After some advice on acoustics. I fancy getting one. I have about 1k - 1.5k to spend.
Would I better off getting a 2nd hand one? Or would folks recommend one if the Epiphone inspired by Gibson custom shop ones?
I don't really care about the make. I just want a decent one.
All recommendations will be greatly received.
You have a decent budget there so will have no problem finding a nice guitar.
First thing is you 100% need a solid top. Most of the tone comes from the top.
If you intend to look after it then solid back and sides are well worth getting. If you intend to take it to campfires and beaches then laminate back and sides will cope with it better, at the expense of sound quality.
I am a huge Martin fan (i have several) but I wouldn't recommend you get one with that budget. You'd be buying something like an X series and quite frankly they are terrible. The Road Series are much better though.
Again I don't think I'd go for a Taylor unless you were going higher up the range.
Don't touch Fender- their acoustics are crap.
I would highly recommend Godin and their sub brand Seagull. Handmade in Canada and great value for money. Many have a Cedar top which is very soft and won't improve with age but they are excellent guitars.
Eastman are another to try- again they offer great value for money although be prepared to try a few to pick the best as they do vary.
Yamaha do some very nice guitars but also some very cheap ones so you need to be sure what you are looking at. Takamine are in the same sort of description and the American built Guilds are really very nice.
You do have to consider what you want to play on it as that can influence the body size- a Dreadnaught has a big sound to go with it's big body and is good for strumming, but smaller bodies are typically better for fingerpicking and singer/songwriter type stuff. Smaller bodies are also much more comfy as a couch guitar. I find I pick up my 0 size which is tiny, much more than a Dreadnaught. OM/000 is often a good sweet spot compromise for many people.
Mahogany back and sides sounds quite different to Rosewood or Maple. Try a few different tone wood combinations to see what you like.
A few pointers there- feel free to ask if you have specific questions
Be prepared to get the guitar in for a decent setup after you've bought it. The better specialist shops will do one anyway but most guitars will benefit from a skilled pair of hands sorting it out. Few are perfect straight from the box.
