Advice on acoustic guitars
 

My fiance wants to start playing the guitar and I am buying him his first acoustic for his birthday next week. I found a guitar within my price range but wanted to make sure it wasnt a crap instrument. Its made by Ibanez. Im not musically inclined so I dont know much about guitar manufacturers other than well known Les Paul and Fender, both of which are wayy to expensive for a beginner guitar.

Ibby acoustics are pretty good abd you'll make no mistakes in buying one, but really the guitar you should be looking at for a cheap acoustic is the Yamaha F310E

Its the cheapest most versatile and most beginner friendly acoustic guitar you'll find anywhere.

Really depends what you're looking for.

Ibanez is a respectable brand, but some of their guitars are good and some are not so good.

If you're looking for a guitar to last a long time and keep, I'd suggest Maton, Martin, Takamine etc.

If he's gonna give up at some stage those might be a waste, in which case the cheaper brands are good.

What model is the Ibanez?

Washburn make some good guitars also.
I bought an acoustic model from them several years ago, for about $250 in U.S. dollars and I've been quite satisfied with it.

Fender makes basically that same guitar for the same prices. Definitly worth a try. Overall though GB is right, I have always found Yamaha to make the best entry lvl gear.

Get any guitar in your price range if he's a begginer.

I got an acoustic guitar 4 years ago now. *woah, 2010..*

But yeah, I barely touched it. Only cost my mumzy 100 or so pounds.

I got more into it a few years later, bought an electric one. Not looked back since, just upgraded recentely. And I've given my old acoustic some TLC and got it working again, sentimental value.

If he likes it enough, he'll eventually upgrade but he'll love his first ever guitar.

Unless he's like me and doesn't attach sentimental value to things unduly. I sold my first guitar and never looked back. Its been through 3 owners since and I actually prefer it where it is because it means if I go to a friends house I have something to play!

I'm suprised, I own 3 guitars and I wouldn't let any of them go. They all have their own little place in my heart. How don't you get attached?

I know what you mean about friends' houses, I usually just put mine in my bag.

+ if it was a present from my missus, I'd treasure it forever.

wouldn't you keep it if it was a present from someone close to you?

*shrug*

A guitar to me is a tool. I'm also extremely demanding when it comes to instruments. Look at my post in the 'Dream guitar' thread and you'll see why.

If it isn't what I want out of a guitar, no amount of other things can make me love it. sure, if it had a very deep emotional connection, like say a dead relative, I might repurpose it as a guinea pig guitar for mods and stuff, rather than selling it or something, but by and large I just don't get attached to material things.

Edit: That, and when you have a large collection of guitars, it becomes a little annoying to find places to store the ones you don't play! And between a 7 string, 3 6 strings, 2 acoustics, a 12 string, and a classical, that can be hard to balance.