Recommend an electro acoustic?

[jjimm]

I've got my first gig at the end of April!

My acoustic guitar is well loved but old, with a bit of fret buzz, and has a hole in the back.

Since I need a pickup for the gig anyway, I thought I'd get an electro acoustic guitar.

My price range is not huge, so can anyone recommend a guitar at the lower end of the market that will provide a good acoustic sound, as well as decent transfer into an amp?

Thanks!

[WordMan]

I've got my first gig at the end of April!

My acoustic guitar is well loved but old, with a bit of fret buzz, and has a hole in the back.

Since I need a pickup for the gig anyway, I thought I'd get an electro acoustic guitar.

My price range is not huge, so can anyone recommend a guitar at the lower end of the market that will provide a good acoustic sound, as well as decent transfer into an amp?

Thanks!

Takamine's and Yamaha's are decent in the few-hundred US$$ range and often come equipped with decent acoustic pickups for amplification purposes.

As for an amp - do you really need one? Does the gig involve a PA system where you might be able to plug straight into that? Acoustic amps (and be sure you get one that is for acoustic guitars - electric guitar amps are different) can be had for reasonably cheap, to my knowledge...

[jjimm]

The gig is in a pub and it doesn't have a PA - I have to provide mics and amps, which I'll rent.

[jjimm]

Thanks for your advice WordMan. In the end I got this (http://www.247guitar.com/products/TW145-SC-Medium.jpg), a Tanglewood small-body with solid mahogany back and solid cedar front, and a cutaway. It's absolutely gorgeous and a really lovely tone acoustically, and a good reproduction via an amp. And it has a built-in tuner, which I didn't expect!

[WordMan]

jeez - that looks totally bitchin! How much was that??? Just a couple hundred $$?? And it plays well? Sounds like a score to me! Well done.

[jjimm]

It's sweet, man. Was £300 - about £100 more than I wanted to spend but I fell in love. Been rehearsing tonight and wow, it really sounds gorgeous.