Electro Acoustic Guitar

Robm1955

Years ago, my wife bought me a Brunswick, electro acoustic guitar, and the sound was excellent. Just lately, it got damaged, and I thought it was time to get a new one. Can anyone recommend, a reasonabley, priced one, that has an excellent tone? I have seen one on Ebay, at £109, but it looks cheap, and there isn't a scratchboard on it, either.

MovingForwards

Can you not find someone to repair it? Most music shops know someone who does, it's worth asking.

interstellaflyer

Robm1955 said:

Years ago, my wife bought me a Brunswick, electro acoustic guitar, and the sound was excellent. Just lately, it got damaged, and I thought it was time to get a new one. Can anyone recommend, a reasonabley, priced one, that has an excellent tone? I have seen one on Ebay, at £109, but it looks cheap, and there isn't a scratchboard on it, either.

I can't vouch for the Ebay guitar at £109, my advice would be to go to a music store with a set budget and try some guitars out, as it's an electro acoustic do you actually need it to be? The pick up is only really useful for playing live up against other amplified instruments, otherwise it's not really any different to an acoustic guitar, you'll get more choice if you drop the electro part.  As for scratch plates, I wouldn't get too hung up on a guitar not having one, they are only a bit of plastic with some contact adhesive on the back, you can buy them in various designs and colours to suit your own taste.

Robm1955

Thanks Interstellaflyer, I think, I'll have to pay a visit. Bought one on Ebay, which looked really good, but when it came, the tone was so flat. Even accoustic guitars on videos, sounded to have more tone. I have had guitars, for years, but still can't play properly, but can pick out a tune, so I know, whether the tone, sounds good or not. I've had a look on guitar websites, as all the good ones, seem to be around the £250 mark. I contacted a repair guy, who friends have said is very good, and shown him pictures of the damage. He can repair it, but can't gaurantee, the look, and it would be over £100 to fix.

interstellaflyer

Robm1955 said:

Thanks Interstellaflyer, I think, I'll have to pay a visit. 

The advantage of buying from a music store is that you can try a few out and you will go home with the guitar you tried and liked, not one still boxed from the warehouse, this may seem strange to some but it's considered the best way to buy a guitar.

Stompa

interstellaflyer said:

Robm1955 said:

Thanks Interstellaflyer, I think, I'll have to pay a visit. 

The advantage of buying from a music store is that you can try a few out and you will go home with the guitar you tried and liked, not one still boxed from the warehouse, this may seem strange to some but it's considered the best way to buy a guitar.

Agreed. And it's pretty common to try more than one of the same guitar model. Whilst you might think that identical models would all be the same, in reality they're not.

Skwizz

Always try before buying with instruments, especially where 'feel' is a factor.
Depending on your ability, taking someone along with more experience can also be a benefit.
I have never bought any musical instrument (guitars; keyboards; amps; FX; etc) without using the phrase "10% off for cash?" and getting at least that and sometimes a manufacturer's hard case thrown in.
Even with both Gibson Les Pauls I own.

If you've been playing for a while, you may find saving for a slightly more expensive instrument is worth it.
But lower-end instruments are much better now than they were in my day.
Epiphone and Squier guitars are supposedly the 'value' brands of Gibson and Fender which come quite close to their more expensive originals in sound and playability.
Well worth the extra layout, imho.

But then the 'cheaper' brands premium models have also upped their game as well and, with a bit of persistence and tenacity, you can occasionally find some £100-£200 guitars that you'd be hard pushed to tell from much more expensive models.

You will find more expensive models hold their tune better for longer and will help to train your 'ear' better.
I also find them more valuable if and when you start gigging.

Skwizz

interstellaflyer said:

The advantage of buying from a music store is that you can try a few out and you will go home with the guitar you tried and liked, not one still boxed from the warehouse, this may seem strange to some but it's considered the best way to buy a guitar.

Yep.
Took me two years searching and playing every weekend to find my first, 'perfect', Les Paul.
Twenty years later I found a better one and still own both (two standard's; I also owned a custom, but sold that a couple of years ago - it was bought as an investment).
  

Skwizz

Robm1955 said:

Years ago, my wife bought me a Brunswick, electro acoustic guitar, and the sound was excellent. Just lately, it got damaged, and I thought it was time to get a new one. Can anyone recommend, a reasonabley, priced one, that has an excellent tone? I have seen one on Ebay, at £109, but it looks cheap, and there isn't a scratchboard on it, either.

I went shopping for an accoustic with my Niece fifteen years ago.
We got her a very good accoustic and, by "accident" I came home with an Ovation "Celebrity" electro-accoustic.
I paid £350 (-10% and a hard case although, on this occasion, the case was rubbish) at that time.
It sounds like a much more expensive guitar.
Ovations tend to be quite 'bright' sounding, I like that but some don't.

You could also think about an accoustic and retro-fit a pick-up to that.
Electro's tend to be a little easier to play; accoustics tend to sound more 'woody'.

RobM99

Don't forget - new strings always sound much brighter.