Question:
Do you have any recommendations for beginner acoustic guitars? What's a good price range for something to learn on? Do you have any brands or models that you like in particular?

Answer:
In the beginner guitar market they're all about the same, usually made in Korea and made out of laminates (plywood). Try to stick with a name brand. I don't want to say particular ones here but you know the popular ones you see all the time. If you want a beginner guitar that you want to grow with a little, try to get a "Solid Spruce Top". That means at least the face of the guitar which is the most important, is made of solid wood. Price ranges for acceptable beginner guitars are about $200-$500 USD.

Make sure the guitar plays easy for you, the strings don't buzz when you play them, and the intonation (octaves of the strings) is good by playing the string open and then on the 12th fret. The note should sound the same only an octave higher, not sharp or flat.

Try to find the best warranty you can find. I doubt if you'll find a lifetime but a 5 year warranty wouldn't be too much to look for.

You can't expect to get top quality materials in a beginner guitar but there are things to look out for. Ideally, the fretboard and bridge should be made out of hardwood like rosewood or ebony. In a beginner guitar manufacturers will make bridges out of plastic sometimes or they'll use soft wood and paint it black to make it look like ebony. To test these, VERY GENTLY push your fingernail into the fretboard and bridge to see how soft they are. Another test is have the salesperson loosen a string and then remove a bridgepin to see a cross section of the wood used in the bridge. If the bridge seems hard but you see no wood grain, it's probably made of plastic.

Gman ( o )==#