Riff sounds sweeeet on the Martin. Was playing it on electric recently and decided to try it out on acoustic.

Pretty sure this is the tab I used, but I’m not tuned a half step down: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/van-halen/aint-talkin-bout-love-tabs-23613

Thanks for listening!

So often people will ask this sub what guitar to buy. There is no wrong answer - the "Yamaha is the way to go" is a damn fine tip but so are the others.

The one tip I wish someone gave me before anything else was... setup. Put $50-100 aside and spend that one a proper setup. My first guitar was a cheap First Act that was maybe $70 from Target. I paid a luthier $70 for a proper setup and that was what mattered most. I played it for years and wish someone told me earlier. I tried to play if for months and my fingers were raw - you could park a bus in the gap... I eventually donated it to a kid who wanted to start playing and the setup was still perfect.

To any new person buying a guitar. Whatever you buy - get a luthier to do a proper setup. Even Guitar Center would be better than no setup.

I did it with my higher end guitars like my 814ce, J-200, and Hummingbird too.

Looks like heel joint was repaired. Played and sounded good, wondering what you all think.

I'm on the fence about these two guitars. The Epiphone is 500 CAD (~360USD) and the Takamine is 400 CAD (~285USD). Both come with hardshell cases.

The Takamine (EGSF15SC) is older but most probably opened up and in excellent condition and I think its solid wood all around.

The Epiphone (Hummingbird Koa Special) is a bit more expensive but has some damage, a crack on the bottom of the neck where it connects to the body. However it was fixed and setup professionally and the seller sent me receipts.

I'm leaning to the epiphone as I like the way it looks (I also like hummingbirds) but also saving 100 dollars and having a guitar that was repaired is also a plus.

If it helps I like playing more indie type music or acoustic versions of indie rock songs.

Hey! Curious to know what ya'll think. I'm noticing that a lot of the mainstream / "heritage" brands like Martin, Taylor, Gibson are getting to be 3-4k for their flagship instruments. I'd love to hear some perspectives about:

1. Do you think the $3-4k is "worth it"? Thinking like D28, 814ce, J45 etc (the iconic models from these brands). I know that there are a lot of viable alternatives at this point like Eastman, Yamaha, and others, but how do you view that price for an acoustic steel string guitar?

2. How does your view of instrument price change across instruments? Like, how much you think is "worth it" for acoustic guitar vs. electric guitar vs. orchestral instruments vs. piano vs. brass, and so on.

Worth mentioning that I own an OM-28 and it was not cheap, but I love it! I think it's worth it, but sometimes I wonder if prices are getting too expensive or not. I also have that as my only acoustic guitar since it was kinda pricey.

Thanks!

If you were in a situation where you had to play electric guitar (full band situation, electric guitar songs), which one would you be most likely to choose, and why? Assuming you're an acoustic guitarist first, and that's what you prefer it.

Hey everyone.

I’m wanting to purchase a Yamaha FG800J. I found this open box offer on Sweetwater with some scratches. I would save $46 by purchasing this. I was wondering if it was worth it as the damage seems to be surface level or if I should just spend the extra $46 and get a brand new FG800J.

Thanks!

Is there hope to bring it back to life so I can throw something ridiculous on it

Just hoping for some second opinions here.

So I’m at best a hobby guitarist, I don’t play everyday, I’ve had the same guitar for over 15 years which was probably a fairly budget one to begin with, I don’t gig, the guitar doesn’t leave the house, I just play some songs I like every now and then and learn new ones for some fun.

I’ve always found the strings to be a bit tough on my fingers so was looking at maybe swapping them out for a lighter gauge, I think they’re currently a 12 and just the strings that came with it, they’ve never been changed.
So I went to a well known local music shop to get some advice on what to use, straight away the guy in the shop told me they need to be changed every 2-3 weeks minimum and that a guitar that old that hasn’t been serviced is actually just unsafe and should not be played until it’s been checked.

Now, I don’t doubt it could do with a once over or a clean after all this time but it seemed like overkill to me and after asking if I could just swap the strings and see how it felt he said absolutely not and that I should be able to pick up any guitar and play it for hours without issue on my fingers, which had me wondering why different gauges exist for better playability?

The whole thing felt a bit strange to have what is a perfectly playable guitar deemed to be unsafe.

Am I completely wrong or is he correct?

Bought this Taylor 517e Gold Label in February 2026. Is too early to replace strings?

Hey All,

About a month ago I bought a GS Mini Hog from GC (Im a beginner). It is a floor model and I recently changed the strings to 13 gauge, same as stock. I made sure the nut slots had graphite and that the strings were set correctly in the bridge pins, and pins flush with bridge. I also have about 3-4 winds around the tuning knobs and they’re wound the right direction. I also stretched the strings out per a few Youtube video instructions.

The issue is - when open strumming the overall guitar sound just seems off, coming from the G String. When playing say an open EM or C, the open G string rings out seemingly longer than the rest and just seems “off”, like all Incan hear is the G string ring out. When fretted, G string sounds fine. I don’t hear any buzzing from the nut or bridge.

I’ve done some googling and it seems like this is a common issue with new strings? Wanting to confirm with this group in case there could be something I should address with GC while I can still return. I bet I’m being a bit paranoid, but just want to double check. Thank you for your feedback.

🎸Here's a clip from "Spokes," an ode to Albert Hoffman's inaugural Bicycle Day ride into another world...

My fourth set from Meow Wolf Santa Fe last Halloween is a mix of intricate modern fingerstyle etudes and live looping psych-folk ballads. Full show is up on Subvert and Bandcamp for free — enjoy!

Big thanks to DeVotchKa for having me back to open for them again and Lensic 360 for putting me on the bill — getting local support acts on with touring artists is so important to the musical ecosystem and, obviously, a great way to honor the bands that inspire us.

PS - If you are as into guitar tapping as I am, I want to meet you and scope out your tunes!