I need to buy a good acoustic electric guitar

[musiclawyer]

6 strings. Will be doing mostly studio work, mostly on ballads, no heavy picking. I just need something with a nice built in pick-up that sounds good, has depth, and is more pro than amateur sounding. What should I buy new for less than $1200.

[Beaverhausen]

1. Go to Traditional Music in Valley Village

they have some really nice upper end used guitars there. Any acoustic can have a pick up put into it. You have to try some out and see what you like.

I bought a used Taylor 710 there a few years ago for $1100. Damn fine guitar. Gets better and better every day.

[toddzilla]

2. you need this guitar, for sure..

It will hands down smoke anything in it's price range.

The takamine EAN15c
Part of the natural series, it's solid cedar top, solid mahogany sides, with the palathetic takamine pickup and a ct-4b preamp with onboard tuner.

i sell these at the shop i manage and they really are awesome. very, very hard to beat for the price. Bear in mind, this is a guitar that is stripped of all ornamentation in order to give you the most bang for your buck, and provide the best tone without all the frills.



very, very nice guitar for the money.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/516310/

there it is for 899 bucks through musicians friend. The takamine handmade series (non G-series) all come professionally set up so you don't have to worry about how it plays when you get it.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Good Suggestion

I've got a really good Takamine. It's the bottom model of their top of the line series. It's the same guitar as their best stuff, but less ornate. (Boy, we pay a lot for inlay and fancy rosettes, don't we?)

Rich, full bodied, but with a nice ping in the high end. I wouldn't replace with anything but a Martin, or maybe a Guild. But, those things are 4 times the money, at least.
The Professor

[toddzilla]

5. yes, the "natural" series..

great guitars, by far the best value going for acoustic guitars. the g-series are ok, but the handmade stuff is really awesome. you can get an an10s dreadnought for like 700 bucks that sounds like a 3,000 dollar guitar, it just doesn't look like it.

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Yamaha APX series

I bought an APX-6, the middle sibling of that series, about 10 years ago for $600 w/case. I was prepared to buy an Ovation (I WANTED an Ovation in the worst way and was willing to pay up). I played every Ovation in Manny's and the Yamaha sounded better. Less preamp noise, more natural sound, better controls. Looks like the APXs are still being produced today.

It was black, 6 string steel, single cutaway, bass & treble EQ, 2 blendable piezos.

Heres a pic (that's my singer playing it):



More reviews: http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Yamaha/APX-6-01.html

Although for studio work, nothing beats a good mic infront of an UNELECTRIFIED acoustic. Piezos always sound like piezos. I have a Martin 0016T with a Fishman blender installed (piezo + internal mic), and it's still no contest.

I always try to buy USED when possible, especially at the higher end. You will typically save 20 to 50% off new prices. Plus it's the ONLY way to acquire a vintage piece :) .

[toddzilla]

6. That's more of a perfromance piece..

that and ovation guitars are more for live performance in my opinion. It will sound about 1/2 inch thick compared to any all-wood quality acoustic. they sound alright plugged in though.