i wanna buy an electro acoustic help!

[Saijinn Maas]

Like SteveB, I too have an Electric/Acoustic with a bowl back. An Ovation. Though he is right that the damn thing like to move all over the place, I've found that I have not had to deal with that problem at all just by using a guitar strap. Because I am used to playing standing up, I do not rest my guitars on my leg, even while sitting. I rest the butt end of the guitar between my legs so that it essentially ends up in a sort of classical position. I've found that this works rather well for me.

[chapperz66]

Steve makes a good point - not everybody finds bowl-back guitars comfy to play.  I've got a deep bowl Ovation which has a roughened area on the lower waist body area which works fine for me.  I've never had a problem with "slippage."  I found the shallow bowls more prone to slip, which quite suprised me.

I think the other thing with bowl backs - or at least the ones I have played - is that they sound like Ovations.  Personally I like this but not everybody does.  I recently recorded a friend's Takemine and I have to say it sounded more like an acoustic guitar than my Ovation when DIed or indeed acoustically.

Play before you buy.  

Paul  

[peterp]

Last year I picked up an inexpensive Fender CD60ce to take a camping.
Found it at Long&McQuade

It is an acoustic with built in preamp and tuner, also comes with a hard case for the price under 270$cdn.
(Fender is listing it at 420$us)

Not a bad playing guitar for the price.

[Tony W]

Here's where I'm going to derail the thread a bit. I had a fantastic seagull acoustic guitar, and  I was absolutely positive that I wanted an acoustic electric. I sold the seagull (Canadian made) and bought an Ibanez acoustic electric.

In retrospect, I never plug the damn thing in. I love my ibanez, but I sure wish I had that seagull still. It could be that I just ain't doing it right, but I love the warmth and tone I can get from the onboard mic with the MBR.

The down side of recording with the mic is obviously uncontrollable noise, dogs walking across the floor above me, the occasional fart while playing, the usual stuff.

I guess it's all down to recording environment or stage use. If I had known then what I know now.......

The solid advice is going to a shop and playing everything. I wouldn't hesitate to play the most expensive guitar in the store either, how often are you going to have that opportunity? Play them all, then find one that you can live with in your price range. If you can't find the right guitar, keep looking, or save a few more bucks here and there.

[peterp]

Tony I am going to agree with you !
I rarely let an old piece go when acquiring a new bit of equipment
I feel you somehow get attached to each one, I still have an old Ariana 12 string with neck problems I had way back in the 60's hippie days ( when I had real long hair too ).

[Tony W]

I've only been playing music for just over a year now. I have an insanely addictive personality, so I've been making up for lost time in every aspect musically. I'm fairly well convinced that I'll never sell another guitar again, because I regret the 2 that I let go. I nearly let a Strat go for a Les Paul recently, but the deal fell through on the Strat. Now I have both, and quite honestly, I'm pretty happy.

Peter, I'm guessing that Ariana looks great on the wall doesn't it?

[Dmann]

 I spent a good month going to approx 15 different "big" music stores here in Calgary, and Edmonton. I also spent hours and hours trying everything out. I mean when you start packing a lunch on a saturday so you can take a lunch break from shopping..... anyways After all was said and done, the best sounding and playing budget acoustic electric I found was a Jasmine by Takamine.

 Oh and after abusing a couple hundred wall hangers (HAHAHA) I opted to order my guitar NEW from Musicians Friend. Paid $399.00 US dollars + shipping and Tax, then spent $75 on a pro set up, bought a Keyser soundhole in case humidifier, and a nice leather strap, so looking at just over $550.00 US all said and done. It also came with a hardshell case (something I consider very important for proper fit and humidity), they actually shipped it in the case, then boxed the case.

 I had it for about a year and a 1/2 now and played quite a few gigs and done tons of recording. I've had compliments of people comparing the tone to a $5000 guitar and they just crap themselves when I tell em it's a $400 guitar.

 1st off , when your shopping don't worry so much about the action, intonation, or fret ends as even on a $10,000 you still need to get it initially set up which include adjusting all that and filing the frets.

 If your not able to order a new one (buying a wall hanger), Biggest thing IMO is make sure the neck is fairly straight, And check the bindings where neck and bridge are guled down. You can tell almost instantly after looking at a few if they have been allowed to dry out (not kept properly humidified) cause there will be cracks and extra stress on the bridge causing it to lift. 2nd check for loose wires etc for the electronics. if things are loose they can interfere with your tone and cause buzzing or vibrations.

 3rd, If your planning on playing it live, ask the salesman for a sound hole plug and see how it plays and sounds with a plug because many guitars I tried sound completely different, and some were unplayable because you couldn't strum without hitting the plug.

 Something else to consider, try alternate tunings. I play a lot of material tuned down a 1/2step or in drop D tuning. If your planning on playing some slide, open G or D. I would estimate about 30% or so of the guitars I tried sounded like garbage when tuned down, again this has a lot to do with the set up, as wall hangers are usually not set up and usually have old crappy strings.

 Anyways There are lots of things to consider, really though it depends mostly on what you are using it for as that will determine the quiality needed and in turn the price your willing to pay.

 Hope this helps

[Gu Djin]

Don't know if you've satisfied your aquisition req's yet.  But I'll just pop another spanner or two into the works.

The most versatile electro/acoustic I have is a nylon string with cutaway.  Can do a lot of different stuff, the downside is that the way I play it - it is a bit heavy on strings.  My current nylon string guitar is a Stagg electro/classical

The best di acoustic sounds I get are using a steel strung acoustic with a pop in pick-up (Woody).  My current acoustic is a Walden

Sound sample  http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8250620

If your not playing live - either of these are solutions worth considering.  Neither of the guitars I use are expensive new and because they are not top line models may be available used at a knock down price.  And as everyone else has said try, try, try before you buy.

Leigh

[Gu Djin]

Oh and just a word about bellies.  If you and your guitar have a !!!?  a round belly one of you will have to go on a diet.

[chapperz66]

Oh and just a word about bellies.  If you and your guitar have a !!!?  a round belly one of you will have to go on a diet.

This is very true - and bear in mind that it's easier to buy a new guitar than lose the belly.  I row about 25 miles every week and I'm still a fat bastard! 

I manage a deep bowl Ovation but only by having it angled away from me.

Paul