An experienced player looking for a second instrument is likely to have little trouble distinguishing a superbly set-up guitar made of high-quality materials from one that's little more than a toy, but to the first-time buyer, the instruments may look virtually identical. How do you go about choosing? By asking yourself the following questions: What is the guitar mad of? Does it have a solid top? Is the neck straight? Are the frets solidly seated and evenly filed? Do the tuning machines turn smoothly? Is the guitar ready to play? Does it buzz? Once you're satisfied that the basic requirements have been met, you can move on to more personal issues. Are you comfortable with the size of the guitar's body and neck? Do you like the instrument's shape and tone? Is the finish strong enough to protect the guitar in the places you intend to play it?

Another important consideration on guitars in this price range is solid versus laminate woods. Guitars with solid tops are generally considered to be superior to those with laminated tops because a solid top tends to be more flexible and thus louder and more richly toned. Solid tops also mature with age, resulting in an instrument that "opens up" over the years. That doesn't mean, however, that you can't find a high-quality instrument with a laminated top. If the guitar sounds and feels good, and the price is right, go for it. The effects of solid backs and sides on an instrument's tone seem to be even less dramatic, but some players wouldn't be caught dead with a laminated-body guitar.

The $500 cutoff established for this review was the logical price point. It's the level at which solid tops start appearing in most manufacturers' lineups. We asked participating manufacturers to submit acoustic (not acoustic-electric) guitars priced as close to the $500 mark as possible (for fairness), and we let them know that we'd be focusing less on special features, such as cutaways and fancy inlays, and more on the design, materials, and craftsmanship that went into the instruments. We left the size of the guitars up to the manufacturers, and in cases where a company sent more than one qualifying instrument, we chose the one we felt offered better value.

In the end, we were left with 14 guitars ranging in price from $299 to $500. Except for the Aria and the Dean, all of the instruments were close to dreadnought size, and only the Ovation and Yamaha had laminated tops. Most of the guitars had a nut width of about 1 11/16 inches. This is the standard Martin dimension for a dreadnought, and while some fingerstylists might prefer a wider neck, this size is popular with a variety of players.

DEAN Performer
$399. Five-year warranty. Solid spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, mahogany neck. Nut width: 1 5/8 inches.

This guitar had several features that set it apart from the pack. The materials were superb, and the abalone rosette and binding added a sophisticated touch. The Dean was also the only guitar we reviewed with a cutaway. At about grand concert size, but a bit deeper, it was very comfortable to hold. Its sound was bright if a bit trebly, and its intonation was quite good. The guitar stayed right in tune, due in part to its high-quality Grover tuning machines. The fun of playing the Dean was tarnished somewhat by below average fretwork. The test instrument's first string buzzed in several locations, and there were visible file marks and inconsistent crowning on the frets. Fingerstyle players might find the 1 5/8 inch nut width a little too narrow for comfort, but it was easy to play single-line melodies that rang out loud and clear. With a little bit of work, this would make an excellent choice for the player looking for an attractive, inexpensive, smaller-bodied guitar.

THE WRAP
These 14 guitars leave no doubt that a lot of R&D has taken place over the last few years. None of the instruments showed serious flaws, most offered exceptional sound, and any one of them would get the beginning guitarists off to a good start. The only weaknesses that appeared repeatedly were sloppy fretwork and a certain midrange emphasis in the sound, perhaps due to overly heavy bracing. A handful of these guitars really stood out from the crowd. The Dean's DA PS is a welcome addition to the small field of inexpensive, solid-top, small-bodied guitars.

With such a high level of overall value, much of the decision-making process will depend upon your individual preferences. If this is your first shopping venture into the world of acoustic guitars, I would strongly recommend that you bring a more experienced friend along. Get him or her to play each instrument you're considering so that you can step back and listen to the sound. Once you have narrowed down the field a bit, spend some time with each guitar and make sure it feels comfortable to you. Remember that the action can easily be adjusted after you buy the guitar; try to focus on more permanent characteristics such as body size, neck shape, and finish. In the end, however, it is the sound that counts, so listen up. With a little bit of luck, you will find an instrument whose sound inspires you to play.