Crayon Sky Music

Epiphone and Ibanez Acoustic Guitar?

I am looking for a great starting guitar, and i have been looking around on MusiciansFriend.com and the ibanez EJ-200CE Acoustic/Electric sparked my intrest, also the Ibanez AES20E Acoustic/Electric. what do you guys have to say about these two guitar brands? like i said, i am just strting out, but i dont want a guitar that is cheap, meaning i will just have to buy a better one like 2 years down the road. i was also playing a taylor in a guitar store out of town and i really loved it. i dont remember what type it was though. so my question is how to the ibanez and epiphone compare to a taylor? and if none of these brands are good, what are some other ones?
((please dont sugest fender or yamaha, i do not like either brand))
thanks in advance

Epiphone is a good alternative to Gibson guitars as they are almost exactly the same as a Gibson. Ibanez is about the same as Yamaha. Fender and Gibson are the highest quality, commercially available guitars. Because you are just starting out, I’m sure that you haven’t played many guitars, certainly not enough to say that Fender is bad. When buying guitars, you must remember that “what you pay for is what you get”. If you played a $100 strat, yeah-it will sound like crap, but you get what you pay for. I bet you that if you went to a guitar center and played the Telecasters, Stratocasters, and some of the limited series that were about $400, you would definitely find that Fender guitars are just as solid and great sounding as Gibsons and Ernie Balls, and even more so than ESP, Ibanez, or BC Rich. As you are starting out, keep your mind open to different brands. You will not find a perfect guitar, just one that fits you.

For your acoustic or electro-acoustic guitar, I highly recommend Ovation and Gibson guitars. You will find that Epiphones are made by the Gibson company, but their is a major difference. Ephiphones are machine made in China (which is why they are cheaper) and the Gibsons are handmade here in the US. Since they are handmade, they each have their own sound and personallity, which is why they are great for acoustic guitars. Ovations are medium priced high quality guitars, the Gibsons are much more expensive. Both will give you the same quality.

By the way, don’t close off certain brands of guitars just because you heard one bad sounding or broken down guitar, or someone told you they suck. Every guitar sounds different, even ones of the same model and make. This is because every tree is different, and therefore the sustain, tone, and all around sound is different from guitar to guitar. Play the guitar before you say you don’t like it, and even then you still might like another guitar of the same make and model.

By the way, as advise from one guitarist to another: never buy a guitar online. Since every guitar is different (as is most amps) you should play the exact guitar you plan to buy.

Also, a mahogany body doesn’t sound good. It has a thick dull tone that comes from it. Go for a dark stained maple. Looks about the same and sounds much better. Mahogany will cost twice as much (if you can even find one) and is limited to just its beauty.

If you are just starting out, the best thing you can do is buy a lower priced guitar. The reason being: what are you going to do when you get bored of it? About 90% of people who decide to play guitar will put it down and not pick it up again after 1 year. I’ve bought several guitars, and never new. Do you know why? You can get an expensive guitar cheap (like new) from someone who got tired of it and just gave up. If you are certain that you will never give up, buy used, otherwise, someone like me will be buying your $800 BC Rich Warlock for $150 pretty soon.

Fender Acoustic Guatar Electric