Hey there Sappy,

I’m no expert, but I am with Tony; Takamines are reasonably priced, super-easy to play and they sound shweeeet….can be a little tinny, but thicker strings can usually remedy that. The Takamines also have a really unique shape that I haven’t seen in other makes; really comfortable to hold sitting down or standing. Lots of females that I know prefer them for their shape (but I’m assuming you’re a guy, so you don’t have to worry about the boob factor [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] )

Also keep in mind that the tactile appeal of acoustics can be adjusted by switching the strings. I play a Gibson; they do feel rather thick at first, but I use phosphor bronze strings which makes the sound & action a lot more crisp.

But as with any product, individual taste varies; you really gotta just dedicate an afternoon to going to the store and trying out as many as you can get your hands on. You can find decent guitars for a couple hundred here in the States; shouldn’t be too hard where you are either.

Good luck,
Rosa

Hey Tony,

I have no idea what model my Gibson is; I’ve looked it up (via serial number) in several databases, to no avail.

The old guy that gave it to me said that it was either a 1966 or ’67. He’d put these decals on it, by the pegs; one is a dragon and the other is a tiger. When I was home (NY) this summer, we ran into each other at an open mic and he laughed at me for keeping the decals; he said "I thought for sure the first thing you’d do was take em off". But I like them, they add history & character.

The body is pretty small, which fits me just fine. I was having the thick-sound problem, but a friend of mine who owns a guitar shop recommended the phosphor bronze strings– man, what a difference.

I use medium-gauge strings (I tend to break the light ones), and I use Dunlop nylon pics in a variety of widths (depending on what kind of sound I want).

Man, I love my guitar. You should see it; the headstock has been broken & glued back together, and half the tuning pegs were reapplied at an angle. It’s my mutant child.

xo
Rosa

I had a nice-ish wesfield electro-accoustic which cost about £200. But I smashed it in a fit of rage. So now I’ve got a Fender DG-3 which cost about half of that, but there are some good budget-y fenders around at the moment, plus they come with different colours, which is always nice.

Ahh, so many guitars, so little money. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]

I don’t like Ovations; the frets are so tiny. I mean, I have small hands and I find them tricky. And they have that rounded, plastic back that I hate; even if I have the strap nice & snug, a plastic-back will slide out from under itself so it’s basically in my lap. I hate that.

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Not sure exactly what the hell you’re talking about here T….are you saying that my breasts can be used as an effects device?? [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] Never thought of it that way; wonder if Hendrix ever considered adding prosthetics to enhance his sound.

The best thing to do, if you’re a female & you play, is to find a guitar where one boob can rest in the little narrow part of the body. (You’ll have a curved red line on your chest but it’s a painless price to pay.) If a guitar is too big, or just too wide through the middle, you will find yourself unpleasantly crushed. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

take care
Rosa