i usually look here for best prices..

www.musiciansfriend.com

then go to the local shops and find someone to give me their price. been working so far.
BTW i think i'm gonna go check out one of the telecoustics, thanks for showing me this.

 

Well, I played the Stratacoustic yesterday, both acoustic, and plugged in. I liked it a lot. Seemed to be a good price too from what I've seen around here, and even on the net... $269 new with a bag. It was a sunburst. He just got it in, and I was the first to play it. He said that he has adjusted the neck and put on electric strings for several people, and they've all been very pleased with the outcome. Not that it makes a lot of difference to me, but it also has a 3 or 4 band EQ in the electronics where the Talman only had 2...

I've just about convinced myself this is the guitar I want, and to have him adjust the neck and put on some electric strings for me...

I've got a good electric, and a good acoustic, but both were given to me, well actually the electric I inhereted from a friend that commited suicide... I will never part with that one, and yet never feel it is mine.

I want something that's easy to play, and yet at the same time, something that is mine. So, I want something new... Maybe that seems stupid, but that's what I want...

Also, kinda off topic, anyone seen or played a Line 6. Wow! is all I can say. If you don't know what it is, it's a guitar that models other guitars, and very very well I must say. It just looks like a standard Strat style electric, but can sound like a plugged in acoustic, sitar, banjo, and several different models of electric guitars... The guy at the shop is a rather accomplished musician, and could really make that thing sing. If you weren't watching him, you's swear he was playing a banjo, or Strat, or Martin... They were selling them for around $800 I think... Someday I want one of those... You could even program your five favorites into a switch that looks and moves just like the pickup selector on a standard guitar.... Line 6 also makes amps, and effects modules, I'm curious to know what they can do...

 

hey closer9, i went and played a stratacoustic the other day as well. after seeing this thread, i thought wow that's the perfect guitar. i have a feeling you and i are very close in playing ability by your post.
i was less then impressed with it.
i now play an epiphone les paul and was looking for something more acoustic to take camping. i did play an american standard tele that felt "just right" though.
if i were you i think i would lean towards the ovation acoustic elec line or even ibanez, i like a lot of their guitars. the stratacoustic didn't seem to have a "big" enough sound. even in the music shop where the acoustics are great for making anything sound good.

oh well, just my opinion of it. i'm certainly no guitar pro to be doggin on an axe but just my thoughts and feelings. please keep in mind somedays i'd rather play my ibanez then the les paul.

 

Have you tried the Ibanez Talman? I have heard good things about it. Someone else mentioned Ovation. I guess I should check them out too... I really liked the Talman and the Stratacoustic both. They seemed pretty close IMHO... which I'm no expert. So, I'm trying to decided between the two... and it's just little things, like the Fender is cheaper, has a gig bag, seems to have better or more control over the electronics, and if I should ever want to sell it Fender seems to have better resale value, plus the cool factor people seem to associate with Fender. I'm not sure which is better on the body though. The Fender is Fiberglass, and the Ibanez is Mahogany.

I'm also not sure if the Ibanez has an adjustable neck or how it attaches. I do like that about the Fender. Especially that I can set it up to play pretty much just like my Aria. I borrowed a friends Stratacaster last night, since the neck is almost the same, and I liked it. I honestly liked playing my Aria better though.

 

i think a lot of it is what ever you are used to.
between the two i would agree with the resale statement. i haven't seen the ibanez although i would be drawn to a wooden body versus the glass. i would def. check out the ovation thin body before making your choice. it's a little pricier but beautiful sounding and looking.
so what kind of stuff do you play.

i do old country, some new country and trying to do old rock, way old like johnny b goode and such.

usually strum chords but have been trying to learn leads and scales and such. it's killing me. not enough time is my biggest hold back but i try to practice whenever possible.

 

Well, if you didn't like the Stratacoustic, you probably won't like the Talman for the same reason. Neither has a big acoustic sound, but still good enough for what I want. I checked out the Ovations, and they looked good, but from what I could see they were all round backs (which one could almost argue the Stratacoustic is, and I have an Applause that I'm not real crazy about the round back), and all rather pricey. Still very nice looking guitars though. Maybe I didn't see what you were talking about. Do you know what the Ovation thin body is called?

Well, I play mostly old rock (70's/80's), but really want to learn to play blues, and some country. I can strum chords, but trying to learn a little more in that area... Scales and such...

 

yeah all the ovations are round backs, just some are thin. yep they do tend to slide.

hey the only one that has to be impressed by the guitar you choose is you.

my dad is trying to play some blues. i do a couple little riffs, nothing fancy though.

really thinking about swapping my epiphone for the amer tele. that i looked at.

 

Exactly, it's just that I can't seem to decide. I really like both guitars, and I don't want to get one, and then think I should've got the other...

I did however just call down to the local shop, and asked about how the neck attaches on the Ibanez. He wasn't a lot of help, but he said he thought it attached with a dovetail, and had a truss rod accessable through the sound hole... I played the Ibanez last week, but can't what it looked like...

I will probably end up buying the Fender. I already have a Fender Princeton Chorus amp, so It's kinda like keeping your stereo equipment the same... huh? Guess, I've sold myself on the Fender...

I've got a co-worker/friend who's really into the blues. He's been showing me some stuff, and loaning me music to listen to. He's also the one who loaned me his Strat... He's too modest, and won't admit that he's pretty good...

You say your Dad's learning some blues. Does he already know how to play pretty good? I'm just curious how you're learning. I've been reading a few chord books, and checking a few online sites, plus what info I get from my blues buddy...

 

The Ibanez does have a dovetail with a sound-hole-accessible truss rod.

 

my dad has always been very good at playing rhythm guitar. he's played 95% country, old country. hank williams, hank snow, lefty frizzell, you get the picture. this year he bought a gibson blues hawk and decided to try the blues.
he has been having a very hard time with it. although it is coming along. the one huge advantage he has is that he can pick things up by ear.
i use a number of books trying to do this on my own without paying for lessons. i have had lessons before and they've always seemed a waste of time. they do the regular, keep working on that for another week. therefore not a worthy lesson. too many of those, or my favorite "wow, you must make pretty good money, did i tell you i'm a financial advisor also?" "maybe we could discuss how we could further your financial growth" that was easy quit lessons that night and my financial growth went up $60 a month.
anyway one of the books i use has the initials KISS it is keep it simple something.with cd (not stupid)
another one is lead guitar, and scales and modes, and one called "teach yourself to play guitar" with a cd. this ones been pretty good. the one i use the most right now is the lead guitar one.
how are you doing it?