Hey, Guitar people...

[Pastor Gary]

Okay all you guitar people: need some advice.

I went and looked at a new guitar for my daughter today, but I am a drummer.

She plays acoustic-electric and leads worship. As much as I would LOVE to get her a Taylor or handmade Martin, that is not in the budget. The inexpensive model I looked at today is this...



Fender California Series Sonoran SCE California Custom Acoustic-Electric Dreadnought Guitar Features:

Series: California Series
Body Style: Dreadnought Cutaway
Finish: Gloss
Top: Solid Spruce
Back And Sides: Laminated Mahogany
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 20
Bridge: Rosewood
Electronics: Fender FTE-3
Controls: Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble
Machine Heads: Vintage Fender® style w/ Plastic Buttons
Scale Length: 643 mm/25-1/4"
Body Depth: 3-3/4" at neck, 4-3/4" at bottom
Width At Nut: 1-5/8"
Width At Heel: 2-1/8"
Unique Features: "Soft C" neck shape, Fender-designed body shape, bridge; Fender Stratocaster® headstock, checkerboard rosette
Strings: Phosphor Bronze 12-52

Decent? Piece of junk?

(Remember -- 19-year-old female who plays Chris Tomlin and David Crowder Band stuff...)

[Mike Vande]

I'd call it z giant step sideways from the one she has now. Unless her current axe has problems, stick with it for now, and save your money for something better. When you do decide to go, look into used guitars. Lot more bang for yout buck. I'd look into Washburn. They make a decent axe you can usually pick up used for a couple hundred...

[Susie Hamilton]

Has she thot about a 12 string? They are dif to play but sound good. I have a six string electric. six string acoustic and a 12 string Yamaha. They all have dif sounds. Depends on your needs.

[Dr. Ron]

Don't buy the Fender.

Look at the Washburn, or a Tak (like mine) Those are medium priced and yet a good sound and easy to play, The Chet Atkins Gibson (black) is an excellent axe.....liitle more expensive than the Tak..but worth the difference...also pretty easy to find used....

Of course the Taylor would be the best....as for acoustic/elecs....I like Taylor better that Martin...just my 50 years of guitar experience..

If you can wait until the GA, I will look around and see what I can find in the pawn shops i frequent.

[SBW]

I agree with Dr Ron. I also have a Takamine acoustic/electric that is the easiest playing guitar that I own. When grabbing a guitar for church or a gig, I will leave my Gibson and take the Takamine. I paid under $300 for the Takamine.

I had a Fender acoustic/electric that I sold about a year ago. It was a decent guitar, but the quaility just was not there. Like Mike Vande says in his post, the Fender will probably be a horizontal move.

Although on Fender's behalf, I must say they make great solid body electric guitars. My Telecaster is like my right arm......can't live without it.