dreaded F-barre.
My first guitar was a Martin DM (~1997) and it was a great guitar for ~20 years but was too big for me and I traded out for an OM and am much more comfortable with the OM body size. The best first guitar is the one that inspires you to play which will mostly be about how it feels in your hands, playability, and how it looks. For a beginner, I think these are the most important factors in being inspired to pick up the guitar and play it. I'd recommend going to a guitar shop with a friend and just picking up a holding some different guitars in your price range and see how they feel in your hand. When you grab the neck does it feel like it was made for your hand or is it an awkward fit? When you put your arm over it does your arm relax nicely over the top edge or does it feel like you are stretching or hunching? Ask a store rep (or your friend) to play a few chords on the ones that feel the best and see if one sounds significantly better (or worse). For a starter guitar, I would recommend the Taylor GS Mini and I'm surprised it was so far down on the list. They are great guitars all around, and are especially approachable for beginners because of the smeller size and shorter scale. There are a ton of them available (new and used) so folks should be able to find a model that they like in their price range. The other guitar I'd recommend is the OrangeWood Echo (on the list!) or the Oliver Jr. - again because of the small size - but coming in at half the price of the Taylor GS Mini it's less of an investment for a new player and is highly reviewed. I haven't ever played an OrangeWood but people seem to really like them. I have played a few GS Minis and they are great and there is no shortage of good reviews so they seem like a safer bet to me if you can afford it. But - the best guitar for the beginner is the one that fill inspire them to keep playing! Also - I think it's important that a beginner get someone to check out their guitar and make sure the action isn't crazy high which will make it harder for the beginner to learn. Thanks for all the amazing content, Tony!
Speaking of action, I’m wondering if the action is supposed to be higher on classical guitars. I have a Yamaha C40. I bought it, because that was the one in the shop that sounded pretty to me that I could afford. I struggle with the width of the frets though. So I just wonder if lowering the action will help, but more importantly, I wonder if it’s a kosher thing to lower the action on a classical guitar.
300! Mazel Tov!! Love the show. Your perspective is informative and inspiring. As for the beginners, I’ve been so impressed with the couple of GS Minis I’ve played, one mahogany, one koa, both easy to fret, comfortable to hold, and a joy to strum or pick.
@@angelaskipping3110 I don't know much about classical/nylon string guitars but I do know that your guitar should be comfortable and easy to play so I'd take yours to a guitar shop and see what they say. One thing you can try to help with the fret width is to lower the tuning a half-setp and put a capo on the first fret. That gives you the feeling of a shorter scale guitar - but not as small as a 3/4 size like the GS Mini or OrangeWood Jr. line.
Hey Tony!
I would've loved to watch this video about 3 years ago when I picked the guitar back up man, although luckily I did manage to buy something similar to the $299.00 Yamaha you suggested here, I just chose one with a cut out though ( I forget the model number ).
Since then and after watching your feeds every Tuesday I have two Martins and I love both of them. A GPC28E w/ a beautiful Sunburst finish and also a 12 fret 000-15SM. Both play and feel fantastic but have completely different voicings quite obviously.
I also noticed the clip you used via Alamo Music, I love their channel too and Cooper can play one hell of a guitar too! 👍
Anyhow, I'm a life member to TAC and your newer daily lessons are F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!
Thanks for all you do man, you make the journey that much more interesting,
Tommy~
Big congrats on 300 Tony 💥 Been here since the first. Tuesday can be a tricky day but the AT carrot at the end makes it ok.
.gradulation Tony for your 300 You are à inspiration for lots à peaple keep going
My first gigging guitar was a Martin Drs1. All solid Sapele that came with a pickup and a solid case. All that for $800 Canadian. Sold it to put towards an HD 28, something I kind of regret. I shouldn't have gotten rid of my first Martin.
Thanks for the mention Tony! Great show as always! :)
My first guitar is Guild 260CE Deluxe. No regrets!
I think this is a great list, but I am struggling to see why Eastman didn’t make this top 10. Just my humble opinion, but Eastman PCH one OM or E1OM hands-down best budget friendly acoustic guitars I have ever tried along with old solid top Yamaki guitars from the 70s
Eastman seems to be less well know in the US, but I agree with you
@@billallen1594 ah I see. I’m up in Canada and stumbled into my first Eastman 11 years ago now. Really changed my perception of things as I ended up trading a Gibson in for it. I watch that channel “the acoustic shop “a fair bit and I think it gave me a false perception of how popular Eastman guitars are, or not in the states. Haha. Of course we all have different tastes and I can understand how Eastman wouldn’t be one players cup of tea. It all depends on what we’ve played for a long time. Lots of great guitars out there
Grats on 300 episodes!!
Thanks for sharing your acoustic passion. Keep it going!
Congratulations on #300! I've been with you on every episode.
My first acoustic is a model I have been unable to find who manufactured it. (I have a Squire electric). For Xmas I bought a Martin LX1E Little Martin.($949AUD) Sounds good to me and easier to play than the "inknown" model. So I consider the Martin as my first guitar.
Tony, Buyer beware for Orangewood guitars. My first 2 were fine but last 3 sounded poor and were not properly set up. For some reason, they were in shipping so long that the return date was part when it arrived. Very poor customer service. So buying direct from them is a gamble. I'll stick with a local guitar store.
I prefer to walk in the store as well.
@angelaskipping3110 sometimes the item I'm hunting is unavailable locally. There are a few stores I trust: Music Villa in Bozeman MT; The Acoustic Shoppe, (John or Liz on guitars) Springfield MO, Empire Music (Joe) Pittsburgh PA, and my local shop. I've given Taylor GS Minis, Yamaha FS830, Guild 240 Memoir, a Seagull, an Orangewood, and an Eastman to grandchildren. Eventually, they will inherit my guitars. Thanks.
If you're going to buy the FG800, get the FG830 instead. The FG800 is great, and the FG830 is a bug step up for only a little more money. You will not be disappointed.
Congratulations! Well done, Tony!
My first guitar was a Stratocaster copy when I was 14 in sunburst color action was to high. My second guitar was a all mahogany harmony from Zordans music in Roseland in Chicago I was sixteen and I couldn’t afford a guitar from Chicago music exchange downtown where Steven Stills and other famous artists of that time shopped. Meanwhile I progress to two years ago ,I bought my first guitar I ordered it from Alamo music after going to two different guitar gallery in Denver area, at seventy and started taking lessons , I bought a GS Mini Koa ,I was also looking at a Gt urban ash at the time. Know I know to check the nut size. 0:57
Just got a Epiphone Pro-1. All laminate. $169.00 Thanks G4V. I got it for course completion at no expense to me.
Big Alvarez fan. The AG is also great and the MD60BG ($699) is a Dreadnought that hang in there with the big boys.
Congratulations tony on your three hundred Episode. Keep it up.
FG830 on your ñod. Fantastic $340. Lam.rosewood is still rosewood. Thanks!
As a very long time guitar player (50 + years) I tell people to buy nothing under $300-400.00 as a first guitar. If they decide they are not interested, they can resell it and get some of their investment back. The $500 and up first guitar can become your forever guitar. In my case a Yamaha FG580 bought in 1974 for $400 Canadian. Still using it today. The other part of first guitar is making the right string choice. Strings do not sound the same on different guitars and guitars have different tones with different brands of strings.
My List Yamaha, Sigma , Blueridge , Godin, Seagull, .
PS ~ Congratulations on the big 300 man!
If someone asked me what they should buy as a first time acoustic, I'd certainly tell them to check out Yamaha and Orangewood :)
I think Taylor 110CE is a good one.
My issue is a light stroke , that has left me with dexterity , but, somewhat of a sensation of "disassociation" , knowing it would be worse to give in stop right there. pushed on , and bought a nice used laminate , for 125.with very good action, not a corroded metal component, or dead fret on it.what better therapy , physical or spirit nurturing guru can be found?
The Epiphone DR Guitars are a great first Guitar
Congratulations!!
Any reason Eastman didn't make your list? It seems like they have a lot of good options below $1000.
I swear takamine never get mentioned but there’s some of the best guitars I’ve ever played
Congrats on #300 Tony. Here’s to at least 3000 more 👍
ok, this is another of several lists on acoustic tuesday with a glaring omission of eastman guitars. again, is there some bias against eastman on this channel?
I remember a past episode where you tried to demo the GS Mini outside of Taylor HQ and they chased you away...
Gs mini mah is awesome and well enamored by others- now I want a louder richer addition to my growing skills And a full size with cutaway that can strum solid and pick and play please advise - I am a smaller person so growing from bt-1 to gs-mini I am a Taylor fan but also have an a120 and d25 guild. 120 westerly to be used to learn to flat pick and not there yet and d25 is too heavy but sounds amazing for 500$. I want to see a pearl action for the Beaty of it! Thanks if you are able to link me in the direction or comments appreciated
The Taylor GS Mini have a solid top and laminate body I would have put a Martin 10jr or a Cordova C3 or C5 20:15
Have you ever played a Zager guitar
10 reliable brands smallish guitar solid top laminate back and sides is all you need. 200-300 dollars. There are at least 20 reliable brands in that bracket..
Tony, Congrats on show 300 and on the new addition to your family! My first guitar was in 2007, or should I say my wife’s first guitar was a Burswood Esteban steel string acoustic dreadnaught. The action was so high and my teacher Todd Bethune of Classical Graffiti fame sent me to Elderlys for a restringing and guitar set-up. They really filed down the nut grooves to make it more playable for $24.00 but on the invoice slip wrote down “uneven frets” . There is a note on the 13th fret D string that won’t play the next chromatic note D# but rather plays a muffled D again. I put 13’s on it, thanks to your restringing video and I use it for my alternate tuning guitar like for “She talks to Angels” and it really sounds great! It has an inch and 11/16ths nut width which for my big hands is tough. So years later after a comment my Mom made “You don’t play guitar any more do you?” I ordered a new Seagull S6 from guitar center on the recommendation of my previous guitar teacher Todd Bethune years previous which has a 46 mm wide nut for $579 and have used it for TAC lessons ever since. I love it and have restrung the S6 by myself. I just recently restrung my AEG 50N nylon string after watching TH-cam videos on it. My last comment is I bought my oldest daughter a Farida OT - 62 J-45 ish guitar from Elderlys a couple of Christmas’s ago as her first guitar. What a cannon, bone nut and saddle, 24 and 3/4 scale length and for$444 out the door. What a great first guitar for her. I have gone on too long, love the show and love TAC. Miss the in person lessons with my old guitar teacher though cheers!
Curiously, he didn't mention the Taylor GS Mini.
Martin Dr Jr 10 e. My first. Wider neck.
Recording King makes excellent guitars for beginners.
webber guitars are also nice first guitars
Tony wath do You thing about Furch guitar
Thanks you 🙏🏼
Firefly acoustic when you can get it
LET'S GO BLUES! (but thanks for the video, haha)
Tony states these are not in order of preference…@13:15
@2:30 #10 Taylor GS Mini ~$699 (MSRP)
@4:04 #9 Yamaha FG800 ~$299
@4:52 #8 PRS-SE P20E ~$599
@6:00 #7 Alvarez AF30 ~$299
@7:05 #6 Guild M240E ~$519
@8:05 #5 Seagull S6 ~$779
@9:36 #4 Bristol BM16 / BD16 (by Blue Ridge Guitar) ~$279
@11:20 #3 Taylor Academy 22e ~$899
@13:25 #2 Orangewood Echo ~$345
@14:11 #1 Martin DX1E ~$549
300!!!
I tell rookies to avoid the glossiest & more colorful side of the room in a guitar shop.
Go Hawks!!
I have seen 4 Martin X series guitars coming apart, and all with super high action.I have one on my work bench now. This one is the worst and was obviously treated like a guitar should never be treated.but the high action and unadjustability of the neck with the truss rod on all of them I can not account for except for its a problem with these guitars.
I have a Martin D-X2E and it's super comfortable to play. The action is better than my other Epiphone acoustics which aren't bad. I've been totally happy with it. I keep in the nice bag Martin provides when I'm not playing it and I use a Music Nomad soundhole humidifier to keep the spruce top from drying out since I live in a very dry desert climate.
Thats great , I can only tell you my eperience with these ones, and im sure it dosent represent the life of all x-series guitars out there. However it does seem to be prevailent amongst many of them to have these issues, but only from what I have seen and talked about with repair techs and luthiers.
@@jimdoner3443, if you're mostly talking to luthiers and repair techs, then it's probably no surprise that you're seeing mostly the guitars with problems. I've just never personally experienced a bad Martin guitar; although I'm sure some do develop issues from time to time.
Zager guitars??
Guitarsenal😄
First guitar..700 dollars?
C'mon, stop the jatgon, HPL is plywood! Just call a spade a spade!
earlyy
I'm sure you're well intenioned, but this list is ridiculous. Other than the Yamaha, they DO NOT qualify. It's ridiculous to pay more than $200 for a first guitar, and you should know better.
Listen and pay attention to the guy if you really want to know how to make a guitar sound like shit.