A Few Of My Favorite Things

My Guitar - The Epiphone Masterbuilt DR500

An unbelievable value!
   I first encountered this beauty at a music store, where I originally went to buy an Ovation to use as a spare for my other guitar (you guessed it, an Ovation).  But this Epiphone caught my eye, and it was already plugged in because a customer had just finished noodling on it.  I happened to overhear him playing, and it sounded so amazing, I had to try, even though it was slightly more than I wanted to spend. I could not put this baby down!  And worse, it caused me to leave without a new guitar, which was my sole purpose for going to the store in the first place. I desperately needed a substitute for my Ovation Balladeer because the action had become unbearable, and I couldn't be without a guitar while waiting for it to be repaired. But now, I had real decision to make.

So I went home and obsessed over researching this Epiphone on Google. And I could not find one review that wasn't raving about this $599 guitar that looks and sounds like a $2000+ instrument. But what really made up my mind was this Youtube video demonstration.  Turns out there was even more to this beast than meets the eye. Watch the video and, if you can, use a nice headset or decent ear buds. Then... JUST BUY ONE. You won't regret it. And it comes in two flavors: Sunburst or Natural.

If you have a budding guitarist in the family whom you are planning to buy for, don't even hesitate. This is 
a great guitar whether you are taking your first lesson or you're a seasoned road warrior.
Click on the an image or button below to buy from my Amazon affiliate link!

SUNBURST

NATURAL

For Beginners

Yamaha FG700S Acoustic Guitar ​BUNDLE

I'll never forget my very first guitar.  My dad took my to Eight Street Music where we purcheased the absolute least expensive guitar in the store; his reasoning like that of so MANY parents then, and now - "I just don't want to spend a LOT of money on something a kid might lose interest in 3 months later".
Never mind that I had already shown an obsession in playing his old Gretcsh. And since I was still growing, the salesman talked hime into a 3/4 sized guitar for kids. It was made by some company called "Domino" adn it cost about 22 bucks. The guy demonstrated it for me and my Dad and made it sound so good, that it wasn't until we got it home and I spent some time with it that I discovered how truly crappy this thing was.

When I began taking lessons, my teacher immediately saw my discomfort and offered to let me play his Epiphone. The difference in feel and sound was mind-blowing. It was as even more of a pleasure to play than my father's guitar, which I still play.

Jump to the present day... Over the years, I have become very familiar with many, many different brands and models in every price category. One thing I always look for  when advising a beginning guitar player is - What is the BEST bang for the BUCK? In the "Starter Guitar category, one brand stands alone:
YAMAHA
To this day, I still see people playing their first Yamaha at gigs. Why? They're inexpensive (but not cheap). They look good. They sound good. and they're relatively easy to play. Sure, everyone experiences some degree of pain when they first start taking lessons after spending an hour or two practicing. But your fingers don't have to bleed, either! SO as a rule of thumb, I say look for a beginning guitar in the 150 - 200 dollar range. So based on all of my own criteria for picking out a solid beginner acoustic guitar package. My choice is the Yamaha FG700S Acoustic Guitar BUNDLE. Click here to purchase it now!

Buy Yamaha Bundle Now!

Epiphone Masterbilt DR500 Sunburst

Yamaha FG700S BUNDLE

Amazon Customer Review
I bought this guitar to take a class. I wanted a professional grade instrument without breaking the bank. Ideally you should go to a store to try out guitars and hopefully get good advice. I ordered online because I already knew that Yamaha instruments have a great rep, the reviews here on amazon are mainly positive and I once tried a Yamaha guitar in a store years ago. So I took the chance and I'm very happy with my purchase.

Pros
Beautiful to look at
Great quality for the price
Yamaha quick start DVD included

Cons
Can't think of any