For someone more interested in the *color* of the guitar, rather than the aspects that have to do with playability (neck shape, dimensions, critical to the feel and your hand, for instance), Sound (dynamics and how easy or difficult they are to obtain, I prefer the loudest acoustic I can find, the idea being that it is easier to play a loud guitar softly than it is to try to get a soft guitar to play loudly when needed), Components used (for example, a solid spruce top as opposed to laminated top, or use of ebony vs rosewood fretboard and bridge), I'd have to say that there are plenty of excellent options in the import market available, as well as in the more expensive brand name instruments. And, given that, choice of a guitar with built in pickup and preamp with controls already there is likely going to be the better option to start with. One can always add the i-Bridge pickup system after the fact at a later time.

Check out RONDO guitars website for some really good builds in the import line that have proven time and again to be good value.

And not all sales people are telling you wrong things. Find a store and salespeople whom you can get to know and trust over a little bit of time through repeat visits and since the subject is now about guitars in stores rather than online purchases, always insist upon being given the time to sit and play the guitar in the store, by yourself, in order to get to know the guitar. Then put it back on display and come back on a new day, try the same guitar *again* before taking the plunge with your hard earned money.

BTW a black painted top is not going to sound the same as a natural finish top in most instances. I feel it is important to listen to the acoustic guitar by itself with no amplification first, comparing them one against the other in that fashion. This is why you will often find me in the guitar store sitting in a chair facing the corner of two walls: I want to be able to hear the soundwave bouncing back at me off of those corner walls, for that is what my audience will hear. Use of a pickup is, after all, only going to be able to amplify that sound, give or take EQ and such, my viewpoint is that the good sound has got to be there in the first place or all bets are off. The analog here is that a bad singer will still be a bad singer when heard thru a one thousand dollar microphone *grin*.


--Mac

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