This will be interesting to keep up with. I'm going to assume we're talking about acoustic guitars. I've played alot of guitars. Initially, I bought a Yamaha FG. They still sound great, until a Martin sits down beside you. Eventually, I got a Martin. Obviously, there are other opinions. This is mine.

I like you Steve have had a few guitars in my 60 odd yrs. of playing guitar. Always wanted a Martin from the first time I saw and heard one. Never thought I could afford one. Finally after 40 some yrs. I took the plunge and bought one. This was in 1988. Still have it. Pd. $2300 for it. Had it appraised 4yrs. ago and was told it was worth $6800. Maybe more in the right market. If you are serious about playing get a good one to begin with. Yamahas are good and reasonably priced.

If you want the standard: Martin D-18 or -28.

If you want a jam, come to Winterfest, Feb 18th--workshops of all sorts

I'll be there Saturday, ask for Scott--I appreciate Okies

What kind of music are your talking about? Bluegrass? Martin dreadnought is standard, but a Gibson Hummingbird or a Santa Cruz are outstanding choices. Old time? A nice parlor sized guitar is common these days, mostly because the guitar shouldn't overpower the rest of the musicians, and a dreadnought can do that. Get what you can afford or save up for the high dollar item, just realize there are plenty of guitar players out there. If it were me, I'd focus all of my efforts on the fiddle. This coming from a pretty accomplished guitar player; I wish I had spent my younger days fiddling.

Maybe y'all missed it, but the OP mentioned that he was looking for a beginner guitar. Martins, Gibsons, and SC's are great but for a beginner, I'd start with a Yamaha.

If you just want to sit back and play chords, maybe get a mandolin instead of a guitar. A mandolin is tuned the same as a fiddle and it can be a great help in learning the fingerboard. Also, there are way fewer mandolins at most jams I have been to. A major advantage of learning guitar though is that if you are not good at sensing the chord changes in a tune you can keep your eye on the best guitarists in the crowd and you'll recognize the chord patterns they are playing. Me, I play fiddle, mandolin, and guitar and take all three to jams. My guitar is a Martin D-35 and I love it.

The Blueridge BR-140 is very nice entry level dreadnought for jamming for less than 1K. Probably a lot less if you shop around. Solid spruce top. The BR-160 very nice too, for a bit more, and that may be all you'll ever need.

I get what folks are saying about concentrating on the fiddle...or learning how to play the mando instead...both are great points. However, I think it's never a bad idea to have a little bit of guitar playing ability under your belt. Especially if you're trying to impress women, and if that is the case, for gods sake don't take up the banjo, you'd just be handicapping yourself.

Steel string acoustic guitars are the musical instrument I'm most competent with. I've played hundreds of them. And I gotta say that Martins are truly the standard by which the other steel string acoustic guitars must be judged.

I've since moved to a different locale, but for forty, maybe fifty years I made myself a nuisance at L.A.'s high end guitar shops. I'd try any guitar a sales person would let me take off the wall and put in my lap. Sure, true boutique brands such as Everett can give Martins a run for their money. And my favorite guitar in my collection happens to be a custom shop, small-bodied Gibson. But when push comes to shove, a Martin will almost always prevail. They produce a big, lusty sound. Yeah, more than a few guitar brands (and I'm talkin' about you Yamaha & Takamine) do their best to make their guitars look like Martins, but by comparison they almost invariably sound like they're made of cardboard. If you can swing it financially, give a Martin a try.

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Originally posted by doryman

Especially if you're trying to impress women, and if that is the case, for gods sake don't take up the banjo, you'd just be handicapping yourself.

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Well, you never know...

My wife ended up marrying a banjoplayer after all...

I have had lots of Martins over the years, the D-18 is my favorite. I like the sound of a mahogany guitar... Now after listening and playing with people who use the Gibson J-45(50) I had to grab one... I really like it a lot for backup... of course just like a fiddle, strings do make a bit of a difference... my current favorite is Martin Vintage, good tone..

Play Happy

Swing

Good advise above .... I will say I have to agree with the less expensive recommendation of a Blueridge mahogany or rosewood bodied guitar. Also with the more expensive recommendation of a D 18 or D28. I would like to add keep your eyes open for what is termed a "law suit Takamine" from the 70's. These are excellent Martin copies with 85% of the tone for a quarter on the dollar. I went from guitar to mandolin to fiddle with a nod to banjo over the last 50+ years and not having a B string to contend with is quite helpful. Good luck in your search. R/

Amazing how many opinions on guitars crop up on a fiddle website. lol Guess it just shows how important those things are for fiddlers.

I read earlier about a Yamaha. You can find decent dreads and have it set up properly and be just fine.
If you have the funds, then jump straight to Martin D-28. It will be the only guitar you'll ever need!
But if funds are limited, then take a gander at Blueridge Guitars, Recording King, and Eastman. They all have a model that replicates the D-28 for half the cost. In my opinion, the full dread have good volume to fill the sound. Good luck and happy strummin.

Well, I'm going to recommend a different approach. I get a lot of guitar recommendation requests from folks and I've really changed from the idea of recommending specific brands or body shapes or woods. I tell folks to figure out their budget, then head to the local music store and (most importantly for a beginner) make sure it is set up well and has good action in the left hand. Playability at the beginning level is IMO the most important factor. If your into types of wood, body styles, brand, etc. etc. you are thinking beyond your playing level.

I suppose you could make the argument that if you're a bluegrass player you should get a dreadnaught, and if you're into old-time, something different as I have seen dreadnoughts, parlor guitars, and old arch tops used effectively there. I'm sure there are specific ideas for Irish/Celtic/Cape Breton stuff too. Same for Jazz, etc. etc. But again, if you're a beginner the most important thing is that it's set up and easy to play.

Specific sound can come later. Almost everyone I know that started guitar and continued to play has moved on from their first instrument. As they progressed they realized that they wanted something different and more specific as to where they were headed musically, and that realization can only come after gaining experience.

Richj - Yes, and guitar players are funny! Its amazing how quickly a request for "a good beginner guitar" changes to descriptions of people's expensive favorites from their "collections". My first guitar was a $29.95 Silvertone from the Sears catalog. By the end of a year the neck looked like a ski jump, but I'd learned enough to move on to a used Gibson SJN (a fancier version of the J50) that was $90 at the time. Wish I still had that one.

I have an early 40s Regal Archtop I'll sell you CHEAP!! It's got a log for a neck and dirt that's 50 plus years old on it...lol

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Originally posted by RichJ

Amazing how many opinions on guitars crop up on a fiddle website. lol Guess it just shows how important those things are for fiddlers.

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I think it is largely because most fiddle players started playing music on a guitar.

I generally agree with pmiller510, but for starters I think I'd go to a website like Sweetwater or Guitar Center, search for "acoustic guitar," sort by price low to high and then scroll till you start seeing instruments that appeal to you. For me at Sweetwater this was about $180 for an Ibanez PC15, and about $50 more for a similar Yamaha.
Players that accompany fiddle tunes use all sorts of guitars, as pmiller510 stated, but most commonly round hole, flat top acoustics in all sizes from concert to "dreadnought." The Martin "dreadnought" body shape is really quite a departure from the seductive feminine curves of the older styles, however the original is still quite graceful. A lot of the imitations are not though - too square, or the bouts are out of proportion - so personally I prefer the "concert" models.
After you look around a bit the next step is to see what's available in your area. Don't overlook used instruments - in a place the size of OKC there must be a lot of guitars floating around at any given time. There can be pitfalls though - wood cracks, necks warp, frets wear, so it might be safer to buy from a store rather than a private seller. Also don't overlook smaller, non-chain music stores; they may have some bargains. I bought several used guitars - a Martin acoustic and two nice electrics, in my local music store over the years at very good prices. I showed the Martin to a dealer friend of mine and he said "You STOLE that guitar" - no prosecution thus far though! On their website Musician's Friend lists dozens of used guitars, including several older Yamahas that looked pretty good to me.
Good luck. If you buy something you don't like or outgrow you can always resell it - its not a lifetime commitment.

I'm new here and hate to break in. I have Martin's, a Taylor, a bunch of Ibanez, Takamine, Yamaha... all that. I have found Teton guitars recently, and have over time purchased three of them. I find them a great value for the buck. They are worth checking out as well. Have a great day!

I've been through a lot of guitars. Brands that sound good and don't cost a lot include Eastman, Recording King (the better ones in the $800 range) and Larivees. I own a couple of Martins but no longer play a dreadnought, they are large and I'm not playing bluegrass, so the punchy bass of a good 00 or 000 Martin is the ticket for me, or a good copy of one.

My guitar playing Freind of about 35yrs has just left my house.
He bought round a "Faith" guitar which he swears by. We played a few tunes in DADGAD and some blues in standard tuning, and a couple of songs in standard, capoed up and open, he has played in bands ever since i have known him. i had a play on it with a few Django type chords and it handled nicely. He played and sang some James taylor type stuff, sounded great.

The thing is quite heavy and built like a tank. Absolutely no movement in the neck, tunes like a dream and has a fancy stereo pickup installed which has control for each string!! And a tuner and eq etc. the action is almost as low as a solid electric, but it still does a really nice job of acoustic stuff.

i think it was this model https://www.faithguitars.com/guitars/archived-products/product/146-fvhg-hex-higloss-venus-cut-electro-stereo?search=stereo

Also, I totally missed the "beginner" part of the original post. 

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Originally posted by Erockin

Also, I totally missed the "beginner" part of the original post. 

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Whoops...So i suppose my advice would be talk to guitarists, and get the best one you can afford, even better if you can take a guitarist along for the purchase.

I was going to say something clever and snarky about guitar enthusiasts' seeming inability to read or understand English, but maybe Chuck Berry said it best:
"He never ever learned to read and write so well,
But he could play the guitar just like ringing the bell."

I did say get one he can afford or save up... 

Seagull guitars are nice and affordable. Crafter guitars are quality Korean made guitars (I have one that is likely the last guitar I'll purchase). Just don't get one from Walmart or spend only $100 because it may be completely unplayable.