I'm new to playing guitar and I'm wondering if the Fender Starcaster Acoustic is good? $149 @ Sams Club
603519
its ok man-but you really ought to use a bit of self discipline and save another $100 and get yourself one of the fender squire series-this may not be what you want to hear but you WILL regret it if you buy a starcaster-fender do make fairly good guitars but dont be swayed by the name because you have to play waht you are comfortable with and not the name on the headstock-cheap acoustic guitars like that will do you a big dis-service cos they will hurt your hands and make some of the more difficult chords really difficult or impossible to grab-a good sign to look out for is the"action"-how close the strings lay to the fretboard-the closer they are,the easier you will find it to play-also-try for light gauge phosphur bronze strings as they sound a load sweeter and wont be too hard to play.i appreciate that you are on a budget,but when it comes to playing the guitar there really is no substitute for a quality piece of kit so good luck and keep rockin
876719
The Ibanez you picture has one of the most common body shapes that Ibanez uses. My guess is that it's a GRX model which retails, depending on the model, for $200 to $400.\n\nThe Yamaha looks like the typical Sams Club model, but again it is a popular body shape so it is hard to determine. These retail for about the same price.\n\nIf I HAD to choose between the 2, I would probably get the Yamaha, but it is important to note that both these guitars were built in the same factory. Neither are stupendously different from the other, and neither are particularly high quality... they are good beginner guitars though.
22398
The Schecter C-1 Blackjack or Classic are great versatile guitars and a terrific value.  They all come with top quality hardware such as real Duncan pickups and TonePros bridge and Grover tuners.  Can't beat all that for around $500 bucks.
191143
Any guitar with the right electronics and pickups. For the best out-of-the-box sound I love my SRV-edition Fender Stratocaster. My well-worn 73 Telecaster with Texas Special pickups is a close second.
251594
schecter makes a good 5 or 6 string, but if you are just starting out 4 string would be much more practical. In that instance, I recommend getting a Fender J bass.
536706
I think you probably want to stick with a recognized name.\nNot necessarily a Gibson or Fender, but someone who copies their designs for less money like Epiphone.\n\nI'd go to a guitar store, and pick up and play a selection of models.  If you can find an inexpensive one you like, great.  If you like something expensive like a Gibson Les Paul, go to a seller like http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ or similar and see what they have that's similar, but much less expensive.
431356
Get a Taylor or a Martin, those are the best acoustic guitars, go to http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ and look for acoustic guitars, they have a ton.
832739
you can buy one for $60 at walmart, thats was my first guitar
515889
Teisco Del Ray\n\nLook it up on ebay or go to a used guitar shop and try one out.  Amazing sound and playability.
146232
What kind of bass? If it's yamaha don't get it at all. New squiers sound equally bad as new fenders, but if you can find one a few years old thats fine. I don't dig on the ibanez but a guess a lot of people find that to be a good bass at a good price. And go used on the amp. Save a lot of money, and at the size you're talking, if you get serious you'll get rid of it QUICK. And if you don't get serious, why pay that much for a new one?
850744
You didn't say what you meant by "affordable".  Most Les Paul copies aren't very good.  Epiphone's tend to be the best...because well...the same factories make Gibson Les Pauls and Epiphone Les Pauls.  You can probably find what I would call affordable Epiphones all over the place.  If you're just looking for the basic shape, ESP makes pretty good affordable guitars, and they have a few with the Les Paul shape.  Ibanez makes a few Les Paul shaped guitars that sound pretty good.  I've never heard of Encore guitars...and if you haven't ever heard one or played one, I wouldn't recommend getting one.  The same goes for any brand that you've never heard of.  Just as a few of the other responses have said...go to a local music store and try a few out to see what you like.  You might find that there's another guitar for you...Les Paul may have invented the electric guitar...but even he played guitars with shapes other than the one named after him.
215850
Get a acoustic guitar. If your just starting out.
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.
1151807
I'm afraid you're right. Maxam guitars are made for the cheaper market and some models sell for as low as $79.00. This is cheap for guitars. \nMidas well learn how to play it! ♫♪♫
1127941
For you're first guitar don't spend a lot of money, trust me as time goes by, you'll learn what you like and don't like. first try to buy one with REAL wood.....not laminated. Or at least one that has a solid top (the front). find one that feels comfortable in you're lap and to you're hands. Can you reach the end of the neck comfortably? Is the neck to wide for you're hand? Are the strings to high from the fret board? (hard to push down?) Don't put stickers on it...it could pull the finish off and slowly get bigger. My advice is get a seasoned guitar player to go with you, a salesman will sell any piece of crap. You may even want to look into a used guitar...don't worry about a couple of scratches or a ding. You may end up with a better guitar for the same money. Epiphone makes a decent beginner guitar.....Still I suggest to bring a experienced guitar player with you. If you live near me Id take you,some of the people I play with are guitar store owners. Good luck, If its hard at first..don't give up, keep playing it gets easier as time goes by.
1123660
I've played one, and I agree, for as cheap as the artcore series is, they are some very good guitars, anyone looking for a good guitar definately needs to look at these. I currently have a carvin dc400 with active electronics and a air norton in the neck and a duncan sh10 full shred  in the bridge. it's an awesome combination. I'm currently looking into a new acoustic, but if I didn't have the carvin, I'd definately look into it more
966472
Everything depends on the level of that person as a guitar player. If the person is a beginner, a Yamaha beginner set should do. It will cost you less than $200. If the person is more advanced and you want to surprise them, look for Ibanez and Ovation. Fender also has some interesting acoustic guitars. Prices can go from $200 to whatever you can imagine. If I were you, I will check a couple of internet stores before going to the store. Look at guitarcenter.com since they have a very large selection.