I'm looking to purchase a 12 string acoustic guitar. My budget is $500.00.
I don't really know much about acoustic guitars (especially 12-strings), so any suggestions for the one I should get?

PS: I'm hoping for one w/ a cutaway but I haven't been able to find any 12 string acoustics with cutaway (only acoustic-electrics), and I really just want to stick to a plain acoustic.
So post what kinds you guys think are worth getting! (just acoustics please, unless it's a very good acoustic-electric that you think might change my mind >.<)

Thanks for anyone who posts!

First, tell me if your buying this for yourself or as a gift. If its for yourself, you probably shouldn't buy one unless your familiar with acoustics in general first. If its a gift, then the best thing to do would be to take the person receiving the gift to guitar center, and tell them to pick out their favorite under 500$, so they are 100% happy with what they get.

Make sure you don't get a steel string accoustic, but rather a nylon classical. Steel string accoustics are limited to shit players and good country. Nylon classical is the best way to go. Now if you want a truly elite guitar, you can order one imported from spain. for example, one of the guitars I sport is http://fernandezmusic.com/JuanHernandezGuitars.html labeled "concierto" - 3.5k+

http://fernandezmusic.com/R.Fernandez_Guitar_Models.html is $625 but i also own one. best guitar i've ever seen for its price. No USA retail will ever come close to this even within higher price ranges (i'd pay up to 2k for this)

you get what you pay for. If you want a truly elite guitar, i suggest you learn with a 50$ piece of shit, then save up enough for at least the R. Fernandez 40

By the way, Julian Bream is the only decent 12 string vihouela player. 12 string guitars = shit. don't even bother, even to look cool.

This post was edited by onepagememory on Dec 1 2008 12:07am

I'm not a beginner guitarist or anything, but I've never actually purchased an acoustic guitar before.
I love to strum on my mother's acoustic, and when I saw a 12-string guitar played on youtube, I just had to have one, the ringing tone it produces is beautiful!
I just don't have much expertise on what exactly to look for in a good acoustic guitar just thought I'd get the opinions of some ppl on jsp
EDIT: Oh yeah forgot to say it's for me >.<



It's not about "looking cool", I have a classical guitar already that suits me quite well. I need something to strum, and I love the sound of a 12-string.
Anyways, I've already got my $50 piece of shit to practice on, it's my mother's old acoustic, now I'm trying to move up to bigger and better things
But maybe if you explain why you don't like 12-strings, I will reconsider...

This post was edited by PSPZorZ on Dec 1 2008 09:19am

12 string guitars are 1) somewhat inclined to chord play 2) highly inefficient 3) you must break your regular technique to play them. I suggest you play the vihuela if you're interested in more than 6 strings. technique tips are available through me (since I enjoy it as well thanks to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic2AI1nYbt4 ) damned julian bream is the shit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot_m5TQFHQ0&feature=related another example.

you can produce a more serious sound by tuning, some complain it sounds like a banjo etc.

Yeah, I know they are inclined to chord play, and that's what I intend to do with it >.<
Inefficient in what respect?

I'll take a look at those vids when I get a chance >.<

you cannot play with proper technique if your guitar is 12 strings. you can imagine how bad you'd need to twist your wrist to do a bar chord and how bad you'd need to twist your wrist and arm to play single-string scales on the lower strings. Many people can't even reach that far. Also, since 12 string guitars are different from double string guitars (both which have strings that are awfully crowded), and because many people can't reach that far, the lower strings are left unused, thus rendered relatively useless by the unuse, which makes them unproductive and inefficient.

I've played 12 strings, double strings, and vihouela -> i stuck to a standard guitar. 8 string guitars (custom made, rare) rock because these will hit the lower bass clef notes and they're still playable.

This post was edited by onepagememory on Dec 1 2008 07:53pm

I'm quite sure I'd twist my wrist just as far as if I was doing a bar chord on a 6 string acoustic...
I'm not going to be playing scales at all, 12-strings guitars are made for strumming, not lead >.<
I can reach pretty far... the 12-string might be challenging to master at first, but it's definitely not an impossibility.
I just would need to put the time and effort in, which I'm willing to do

ZZZ its a useless pain, the music you can play is very limited (too jingle-jangly), you are very likely going to have to use a pick (whether thumb or regular), and the tuuuuuning!!! its annoying. you'll also hate changing strings

It is true... the 12 string guitar has a very distinctive guitar that has limited uses.
However, the tone it provides is what I want... why should it matter if it's useless for 95% of music when it's perfect for what I want it for?

Lol dude I realize I need a pick, all I've been saying this whole time is I'll be strumming and not finger picking, and strumming is rarely without a pick...

I don't mind tuning guitars >.< This will just be tuning 2 guitars at onces...

Changing strings... like I said, I just need to practice and I'll come to terms with the differences in the 12-string guitar. Should beginning challenges really prevent me from at least TRYING to work with a new type of instrument?