I'm still working on this page, but it's time that something appears here. First, I want to talk about acoustic guitars. I'm a fan for of vintage American Guitars. My favorite personal guitar is a 1946 00-18 Martin, which was made before I was born. It had seen a rough life before I purchased it 30 some years ago. It's a player's guitar, which means it's banged up and ugly.

Despite my love for old American guitars, I have to admit that overall there's a wealth of good guitars made today many of which are reasonably priced. Years ago guitars made in the orient were cheap, just cheap. But today there are good guitars coming from China, Japan, and Korea. Still, I lean toward American made guitars, but even then it depends on how much you can afford.

Here's a quick breakdown of what I see out there today. Low priced guitars (under $500) are normally made of veneers (plywood). They don't have the sound of a solid wood guitar, but many of them are still pretty nice guitars and good starter guitars. I bought a used Mitchell dreadnaught at Guitar Center for $50. It's surprisingly good for the money. I won't be out much if she doesn't take to playing. However, if she shows interest, we'll be looking for something better.

There are several lower-priced solid wood guitars. I've been impressed with Epiphone's Masterbuilt series with solid rosewood back and sides starting at $550. Nice guitar for the money.

You really need to check guitar's out for yourself. If you are just learning, ask the sales man to play them while you listen. Or take a friend who plays with you. If you can afford a higher end Martin, Taylor, Guild, or other American guitar, it's an investment that will last you a lifetime. Given a life time of enjoyment and the fact that well-made guitars actually get better with age, it's really turns out to be a very low cost investment. Wait long enough and your guitar may be worth much more than you paid for it.

For example, I bought a Martin D-28 in 1968, which was the last year Martin used Brazilian rosewood. I later traded it to a friend, (dumb). It seemed prohibitively expense at  about $800 in 1968, but is worth much more than that now. In fact, if I had just hung on to all the guitars I owned over the years, I would have a nice nest egg for retirement.

I'll update this page periodically, so come back for a visit.