Acoustic Electric Guitar With Case For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

A lot of value, especially at the discounted sale price. Handsome design. But… Where is the quality control? Sharp fret ends, action set waayyy to low. major fret buzzing. several of the tuners were sticking. Rough edges on wooden bridge, strings are "rough" and lifeless. Pre-amp works well, but the tuner is inconsistent. Fretboard wood was really dry… did they store it dry storage? If you are willing to invest some time and effort like I did, filing the fret ends, raising the bridge, conditioning the wood, etc. it can serve as a first beginner guitar or a beater that I wanted. I'm no expert, but one can't expect a novice to take care of these issues. Getting a luthier to fix things properly, and you've doubled the price of the guitar. I've been spoiled. My other 4 guitars are medium to entry-level Yamahas, and none had these type of issues. BTW. the finish is not black, it is a charcoal grey and is distinctive. The neck is easy to play, but the sound and resonance is typical for a thin-bodied guitar. But, with a built-in tuner pre-amp, it's a decent value.Lawrence

Sounds good so far. First impressions: the "metallic black" is more metallic than black. It's really more of a shimmery dark grey than black; the pick guard which IS basically black contrasts more than product images suggest. Frets are a bit sharp at the ends, but otherwise, no major complaints.Jeff

The electronics didn't work well at all. I was able to sporadically interface with my Tonewood Amp, but it was hit-or-miss. I know it wasn't my TWA or cable that was the problem. I liked the sound of this guitar, and it was comfortable for my frame. The action was perfect for me out of the box…about as low as you can get without fret buzzing. However, all of the fret ends we're sticking out and would have needed filing. The fretboard and bridge wood seemed soft and rough. I suspect neither would wear well. There was a spot near the sound hole where it looked like glue had been smeared when the pick guard was placed on. That would not rub off. Gooey streaks elsewhere did clean off. There were some ripples in the finish around the sound hole. The color was more grey/gunmetal than black, and spray marks were visible in the paint. I got this guitar on sale at 40% off: $127.19, delivered. For that price I probably would have kept it had the electronics worked properly. I returned it.Regina

Look, just wanted to reply to some reviews that say this guitar sounds well…..thin. Duh, yes its not a jumbo acoustic or even a regular body acoustic. Its a thinline acoustic so it sounds just like what it is. Ive played several thinline guitars and they all sound…well…thin. That doesnt mean its cheaply made or a bad sounding guitar. It has its own sound. If you want a deep bass, then buy a jumbo or regular acoustic. I like the easy neck movement. The chords sound fine and this guitar doesnt require anymore tuning than any other in this price range. I tried ten guitars at guitar center including more expensive brands like fender, mitchell, yamaha and others and this was the only one under 400 dollars that stayed in tune from an E chord to a C chord. I bought it because Ive owned Ibanez before and never regretted it. To each his own but keep in mind a thinline guitar is not going to have a deep rich sound, but, I record my bass along with it so it sounds fine. It is what it is…a nice thinline acoustic-electric guitar.Kjmmusician

I had been playing a very old and very nice acoustic at church for night service, and didn't want to subject it to the rigors of live playing on a regular basis. After some research, it came down to purchasing a Talman or a Stratacoustic. I went with the Talman due to the price, and Ibanez's reputation. When the guitar arrived, I was a little apprehensive as the neck felt awesome, but the setup was awful. The strings were heavy gauge, and were set way too high. After some work shaving down the bridge, changing to light strings, and adjusting the truss rod, this baby plays great! I love that the electronics are really easy to use, and it was made to plug in. The sound when you are practicing unplugged isn't as full or rich as you get with a full sized acoustic, but this guitar wasn't made for that – it was made to be plugged in. I was able to eliminate having to use pedals to get the proper volume and EQ, which makes the live rig way easier to set up and tear down. I play it through a Line 6 spider II 75 watt head running through a Marshall 4×12 cabinet. The spider's clean channel is great for acoustic as it does not color the tone, and the Marshall is plenty loud for a church sanctuary. Overall, I am quite happy with the Talman, even though I had to put in some extra work to get it the way I like my guitars. It is a steal at the price if you have the skills and are willing to play with the setup.Stratbuilder

Very nice playing guitar, sits right next to my Gibson LP and my Fender Stratocaster!!!! Plug it in to my Marshal amp and it will play and sound just great . I do think this was well worth every penny spent!!!! Best Regards Stevestepeye-0

I have 6 Other Guitars and have been playing for a number of years. The build quality is Okay but One Thing about the construction is the Machine Head mounting location for the "D" String and the "G" String are situated in such a way that the Strings run really Close to the Adjacent String. The Sound is also Very Bright and Lacks Warmth in Tone even with the Tone Control all the way Down. Having said that it has a Good Action but the Fretboard was really Dry. Not a Bad guitar for the Money.Mark K.

I love this guitar. It's such a joy to play and the tones are wonderful. The acoustic alone sounds fantastic, but the electric feature works awesome and the built in tuner is great! I am also impressed that the guitar came with two batteries, one of which was already installed. I am thankful to have my new guitar. To get the quality of a Fender guitar at this affordable price is a great way for me to get serious with my playing while I enjoy learning on it.michapicar

Great for the price. It is a good idea to change the strings right away though. The guitar is playable from the get go however I did some adjustment on the rod to make it perfect. Its design allow for easy reach of the highest notes close to the body and the tuners and the electronics are good enough for a beginner to intermediate player. It comes with an entry level amp that outputs strong and high volume it is small but powerful enough for practicing indoors. All in all a great package for the money. I got this jewel from SamAsh for my daughter and cannot be happier. Hope this comments help you on your decision to buy. Cheers, JB from Coconut Creek.JESUS

This is a great guitar! I would honestly recommend it to relatively anyone. It has a great feel to it that would be exceptional for young players, but also has a good sound that's great for those more experienced. Anytime I let someone play this guitar, they ask so many questions because they love it so much. They're always super surprised to learn the price. Definitely worth the purchase if you're thinking about it.Brittany Colvin

A bought the Epiphone PR-4E LE in vintage sunburst for a good price as the SDOTD. I have been playing for over 40 years semi professionally and I own a number of higher end acoustics but I wanted to purchase a "beater" that I could break out at a party and not have to worry about one of my intoxicated friends bumping or scratching it. This guitar seemed to fit the bill. The reason I gave it three stars is that although the fit and finish seemed very good, this is supposedly a student level/beginners guitar and the action that it arrived with would be difficult and frustrating for anyone to learn on. I do my own luthier work and I had to spend about two hours to cut the nut, take some relief off of the neck and shave the bridge down to get it to play well. I do not know if my experience with this acoustic is an exception but at this price point I doubt it. With that said it is a nice beginner guitar with a nice build quality, it sounds surprisingly full and rich and if yours arrive like mine I would strongly suggest taking it to your local trusted luthier and spend the extra cash to have it set up properly and have the action lowered. Now mine plays wonderfully and is fun to play. If I didn't have to do all the work to get it playing properly I would have easily given this guitar 4 stars but at this price point I kind of expected thatG-Man

A good guitar for beginners, although I have 15 years of experience, but I had to bring it to mind to make it easier to play. For an electro-acoustic guitar, the neck is quite thick and the strings are far from the fret. I came with a chipped varnish, but they did not change it, because my son tore the box.Gennadij

. Now let me set the scene… I am a guitar lover (I can even play a little too) and a quality professional so My expectations are somewhat higher than most looking at this product. An absolutely beautiful instrument, this is my second SA360 and although they are no longer. Made in Japan, be assured they have not lost any of the build quality or attention to detail. The guitar was really well set up, is great to play, feels good in the hand and sounds the bee’s knee’s. If you are looking to start out in guitar playing get yourself an Ibanez Gio to start as a first upgrade from that, then the SA series is where you want to be at.Timbo

After trying to use a no-drilling-required pickup on my dreadnought and getting obnoxious buzzing noises, I saw one of these on the wall at my local Guitar Center. I liked the feel, and was really surprised at the sound when I tried it through a PA. I saw one in their Used section online and got it for a giveaway price. Like another reviewer said, this thing plays like an electric; a soft-V neck with great action. Big secret: Whether you pay $250 or $3,000, acoustic-electric guitars all sound about the same through a PA. So why bankrupt yourself? I'm going to open mics and playing next to people with very high-dollar guitars and sound just as good! Yamaha is also far and away my favorite brand of acoustic; I have five. Now, this thing DOES have a few finish flaws you don't see on my Yamaha FG730s guitars, like one speck under the finish and a drip on the upper bout. However this is their absolute entry-level electric acoustic so I guess they train new guys on this line, and for how well it plays and sounds, and the price I paid, I have no complaints. Thank you, sir, may I have another!Art's Tunes

Bad – This guitar came without the usual Yamaha Factory Box and Accessories (truss rod, inspection tag, instructions). It looked like it was 'reboxed' by Guitar Center to fulfill Musician's Friend's order. And it shipped from a Guitar Center store rather than a warehouse. This happens way too often with Musician's friend, and they never seem to label the guitar as 'open box' or 'used.' Although the guitar was re-packed with lots of bubble wrap, the guitar was obviously damaged at the store. There were cracks on the top and side of the guitar. That probably explains why Guitar Center repackaged the guitar-the original shipping box from Yamaha would have been an obvious clue to the damaged guitar. Good-All Yamaha guitars go through a quality control process. And when I purchase them from other retailers, they all come with the proper accessories and inspection tags and are factory-packaged in the sealed Yamaha boxes. So, just make sure you are getting a new product, not a showroom or return-recycle when you order a Yamaha product from Musician's friend. Ugly-This guitar has a laminate top and the tonal balance of the guitar isn't top notch. Plugged in for performance or recording *and* when just played unplugged you can hear the difference between a Yamaha laminate vs solid top acoustic. I would recommend going for the solid top. I'm not sure if the Musician's friend website clearly specifies this is a laminate top guitar. Okay, if you get a new one with the inspection tags and truss rod tool, it's good for learning guitar or campfire use, where you might get caught in a rainstorm or you might be gifting a guitar and aren't sure how it will be taken care of. Moving up to the Yamaha solid top guitars, you are going to be happier in the long run, if you are a serious guitarist. I recommend trying this guitar out in a retail store, to make sure you get one fresh from the factory with the inspection tags and barcode on the factory box to prove it.Seasoned Musician

Exceptional guitar for the money. I went into to guitar center for the fgx800c but it wasn't in stock. Came across this one and was satisfied with the sound. It plays well, sounds great, and won't break the bank. I do wish it had an onboard tuner though. Highly recommend!Richard

First of all, this is a gorgeous guitar. It looks just great. It has a big, rich sound even moreso than other larger bodied guitars I've seen. The tuner works great. I love playing it. A few minor issues. First, I find the action high, & the bridge is not adjustable. 2nd, the complaints others have offered about the fret edges being VERY rough are entirely true: you can practically leave your hand bloody, I'm sure, if you play long enough, just from being roughed up by the fret edges. I'll try filing them down & refinishing them, as some have suggested. Finally, you'll want to get rid of the strings & go with a lighter gauge, partly to alleviate the high action issue. I'd get this guitar again. I think it is a $500 – $600 guitar lurking for only a little more than half that price. But before recommending it to a friend, I'd point out these couple issues.DET

Poor quality control! Neck is a mess with all of the fret ends protruding and sharp. One fret is noticeably higher causing all kinds of issues. Inside edge of the sound hole is poorly finished and some of the ribs look rough, like they weren't sanded smooth. This one's going back!Bill

Plays really well, and has a nice warm tone, and good volume and projection. Has binding around the edges and a Gibson style truss rod cover on the headstock. I don't like that stylized 'E' on the pickguard but I imagine the it will wear off over time. The neck feels really nice and plays well, has good action and smooth fret ends. The angled headstock keeps the guitar in tune well and looks nice too. The guitar sounds good plugged in, so if you're going to play gigs it works for that. I do wish that it had a built in EQ and volume, but it has none of that, just a peizo pickup and an output jack. I don't play plugged in very often so it's not a big factor for me. The output jack is built into the Strap pin, which I like, and there is a strap pin on the heel of the guitar neck. I definitely recommend this guitar, especially if you're on a budget, or want a guitar that you don't want to worry about getting beat up.SirJackalope

Outstanding value in this Ibanez guitar. First off, it's beautiful to look at it. Blue or the black, you can't go wrong. They are both attractive (I bought the black one). Neck is smooth as butter. Sounds great plugged into my little Blackstar amp and just as good unplugged. The gear seems like something you'd find on a higher priced guitar. The tuners and EQ are top notch. Really couldn't be happier with the guitar, the price and the service from AMS. They promised 2 day shipping and they delivered.Eric

Overall: Great for playing in the living room, I've strummed pretty hard on this and it can take it. Everything works great on it. Stays in tune good. Frets probably need filed like everyone else is saying but I'm very happy with it.Joe

Sound: I changed the settings as I always do when purchasing a guitar, and if course had to retune until the string memory was suffice. I haven't had to retune it since (after 3 weeks … Of course some minor tuning was needed). The eq helped get more low end that I desired. Features: I like the truss rod feature, I changed the tuners to some more appealing Gibson deluxe tuners. The frets needed a little filing but minor tweaks and adjustments are almost always necessary to obtain desired playability. Most (inexperienced) People want straight out of the box perfection, I suggest bringing any new guitar to someone that knows what they're doing and tell them what you want. My brother worked for Gibson custom shop as a guitar tech and let me know that most companies rely on quantity and not so much perfecting every guitar as everyone's idea of perfect is different. Overall: Tweek it or let someone that knows what they're doing tweek it … That includes all guitar purchasesMark

I did a lot of research before purchasing, and found a YouTube review that provided a lot of good information. I am more than happy with this guitar! It has a lovely rich tone and sounds fabulous with a brass slide (and I'm a total noob, so obviously credit goes to the instrument and not the player).Stacy

I bought it for my sister but she hasn't had a chance to use it because FedEx took so long to deliver it. She did love the guitar!Stephen C.

Product is great. Price was good. However not happy about it shipped. It was supposed to be a gift and everything on the outside of the package gave away what was in there. Down to the color of the product as well. Do better with how you package your shipments.Genevieve W.

I'm a professional musician and amateur luthier. I like buying inexpensive guitars like this, especially when they're on sale, because I can usually improve the setup and turn them into good instruments. This Mitchell O120CESB arrived with two issues that would have justified a return: some finish scratching on the top at the lower bout; and a disconnected internal cable between pickup control and the jack. I don't care about the scratches, and I was able to reconnect the loose cable. For reference, this instrument has a laminate (not solid) spruce top (the description that Mitchell provides is ambiguous); and the nut width is 1 11/16" (fairly standard) rather than the advertised 1 3/4" (on the wide side). The guitar was surprisingly well set up – true neck, even frets, good action overall and also at the nut (string action is often high at the nut on less expensive instruments). Acoustically it was quite playable out of the box. Good volume and tone. Once I reconnected the loose cable, I confirmed that the electronics work. The built-in tuner is a bit hard to read, but accurate. The material quality and fit and finish are commensurate with the price – as good as one can reasonably expect, and one shouldn't expect a guitar at this price point to have the look, feel or performance of a Taylor or a Martin. After smoothing the fret ends and restringing, I am quite pleased.Ben

The guitar is a thin body so it doesn't have warm tones you'd expect from say a dreadnaught. That said, the nut has marks in it like it was accidentally started in the wrong place and then someone made a new position for the strings. It's really cheap looking. Where the neck is attached to the body, the clear coat and paint are buckled and you can tell it was painted after the neck was attached and then the paint pulled away from the body and neck a little at that seam. There's not a lot of attention to detail on this guitar. That said, the action is decent out of the box and the intonation is right. It seems to hold tune well and it's a great guitar to just grab and noodle with when you're home. I wanted it for comfort and practice. It's perfect for that and it's worth the price I paid. You'll like it if you don't expect perfection.Dawn the Dreamer

The best made in China guitar I have played. Well made and real good sound if you add Elixir strings. It holds being in tune really good. I never have to re-tune it. Sounds nice through an amp. Also nice having a electronic tuning bar. It is not a Taylor but it looks like is was copy in design. Good quality wood. It is the Guitar Centers brand guitar. Mitchell is the founder or owner of Guitar Center.Chris

Good sound and feel, especially for the price. I honestly really enjoyed playing this guitar. However, it is quite disappointing that the craftsmanship was lacking, since I always took great care with handling it, and the bridge snapped in half. I was using it very often, so it may be best for beginners or for only periodic use.Nick

I bought this guitar because it was the cheapest acoustic in the store and I wasn't sure I'd stick with playing. I have had so much fun with it a year later I feel compelled to write a review! This guitar looks, feels, and sounds great, and mine rarely needs a tune-up despite regular use. Folks are saying the action is too high but I haven't noticed (and as a newbie maybe that's helped me build finger strength more quickly, who knows.) The only con I can think of is the sound is a tiny bit thin, but for a casual player like myself, that's no big issue. Anyway, I love this guitar and would absolutely recommend it for newbies/casual players. This is a great value instrument!Nomi

I have always had trouble with guitars. My hands are small and not very strong, so I've never had good luck trying to get good, consistent sound out of a guitar. It's just been too frustrating for me to continue. I also have a hard time feeling comfortable with the size and shape of most guitars I've tried. I've got limited funds to invest in an instrument and I wanted to make sure it was going to be an instrument that would let me play the things I wanted to play, and give me the range I was looking for. I've looked at banjos, classical guitars, and even junior guitars. But I always came back to the acoustic guitar in terms of sound and range. So when this guitar went on sale, I took the plunge and placed the order (after watching numerous video reviews, of course). I couldn't be happier! This is a gorgeous guitar that feels great, and it doesn't take much pressure at all to get a beautiful sound from it. It is wonderfully constructed. I had mine shipped to the store, which may have protected it. Either way, I didn't experience any of the construction issues I read in some of the other reviews, but also I was confident in the purchase guarantee of Guitar Center, and I knew I would have received a replacement if anything was wrong. It's definitely why I purchase through Guitar Center. Now I'm so excited about playing this guitar that I practice twice a day because it's so much fun and it sounds so great. As a new player, I simply couldn't be happier about this purchase. The onboard tuner makes it very easy to tune quickly. When I first tuned it, I used my Super Snark tuner to check the accuracy and they both matched exactly. I also purchased the Fender 20 watt amp and plugged it in. Wow! What a fun set-up! This is definitely a purchase I will treasure forever.Kristin

Having relatively recently started learning guitar on an electric stratocaster-style guitar this was a great transition to the acoustic segment. The thinner body makes it much more comfortable to play than say a dreadnought and the neck is comfortable to transition too, yet the guitar doesn't seem to sacrifice as much sound as you'd expect from a thinner guitar. The finish of the guitar is that of a more expensive guitar for example the rosewood finger board. On arrival I actually thought the guitar looked better than the pictures on the website suggest but do note that because of the finish it is prone to showing finger marks which would need cleaning time to time. I would highly recommend this guitar.Richard P.

After suffering a permanent back injury I could no longer play my elictric guitar as it was too heavy or my acoustic electric guitar because it felt like it was twice it's normal size because I could no longer find a comfortable position for myself to play it. I bought a keyboard thinking that I could still play music. Afterv two weeks of playing around with the keyboard I gave up pllaying. Then I saw on the internet one night an advertisement for a 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic electric guitar guitar with a slimline bosy which looked like a nice guitar so I checked out males and females playing it and sounded very nice so I bought one. Man am I'm so glad I did. I got the sunburst like this one on sale. I was excited as l took it out of the box and went straight to my mancave and started playing it. It was perfecty in tune and for a guitar of this size it's got such a beautiful tone playing ACOUSTIC. So I plugged it in and it's as good as it sounded on YouTube. As an 67 yesr old man who started playing guitar when I was 16 years old, this is a beauty. I recommend this guitar to beginners, anyone with small hands and even people who want a good guitar to take with them without taking up much space in your car. Yep, it's a beaty.Deano

Look, just wanted to reply to some reviews that say this guitar sounds well…..thin. Duh, yes its not a jumbo acoustic or even a regular body acoustic. Its a thinline acoustic so it sounds just like what it is. Ive played several thinline guitars and they all sound…well…thin. That doesnt mean its cheaply made or a bad sounding guitar. It has its own sound. If you want a deep bass, then buy a jumbo or regular acoustic. I like the easy neck movement. The chords sound fine and this guitar doesnt require anymore tuning than any other in this price range. I tried ten guitars at guitar center including more expensive brands like fender, mitchell, yamaha and others and this was the only one under 400 dollars that stayed in tune from an E chord to a C chord. I bought it because Ive owned Ibanez before and never regretted it. To each his own but keep in mind a thinline guitar is not going to have a deep rich sound, but, I record my bass along with it so it sounds fine. It is what it is…a nice thinline acoustic-electric guitar.Kjmmusician

I had been playing a very old and very nice acoustic at church for night service, and didn't want to subject it to the rigors of live playing on a regular basis. After some research, it came down to purchasing a Talman or a Stratacoustic. I went with the Talman due to the price, and Ibanez's reputation. When the guitar arrived, I was a little apprehensive as the neck felt awesome, but the setup was awful. The strings were heavy gauge, and were set way too high. After some work shaving down the bridge, changing to light strings, and adjusting the truss rod, this baby plays great! I love that the electronics are really easy to use, and it was made to plug in. The sound when you are practicing unplugged isn't as full or rich as you get with a full sized acoustic, but this guitar wasn't made for that – it was made to be plugged in. I was able to eliminate having to use pedals to get the proper volume and EQ, which makes the live rig way easier to set up and tear down. I play it through a Line 6 spider II 75 watt head running through a Marshall 4×12 cabinet. The spider's clean channel is great for acoustic as it does not color the tone, and the Marshall is plenty loud for a church sanctuary. Overall, I am quite happy with the Talman, even though I had to put in some extra work to get it the way I like my guitars. It is a steal at the price if you have the skills and are willing to play with the setup.Stratbuilder

I play locally for hire as a solo acoustic guitar / vocalist. My primary guitar is a Martin GPCP Aura. I purchased the Martin SC 13E in hopes of finding a guitar with better action and playability. My first reaction to the 13E was really nice and it did play with less effort / strength than my GPCP. The first issue I noticed was string buzz on the 1st and 2nd strings. It wasn't awful but noticeable. I played the guitar that weekend at two shows. I was still noticing the buzz. So, I started the set-up investigation. The neck relief, the slight bow forward that a guitar neck needs, looked really good, maybe could use a bit more to help with the string buzz. This is an easy truss rod adjustment; however, I didn't change the truss rod setting. The next thing I looked at was the distance of the string height, above the 12th fret. My thought was I would try to lower this slightly if I decided to keep the guitar. The next weekend I got the guitar out at home before getting ready for my show that evening, to run through a new song I was planning to do at hat nights show. I took the SC13E out of the bag and the 1st and 2nd strings were touching the guitar at the 20th fret. I thought the saddle had somehow pushed down lower into the bridge…. I exchanged that guitar for another SC1E. GC person was easy to work with and got the exchange handled quickly. About 3-4 days I had my second SC13E in my hands. It also had the same string buzz, even though the neck relief and action looked good. I played a couple of shows with this guitar and then I started noticing the buzz getting worse. If you are still reading, the reward is at hand. lol I have decided that the problem with this guitar, and probably the other guitar, is the neck angle is off. I will explain why I think it is off and explain how you can check your guitar. I have watched hundreds of youtube videos trying to learn how to set-up and care for my instruments. I have watched neck adjustment videos put out by fender, for their strat guitars, because I wanted to know how to adjust my Acoustasonic Strat. But what I am getting ready to sell you, I have discovered on my own and may not be accurate, but here it goes. If I put a capo, or hold the strings down with my hand. on the 12th fret, there is a space between the strings and the frets above the 12th fret. A pretty wide gap at the 20th fret. On the SC13E the strings are almost touching and the 1st string is touching. Wa La I believe that neck angle is off. I think it was off on both guitars. So check yours before missing your return date. If you check your guitar and it has this problem, don't totally freak out. The SC13E has an adjustable neck angle, so it can be made perfect. If you find what I described above, I suggest contacting Martin Guitar and GC. Another thing to be aware of, the three Martin guitars I have owned had the nut groves cut too narrow. I took my GPCP to an excellent luthier. He filed the width and depth to correct specifications and filed down my frets (I had two that where high) Both of the SC13E guitars needed to have the nuts filed. If you are trying to tune your guitar by making a very slight turn to get it just right and the string doesn't increase pitch and then jumps to a sharp pitch, the string is probably pinching in the nut grove. Both SC13E's were boogers to tune for that reason. One of them broke the B string while tuning up from dropping the pitch. I am returning my second SC13E tomorrow and I think I am going to give it a rest for awhile. Maybe look for something different. FYI: I love my Martin GPCP Aura, unfortunately they discontinued that model. The sound I get from the Fishman Aura electronics is the best I have heard. PS: part of the reason the SC13E plays easier is they use a lighter gauge string. I put a set of the MA535T Martin Lifespan strings on mt GPCP and even with the truss rod loose, the strings don't pull on the neck hard enough to give me the neck relief that is needed. The SC13E is a beautiful guitar to look at and the electronics onboard sound very nice. I learned, I'm not a big fan of having the controls inside the sound hole. A little awkward to get to while strumming and the phase reverse switch is way back from the opening. If you like using the hole covers to fight feedback, I'm pretty sure you would be out of luck. I think this price range of acoustic guitar should come with a hard case. I gave this guitar a 2 rating because it has potential BUT i do think both of these guitars suffered from poor quality control. My luthier could have made both of these guitars sing beautifully but I refuse to buy a new guitar and send it for repairs, even if the repairs are set-up issues. A new guitar on the north side of a thousand dollars should show up playing without string buzzing and the strings close enough to the neck that you hand doesn't feel like you just hung from the monkey bars during an entire recess.Dale

This is a beautiful instrument with a stunning full acoustic sound despite the deep cut away and relatively small body size. The amazing design allows for unlimited access to the upper frets and the whole instrument feels very comfortable to play. I wanted an acoustic guitar with the accessibility of an electric and this new design from C.F.Martin delivers that in droves without ever loosing it's acoustic personality and sound. I own a super jumbo acoustic made by another company but the SC13e makes it sound dull and lifeless even before it is plugged in. The SC13e has that familiar Martin sound which is full and beautiful. The fishman pickup will then allow that sound to be delivered to anywhere from a gig in a noisy pub to full stadium if required. What a stunning instrument!Reviewed by Kenny's Music custom

I bought my fiancé and I a new Martin. I got her a Martin Dx2e and I got this one. I received mine first since I ordered from here which was wonderful. I got hers off of reverb because ams didn’t have sunburst which she wanted. I was not picky about color but I went with this one. I was super excited to say the least because this was my first Martin Guitar. I also purchased another guitar last year from Ams and I loved it. I digress and move forward to getting it. So I opened it up and I was super pleased with how perfect it looked. Then I started playing it. It was great until I went to play a D chord or anything that involved the high E string. It is cut way too low on the nut and the slightest pressure makes the string fall off the fret board. I thought maybe it was just me, however my father in law to be, which is a professional had the same issue. Also my fiancé had the same issue. Needless to say, I tried to make it work. I sent Ams an email. No response. I guess I’m stuck with this 1k dollars in a guitar that is going to need to be repaired at a shop when it’s brand new. So overall, if you want to take the risk, go for it. My fiancé got the Dx2e and it’s stellar. I would rather have one like hers than this one tuner or not. Hers sounds much better too. The looks and everything else is fine. Just the bottom string is way way too low.Brittany

Sound: Unplayable, neck is crap Features: Doesn’t matter what you do to adjust the neck , it is crap Ease of Use: I wouldn’t know , this guitar should never have been allowed to be released . The neck is unacceptable Quality: It looks pretty. If I wanted a pretty guitar to never be played then it would be ok . But you can not even play this $900 piece of crap. Extremely frustrating Value: Absolutely no. Buy another brand. Breedlove would be my best choice as I bought one and absolutely loved it out of the box . Best acoustic guitar I ever played Manufacturer Support: I have contacted Martin. No authorized repair shop within 100 miles of me in my state . Martin should be ashamed of this garbage The Wow Factor: Martin name sucked me in . Never ever again if they don’t want to fix this piece of junk Overall: I have been playing and working on my own guitars since 1975 . This is absolutely the worst guitar I’ve ever owned. The neck has an S shape to it . The relief is acceptable up to the 7th fret , after that it rapidly accelerates to an unusable 1/4 inch at the 12th fret . No matter how much you attempt to adjust it, it simply is unplayable. I am ashamed to even take it out of the bag . Martin quality control seriously blew it big time on this guitar. I own dozens of guitars and waited until my retirement to buy that Martin guitar of my dreams. This is a nightmare, not a dream. Stay away from this piece of crap . No matter what adjustment you do to the truss rod , it won’t help. Bass to treble side is extremely different. 1/4 inch on the bass side at the 12th but the treble side is marginally better. However, the S shape of the fretboard makes the guitar unplayable unless you like staying in the cowboy chord area . My Ovation, Breedlove,Fender , and Gibson acoustic guitars are brilliant examples of guitar playability. This Martin was to be my final guitar since I have only played them and never owned one . I can’t even play this piece of garbage. Martin has no dealer or authorized repair shop within 100 miles of me so I am stuck with a $900 piece of firewood. Never ever will I buy anything with that name again. That’s all they are, a name. How this got by quality control blows my mind. I have $200 acoustic guitars that are much better than this. Totally disgusted by my experience with this guitar.Gregory

Epiphone really built a solid performer, especially for a workhorse studio guitar. It is also performs very well unplugged or plugged in for those small to medium gigs. Should be a staple for any song writing guitar player. Unbelievable value for a guitar of this quality. This is my third one (gave first two over time as gifts to my son and a good guitar playing friend).koby1947

This is a wonderful guitar, especially at this price point! I got a really good deal from Musician's Friend. I expected a great guitar (I have several Epiphone acoustics and electrics, and am very happy with the quality of the Epiphone brand) and I was not disappointed. Great finish, great sound, especially through an amp. I especially love the on-board pickup/electronics- what a great sound! After changing strings to Earthwood .10s, the string height and action were just great- no adjustments needed. The workmanship was flawless, and the finish was beautiful. I already had a case that I had purchased for a PR4e, but a quality hardshell case is still available for a remarkably cheap price.. All in all, a quality guitar at a great price.huston

I use the guitar mainly for practice. Currently I do not have a band or know any people personally to have jam sessions with but I truly cannot wait to play in a group or a band. The guitar overall sounds amazing with pretty bright tones. This guitar is great for fingerpicking style rather than strumming but it still sounds great for strumming. The pickups are fantastic on this guitar and have a great sounds connected to an amp as well. I simply love this guitar and would highly recommend for any chords that may require "thumb-overs" the neck feels nice and is really easy to wrap your hand around. I do not have anything bad to say about this guitar!Aaron, Chaser of Christ the Lord

There’s a lot of products, items, tangible man made things in this world, and most things I would give a 4 star rating TOPS! But this guitar? This damn Taylor 214ce guitar? Bro, it’s a no brainer. 5 stars all day through and through with no hesitation. Let me just say, if you are even remotely considering buying this guitar, I will tell you as a proud owner, just buy it and rip the band-aid. I promise you it will be 100% worth it and you will thank me later. I’ve actually owned a Taylor 214ce 5 years ago and I had to sell it due to unforeseen circumstances in my life at the time and I will tell you I’ve been kicking myself in the ass up until 3 days ago when I finally got the money to get my hands on one again. So basically, I’ve bought this guitar 2 times because I love this guitar and cherish it like none other. Matter of fact, I’ll take an ass beating by saying I like this guitar much more than all the other Taylor models period. I owned a Taylor 814ce which is a $3,500 guitar and it was a colossal disappointment compared to this Taylor 214ce. Yes, for me, the cheaper $1,000 guitar is better than their higher end models. In conclusion, but the damn guitar.Vic

This is my first Taylor guitar and what a guitar it is. The set up was to the tee right out of the box. A quick tune up and it was ready to play. The action is totally amazing and so easy to play whether regular or bar chords. As far as lead runs it is amazing and the tone and projection are out of this world especially for a guitar in this price range. I have a Martin, Guild, Fender,Luna,Briarwood acoustic electric guitars and this is my new favorite. Acoustic guitars all have their own special voice, some low and some high but the Taylor's is just about in the middle which is perfect for most of the music that I play. My brothers I jam with all want to take turns playing this guitar and have decided to invest in their own. Whether this is your first guitar or an addition to your collection, you can't go wrong . I would reccomend this guitar to anyone who loves to play a beautiful sounding instrument.Steven Card

. Now let me set the scene… I am a guitar lover (I can even play a little too) and a quality professional so My expectations are somewhat higher than most looking at this product. An absolutely beautiful instrument, this is my second SA360 and although they are no longer. Made in Japan, be assured they have not lost any of the build quality or attention to detail. The guitar was really well set up, is great to play, feels good in the hand and sounds the bee’s knee’s. If you are looking to start out in guitar playing get yourself an Ibanez Gio to start as a first upgrade from that, then the SA series is where you want to be at.Timbo