What is the best guitar to buy without breaking your bank?
156576
I agree with the above answer. Go to the music store and play some guitars by Fender, Gibson, and Ibanez that cost more than what you can afford. When you find what you like, write down the model name and number and go to eBay or a pawnshop and get it for the price you can afford to pay. I would keep about $60 in reserve so you can take it to your local instrument repair shop to have it set up (usually about $30) and re-stringed (about another $30 if you get good strings).
173235
www.musiciansfriend.com\n\nwww.music123.com\n\nwww.zzounds.com\n\nOne thing to look for is whether or not the website offers a "low price guarantee". Several years ago I was shopping for a new guitar, and saw that kind of a claim. The particular website said that if you find a lower price they will match or beat it.
293445
I think the Epiphone is a quality guitar.  Yes, it's a poor mans Gibson, but it still has a great sound and you can have just as much fun playing it.  If you gut it and replace the pickups with Humbuckers, you probably won't be able to tell the difference.
810892
Yeah.....if you asked cause you're interested in purchasing a violin , Stradivarius is not on your radar - of course unless you are a very rich and well off and very connected "Art Type".  Now, if you're not looking for a centuries old piece of musical art and have a modest budget, the Fender co. (yes the same as the guitar maker) offers a few choices of a fine playable violin, and at a more reasonable price. There are other great companies too if you look, and none of them require taking a mortgage out on the mansion. LOL!
841342
Check out the Daisy Rock line of guitars. They're generally built on a little bit smaller scale (for smaller hands), though they're not small enough to be considered a child's guitar. They come in a ton of models and colors, and some of the money from some of the models go to breast cancer research.\n\nAnd even though they're a "girl's" guitar, they're awesome. They feel good, play easy and sound great.\n\n\n\nEDIT: The only reason I point out Daisy Rock is because you felt the need to mention "guitars for girls". The people below who've mentioned checking out all guitars are completely correct - any guitar that you like is the "right" guitar for you. Some tend to have thinner necks, some have fatter necks, some weigh more, some are more expensive, etc... Just see what you like. \n\nAnd just for the record, Daisy Rock doesn't make "crap"...
314003
I would highly recommend finding a local, independently owned store. They may seem a little higher priced at first, but once they get to know you, they usually value your business. Many local stores will beat prices from Guitar Center, Sam Ash, or any of the other megastores. They also tend to throw in lots of extras once you're a regular (picks, strings, etc.)
914699
Since your husband already plays, the best idea might be for you to take him shopping!!! He can get some "hands on" with several different guitars, and save the hassle of not being comfortable with something you bought on "advice". This will be cheaper in the long run, and will guarantee that he loves the gift. After all, he's the one that chose it, so no worries he will return it. Hope this gives you some help!
1059524
I think I would go with the Ibanez Tube Screamer. My cousin has one and it sounds really awesome.
865272
I bought a Fender DG-5 acoustic for $50.00 off of a friend of mine.\n\nIt was a great beginner guitar.  Ask your friends, see what they have.\n\nTo learn proper guitar- hand placements, how to hold, etc etc, you need a fullsize acoustic.  Then you can work your way into electric. \n\nOnce you learn Acoustic, you'll pick up an electric and make easy work of it FAST.\n\nYou'll see what I mean.....
921829
get the cheapest guitar you can get. you have to pay your dues before you can play the blues.
248485
I have a Burns Marquee, the best guitar I've ever owned. It's won guitar of the year twice and is very popular with professional musicians. It's also the most reasonably priced high performance guitar in the world.\n\nYou can see one here...\nhttp://www.burnsguitars.com/product.php?product_id=marquee\n(Mine is in Green Burst).\n\nI also have a Fender stratocast, a Gibson Les Paul accoustic and an Encore Acooustic-Electric... but the Marquee is by far the best.
32163
Fender will always sound great and it maintains an excellent resale and trade-in value. If you need more distortion with a Fender, simply get a decent compressor or tube driver to plug your guitar into first. Fender is played by all the greats.
802825
dude, you'll not get a gibson for 250 quid. thomann is an awesome sight www.thomann.de\nin germany but will ship. they've got masses of stuff and they're cheap. i've bought loads of stuff off them and never had a problem.
70752
Always play before you buy (if you can't play ask the shop assistant to demonstrate), if it sounds good check the sturdiness of the neck and  test for comfort of play (some lesser branded guitars have unusually large shaped bodies and too wide/narrow necks), but most importantly - only buy the guitar that feels like your guitar the moment you pick it up.
950209
I'm not sure abut the price difference.  But I do know that BC Rich guitars are a very cheap brand.  If you have the money I would go for guitar companies such as Ibanez, Fender, Gibson, or PRS.
859180
I recommend a semi-hollow body.  You can probably convince your mom that it is a thin-body acoustic guitar, but the pick-ups for hollowbody electrics won't give you feedback when you hook them up to pedals and effects like an acoustic will.  Epiphone makes some nice ones in your price range...my recommendation would be the Epiphone Emporer II.  They sell for about $600 on Musiciansfriend...and from my experience, they play and sound just as good as any hollowbody I've ever heard.\nIf you're mom doesn't buy that though...I've always been a big fan of Takamine acoustics.  The G Series are hand made, most of them have solid tops, and they have great electronics.  And when your mom's not looking, you can slip a feedback buster into the soundhole, and hook it up to an amp with some distortion and pretend that it's an electric.
835108
It's awsome, best buy has a demo set up so you can test it out before you purchase. Which is a good idea considering you only get one guitar and those alone are pricey.