This is THE BEST Budget ACOUSTIC Guitar - UNDER $200! (Firefly Acoustics)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 лис 2021
- Makers of awesome affordable electric guitars have turned their skills to acoustics! Featuring solid spruce tops, rosewood fretboards, bone nuts, and several choices of beautiful woods for the back and sides. At around $200 these are amazing guitars for the money. I don't think you can get a better acoustic guitar for the price. Great for beginners, or established players. These just play and sound great. Let's do a review and check them out!
Link to guitars: guitarsgarden.com/collections...
Use CODE: 89HALFOFF with my new instructional program!
Link here: maxcarlisle.sellfy.store/p/gu...
Gus G's new album! amzn.to/3BMgzoR
---
LINKS ABOVE may be affiliate links!
Social Media -
Facebook: / maxcarlislemusic
Twitter: / maxxxwellc
Instagram: / guitar_max_carlisle
Want to release your own music? Sign up on DistroKid and save 7% with this link: distrokid.com/vip/guitarmax
www.guitarmaxmusic.com
Rubric: -5 points for Danzig references. -5 points for not reading the description. -5 points for not watching far enough into the video to answer your own question. -5 points for misquoting me in your comment. 20 points possible. Everyone starts with an A!
Thanks Max! I appreciate you showing us great new finds in guitars and reviewing them. Definitely gonna purchase some of these firefly's.
Waited a long time for acoustic guitar reviews.. Thanks Max!
That comfort cut on the single cutaway is a very nice touch. They both look and sound very good, even without headphones.
@Guitar MAX. That cut-a-way or relief is freaking amazing!! That's gotta feel great on the right arm when sitting and playing. I'm definitely becoming a fan of Firefly. Love my 338 semi hollow body. I bought that after seeing your review. Its a great guitar. Thanks for posting this.
I purchased the cut-away model with the Fishman pickup for my son's birthday. I, too, am very impressed. Plays greats. Sounds great. Looks great. Hard to believe the quality for the money. Excellent review. I always enjoy your reviews. Keep up the great work!
Where did you buy it
I wish Max had mentioned the Fishman under-bridge pickup.
Can u play harmonics on 12 7 5th fret. Can you Barre frets easy.
Excellent playing as always. I liked the sound of both.
Holy crap! That is AMAZING for $200! I never wanna spend much on an acoustic since I'm a metal guy, but for $200? Heck yeah! 🤘
I am absolutely floored by Fireflys looks and quality
Very nice guitars for the money! Great review Max!
I bought one of cutaway versions in March 2023. It’s a new batch with the pickup. Very nice guitar. Has minor cosmetic imperfections. The sound is amazing. The action however was high. It was hard to play. I tuned it to D standard to make it easier to play. Intonation was perfect at E or D tuning.
i wanted to buy the cutaway but it wasnt available but the one with maple top and rosewood back and sides was on sale for $159 so i bought one. i was shocked that it made it through UPS is one piece cause it was shipped in a box with no foam insulation so if the box was dented or stepped on the guitar was done. anyway, the box came in with no damage and the guitar was gorgeous. action was great. lowest action on an acoustic guitar that i've ever owned. this is my 5th acoustic. i went up and down the neck and it was smooth and no fret buzz and sounds great too! thanks for your demo. it convinced me to take a chance on this guitar and i'm very happy with it. this was cheaper than my fenders and mitchell guitars but its way better as far as playability.
I have no idea how they can make these guitars for such a low price. I've looked at building guitars and the costs are always higher, even when I try to go for budget parts and materials. Absolutely baffling.
Great video, thanks for sharing.
Paying kids pennys a day is how.
You're paying for overhead and markup on every individual part. These companies buy parts in bulk for dirt cheap, have some kids throw em together for lunch money, and then a teenager to do QC. Purchasing power+ cheap labour= decent guitars for nothing.
@@RByrne add a larger scale to the operation and it gets even cheaper.
There is a video on Alibaba of a very high tech factory in China that makes $10 acoustics that are widely sold outside the US. It's pretty automated. There's another video here on UA-cam of a acoustic guitar factory in India. It's grown men sitting barefoot on the floor cutting, filing, sanding, painting as fast as they can.
Nice video, Max, and as a Firefly electric guitar owner, this is good news. It also looks like Guitars Garden has a Firefly Resonator guitar. Now that really caught my attention. Wouldn't mind seeing a review on the resonator guitar. Thank you for this review and the heads up. 👍👍👍
I bought the resonator. Appears to be an exact copy of a much older make. Plays great out of the box. Not too tinny which I liked. Solid top. I'm very impressed with their guitars.
@@mveitchmunich Thanks for the feedback on the resonator. I haven't bought one, but had an idea that it would be good, since their other guitars are good. 👍👍👍
That's pretty astonishing level of detail and features for that price. Solid tops are the bare minimum for an acoustic which is great. I'd guess that the back and sides are laminate though (which is absolutely fine at this price point). That cutaway in particular is excellent. The ergonomics of the cutaway and that shaped section on the arm rest of the body are unheard of at that price point. Literally nobody does those kind of premium ergonomics for that money. Closest you'd find is a Taylor Academy 12c for much more money, and much plainer looks. The grain on the tops looks really good and straight too which is what you'd want. Concerns - the clear coat looks really thick, which is fine on the back/sides, but can adversely effect the sound if its too thick on top. Also if its the same on the neck - well satin IMO is better for playability but whatever. Still - looks amazing for the price point. Also, no joke, that interior looks SUPER clean. Like, cleaner than a Gibson G-45 I saw cut in half on another channel that had rawlplugs in the tailpiece and a big sloppy batch of glue on the soundboard behind the bridge for no damn reason.
If every firefly is like that, that's amazing features and build quality at that price point (even with the niggles pointed out).
I've been on the lookout for a good affordable acoustic lately and I'm definitely going to look into these a little more !
I am ATM.. what did you settle on.. just curious
did you buy it?
@@ranger_x7522 I haven't bought any acoustics yet haha I'm taking my time and choosing carefully looking at all my options
@@ranger_x7522 I went with a Recording King. I was Looking for a beater. Sounds cool.. sounds old and cheap. Which at this point is kinda cool.
Nice review. They sound pretty good.
I bought one of Grand Auditorium models this week and am quite pleased with it. There was a bit of work on the sharp fret ends, and the action was too high but the guitar's intonation was perfect. It has a very mellow even sound without any muddiness. It doesn't have the projection of a dreadnought but the highs and lows are nicely balanced. The neck is chunkier than I prefer but is still very playable and a size many players like. I found a few minor finish blemishes but overall it is a beautiful instrument. It came double-boxed, but still not much protection. I only live a few hundred miles from the shipping center so it survived the overnight trip intact.
Firefly.interesting.very informative,as usual.thank you bro.
Great review friend!
I have a Breedlove and Takamine with spruce tops, but if they make an all hog version, I would snap one up! I only have one all hog acoustic, and for doing 90s unplugged stuff, I could use another one.
Keep up the good work, Man!
My DA01 just came in about an hour ago so I haven't had a chance to play it yet but it's beautiful and I'm definitely hyped to play it.
I bought the GA01-E and I gotta say "It's really a beauty in both looks and sound!" I did replace the tuners and I had to trim down the saddle to get the action lower I wanted ...mine was $256.91 with $27 of that for shipping ...now it's a great guitar! The best part is the neck ~ it's nut width and neck feels like I'm playing one of my Les Pauls ...not too thin like way too many Asian made acoustics! I'm 100% satisfied with my purchase
Thank you for this review!
Those are pretty sweet lookin..
Hey Max...if ya don't mind...pay attention to the bridge plate and both the neck and tail blocks..sound hole bracing as well ..these are realy guna help determine longevity of a flat top...
Cheers Brother...
Very detailed presentation ty ❤
Amazing quality, sound and price for these guitars. I wonder how wide the nut is. I like the cutaways back and sides better than the other but I like the shape of the dreadnought better. Anyways great review!
Great demo as usual. Firefly could not ask for a better advocate than you. Maybe it's my imagination but the cutaway concert size sounded better. The nice surprise is these acoustics are actually on sale for an even lower price than they were originally.
Insane value.. That dread looks incridible.
Great video the sound really plays through, even online. This makes me wonder if my Fender CL 600 is a solid wood top or if it's plywood 🤔
You're right, Max, it's 2AM and the cut-away model and the acoustic-electric model are not listed. I hope they're not discontinued. Only the traditional acoustic DAO2 F1 and S1 are available. I'll check again tomorrow during the day.
That cutaway model is beautiful.
... and the Cutaways are gone! Max C - shattering our hopes one Firefly guitar at a time :)
These are tempting, but I already have more guitars then I have room to store! Thanks for the great review Max!
Where were guitars like this when I first started messin around with guitar? A guitar like these would have cost $500 back then. Amazing how the quality of Chinese, or all Asian guitars is so damn good. Thanks Max!
If your interested in a acoustics, have you ever heard of Teton guitar?
Thanks for showing us the internals of the guitar
Great job Max but you didn't talk about the factory set up? How was the action set? Was the neck set flat or a bit of relief? Nut height? Etc...
Thanks Max
Great video @GuitarMax, Great guitars, great content.
Thanks for sharing.
Can you also get these Firefly Acoustic Guitars in the UK?
I can’t wait till their explorer copy drops next month!
Sooo glad i have 6 acoustics or else. That Dreadnaught sounded a little close to my D 28, not quite but familiar.
Wonder if they source these from same place as Guitar Fetish. I recently picked up a G.F. rich tonewood series elec/acoustic, has a solid cedar top, Zebrawood sides/back, similar binding/look. Sounds great, I'm very happy w/it.
I'm really glad to see someone who undoubtedly KNOWS guitars being honest about cheap guitars. I LOVE them and they don't get enough love. I'm super picky and there's not really a guitar on the market that has exactly what I want. So I could pay $2-$4k on a guitar I'm going to end up modifying (yeah, I'm not doing that) or find cheap but good guitars that I can throw some money into making exactly how I want it, and still be WELL under $1k. I own a few Schecters, for example, and they love sticking those Duncan Designed pickups in them. They suck ass. Gone immediately. My Ibanez came with Powesound pickups... NEWP, gone.
I will say, I own an Epiphone Wildcat, and I'm actually impressed with the Epi-brand P-90s in it. That's rare for me.
I actually bought, second-hand, a 'First Act' guitar that was built in their custom shop (no, seriously, they have (or had) one). This lady's son turned his nose up at it, so I bought it off her for $100. It's such a cool-looking guitar, not one of their prepackaged types, but a groovyass offset body. I replaced the pickups with some lipstick tubes, custom cut a new pickguard, redid the wiring and pots, added an active preamp to turn the "tone" knob into Bass, Treble, and Mid knobs. It's a legitimate badass guitar now, and I've got less than $300 invested in it.
Not sure how I missed this last year but,.. that's some crazy features on an inexpensive guitar.
The forearm relief makes the cutaway more comfortable playing
Thanks a million Max, I just ran over and bought a Firefly resonator guitar. Great info on their stuff as always! Take care!
Would you recommend the resonator? I have it in my cart but there's so little info out there about them. Biscuit cone spider cone?
Great guitar playing Max. Firefly guitars are just getting better for the price.
I would get the rosewood dreadnought, personally. Probably Chinese made but quality has improved so much. Clean inside.
Yes. All Firefly guitars are made in China.
To say "Chinese made" isn't necessarily a bad thing nor does it carry with it the negative connotation it used to. Fender, Gibson, and most of the other big brands have Chinese made lines (Fender/Squire, Gibson/Epiphone, etc.) while still others are wholly held, manufactured and shipped all from China. Many, if not most of these are instruments of excellent quality and playability--fit and finish, the "feel of real" are all earmarks of quality woods, manufacturing techniques and skilled labor.
I plan on buying the dreadnought and I'm betting I won't be dissapointed.
I got the dreadnought with the built in Fishman and mahogany back and sides. Had to sand down the bone saddle to lower the action but otherwise it has been amazing for the money. Also picked up the resonator and that's great right out of the box. I highly recommend either.
I could tell immediately the difference when Max played the D body. Listening thru headphones, the projection of it was great!
The bracing actually looks pretty good on the inside. I'm pretty impressed.
looks great, that arm relief edge is a good feature
They have the best Guitars I mean its crazy how low the price is for what you get I love them I got the NEW FFTL Classic Model electric its amazing Im still in shock for what I got for 169:00 its beder than my Gibson and Fender. its got lock in tuners maple roasted neck the coolest pickups Iv ever seen has 3 separation for picking up strings and the finish is impeccable and is so comfortable to play. Im glad I always check your channel Love your playing. Thanks for good advice as always! Thanks again.
Looks great, but they are brand new. Wait a few years to see how these guitars fare. Though, I have to say... solid wood, arm cut, bone nut, in a 200 USD guitar... it is hard to believe it!
I'd love to see a review of the Pegasus hollow body from Firefly. There is nothing on this newer model
Ha max love your channel. I am looking into picking up a star shine Chinese version of the Gibson es335. I was wondering if the pickups could be changed to the es355 ones.
Just got the dreadnought with pickup and mahogany back and sides from Guitar Garden for $209 plus $27 shipping. Everything sounds great including the Fishman preamp and pickup. Try an AC Driver with it. And put on new good strings! What a difference. Also, Fishman's battery cover feels like it may not hold up too long but we'll see. Did notice the truss rod nut was loose and neck needed slight adjustment. New guitars sometimes come with loose truss rod nuts so no big deal. Overall a great one for the price. Totally worth it!
Hows the tuning??? Does it stay on tune even if playing hard on it?
Tuning is fine for both dreadnought and resonator. Swapping tuners shouldn't be a big deal and the nuts and bridges are bone.
I'll consider purchasing one when they start putting a pick guard on them
great tone wood with clean crispee lon
I love Guitars Garden. They are doing a much better job in 2024 keeping guitars in stock. They change the models and flavors often. Never gets boring. I own a bunch of them and love them!!
Could you please do a review of Firefly’s resonator guitar (Firefly RE01-E Resonator guitar With Spruce Top Acoustic Guitar)? Thanks for your calm and thorough guitar reviews!
I've already done it! Here you go: ua-cam.com/video/kYjK-xv1qKg/v-deo.html
An acoustic I might actually buy! Provided I can actually find any available. 😳
Great video.
Great Review. I have listen to many of your reviews. I wanted to get this acoustic but Firefly has none right now. They also do not have the FFFB FIREBIRD available. Will they ever come back. If not soon I am going with the Ibanez Talman TCM-50.
Nice specs and sound...wish we have a Firefly official distributor here in the Philippines...there is a small entrepeneur that sells just one particular model that I guess is the cheapest so it doesn't really look good...
Are you planning to review the resonator FF is offering in the acoustic lineup?
This one caught my eye. Firefly RE01 Resonator guitar.
Hold up though, does Ed Sheeran approve ?
Fantastic review, now I want to buy one, and I don't play acoustic either, lol . 11:20 but Gus G does play acoustic guitar and he's ridiculously godlike at it so I'm content listening to his albums instead of playing acoustic myself.
You Rock!
Thank you!
You too!
i got a Firefly Resonator coming
in About 2 Days
cut away are not available on the website plus how are they as compared to taylots and martins.I have a taylor 114 e.
I'd be interested in a review of the Firefly Resonator?
Thank you for mentioning the scalper issue!
I usually watch to hear you play and could care less about the latest cheap guitar you've found. This time... I'm blown away by the appearance and sound of the acoustics. Wow! Unbelievable! Dirt cheap and high quality. Wow! Wow! Wow!
Can't find them anywhere. I'll order both if I can find them... Where are they?
Guitars Garden
@@Incaensio Thanks.
Wow. Very nice
I'm curious about that resonator guitar.
👍 for you and a 👍 for the gus g t-shirt.
The Cutaway model is the go. Both are definetley worth the $200.00
I was wondering if you could do guitars reviews that are good for mexican corridos that be a great help brother
How do you feel about silk and steel strings for beginners?
I have the Rosewood back and sides and solid spruce top dreadnought. It is a beautiful guitar. I can't find any flaws. I had to raise the action to prevent Fret buzz, but that is expected. I’m wondering if the beautiful polyurethane finish. (I'm assuming that's what it is) is dampening the resonance somewhat. Shouldn't it be a matte finish for acoustic? I'm hoping you can address that, maybe here in the comments section. I do think it is a good value though. It I is my sixth acoustic guitar in a year and I love them all..
A thick poly finish CAN affect the sound if it’s too thick… but high end Taylor’s like the 814CE have full gloss finishes and sound amazing… buT I’ve played cheap acoustic guitars with thick gloss finishes that sound horrible!
Max you don’t really play acoustics much do you? Just an observation. And I just heard you say the same. It can be rewarding tho. Try it. Also these Fireflys are super cool, I own 3 so far. And I might grab one of those. If they are available when I get off tour.
This or Yamaha f310, which one? Can anyone care to help?
Sounds amazing for the price, but you should have tried with nylon strings or phosphor bronze.
Does anyone know if the cutaway model shown in this video is still available somewhere?
Hey Max, could you measure the width of the fingerboard at the nut ?
How would the GA model compare to say a Taylor 214ce?
I'm always interested in how wide the fretboard is at the first fret, since I'm a fingerpicking guitarrist and I have found that 45 - 46 mm is ideal for my fingers. Unfortunately Firefly doesn't mention the measures on their site.
They really should mention but width, I agree.
They now have custom chat at guitar gardens... They can probably get a answer to that
@@davidmoullet6646 Though I live in Europe their website will only let me register as an American citizen. And I can't find any chat on their site.
They don't answer my e-mail either.
Chat pops up when you visit website... Like others do.
I asked them. I'll post it when they reply..
im sold im going to get several i think ( over time i need the affordability )
Anyone know how these compare against the Orangewood guitars? Orangewood seems like the Firefly of acoustic guitars, got many great reviews and a lot of people say they are great quality for the money. But since Firefly are now trying acoustics, are they any better than the Orangewoods for a similar price?
I can't find that guitar anywhere.
Do these acoustics have stainless steel frets installed?
Would be interested in what you think about Sigma acoustic guitars, personally I think they are brilliant!
Sigma, if I am not mistaken, were made like affordable Martin guitars. From what I've heard, they are great
@@seabass3373 They do, I waited till the Xmas sales and then bought one and saved over 100 dollars, I'm very happy with it, looks and sounds great...
@@seabass3373 Yes. I have a Sima accoustic I bought 45 years ago. Marketed as Sigma by Martin. Has an abalone M above the Sigma decal on the headstock.
Assuming laminate back and sides?
are you willing to sell the firefly acoustic in this video. Please let me know. I am looking for one now.
How well do you think these would pair with a LAG Hyvibe system?
What is the nut width?
Mine and many others were delivered cracked. Terrible packaging on an amazing guitar. I really hope they fix the packaging issues.
They seem OK, pretty good guitars, although the dreadnought had a better tone
What is the model number for the cutaway and Where can I find it on guitar Garden?
Can't find these guitars on their website.
Max, are there any 12 fret acoustic guitars that cost less than $500?
I have a lot of guitars. I vowed I wouldn't buy any more guitars.
I'd have bought the dreadnought Firefly before this video had finished,in a heartbeat.
The good Lord in his infinite wisdom has made sure that, here in the UK, that ain't happening...
Thanks Max.
LOL!! Cheers, mate!! :)
I can't find them available anymore 😞
These are the same as Merida Guitars but with those they mark them up 100% +
Same as Xavier Guitars from back in the day.
Nothing wrong with it just crazy you can pay anywhere from $199-$799 for essentially the same guitar just different drop shipper
were i can buy the cutway model?