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just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Taylor? Really? The GS Mini is an astonishingly good guitar for what it is. On the other hand, it is astonishingly dear for what it is. Don't get me wrong, Taylor make a decent guitar, but if you can't find something 30% better for the same money, you're not looking very hard.
if you do head north to brizzle, might be worth going an extra 20 miles and checking out Intersound in Dursley
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Don't worry, we'll look at as many as we can before we pick something - I was just angling for some ideas to bear in mind while we're out looking.
Frankly my own personal experience of acoustics is really limited to "my Tanglewood does what I want and sounds good to me and wasn't expensive" and "my old Hondo 12-string dread is really uncomfortable to play but useful when I want a 12-string sound" - so anything else to add to that is useful
But jokes aside, trust your ears. The cheap Taylors (1 Series, 2 Series, Baby Taylor, and etc.) are very competently and reliably put together. You won't get a lemon and you will get something very playable with a decent sound. However, they are very dear for what they are. Pick a cheap Taylor model (2 Series or below). Now, pick up four or five other guitars in the same price bracket. Play them all and let your ears make the judgement. The Taylor probably won't be the worst one you try (Taylor's production quality control is outstanding, they don't make duds) but it certainly won't be the best one. Trust your ears.
Exeter's definitely on the cards obviously, could go as far as Bristol (my home town but I haven't been there for years - probably wouldn't recognise most of the town centre now). Still got family in Brighton as well, which is a fantastic area for music shops, but clearly not a "nip out for the afternoon" option - due a visit that way though, so that's always a possibility later.
The danger with the "if we're going to Bristol then might as well go to Dursley" is getting drawn into "then it's only a bit further to Birmingham, London, etc". Similarly "budget was £500 but instrument x can be had for £650, which is only a bit over - but then instrument y is only a bit more than that at £750", then before we know it we've spent £1000 (spending money on musical instruments is never a bad thing in my opinion, but it's easy to get carried away with the "just a bit more gets me this"). But I get your point
I getcha.................
at the end of the day, for all "we" recommend with what ever reasoning is behind it
a) your daughter's got to bond with it
b) got to be available and in budget
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
It's his daughter who will decide. But good luck mate, hope she finds one she likes. And let us know what happens
So yes, we'll have a few trips out to whatever shops we can find over the next few weeks/months and see what we can find around that loose £500 mark, bearing in mind any comments people have made on here - we may find we disagree with all of you when we try a few, but it's a place to start. If an unknown-branded cheapie ticks all our boxes and she prefers it to another £500 instrument then bonus!
Her birthday is next month, but there's no rush - we get on really well and have a lot in common so the time we spend together looking will be part of the present really.
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Or maybe it's something to do with:
1 Small, comfortable and portable.
2 Consistently excellent finish.
3 Easy playability.
4 Volume and tone that belies it's size.
5 Sustainable and ethical timber sourcing.
6 Employee owned company with fair labour practises.
(I mentioned 5 & 6 because you bring them up quite a bit in relation to Asian guitar manufacturers)
Under £500 here in the UK.
"Something 30% better for the same money"
Is there a formula for working that out?
A few people suggested the Taylor, somebody said "yes they're good but possibly more expensive than some other equally good guitars", somebody else says "yes but the price is justified because they're nice people and aren't doing anything underhand to cut costs".
All valid opinions, and aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.
just looked on FB Marketplace.............. used they're all well under £500, most with the "hard foam" case......... some are under £400 (as is one in Newquay.................)
there's a 614 in Brizzle for £650
just sayin like
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
The situation is obviously different where @Tannin's friend is based. I read an earlier post about this somewhere. He's having a heck of a problem getting a Hiscox case.
That's true about the case- I suppose looked at the other way you could argue that you're getting really pretty decent guitars for very little money compared to most other instruments, and the one downside you have with that is that you might have to buy a case separately. Also, some people actively don't want a case (me for one, at least for electric guitars) since they take up so much room. But for acoustics I think having some kind of case is probably more useful for keeping them in a decent climate etc. so I would tend to agree with you there
Speaking of 000's, just a couple of weeks ago I picked up a virtually new Martin 0002Xe for £390, which turned out to be surprisingly good. I have a 000-18 which costs more than four times as much, but the 0002Xe is no slouch and holds up well against the 000-18. I am also enjoying this 0002Xe more than I did the GS Mini.