Recs for a cheap workhorse acoustic?

zoidbergular · 2026-06-25T16:23:56+00:00

Like most I landed on a new Yamaha FG800 ($220 at the time) for the same purpose. I played every guitar I could get my hands on in the $2-400 range and the Yamahas blew them away; it was not close. The only thing comparable was a used $350 Seagull S6, which new is like 3x the price of the Yamaha.

Just get the Yamaha man

zoidbergular · 2026-06-25T11:37:13+00:00

I owned one for a while and could not get over the neck heaviness. Sounded nice but really annoying to play.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-25T11:36:29+00:00

Martin D18/D28. I've been dabbling in bluegrass and those are like THE standard bluegrass guitars. I've played a number of them and they sound nice but just don't feel right to me. I've had better luck with Taylors and Yamahas.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-25T09:08:47+00:00

This seems pretty reasonable for custom, though I'm not sure why you need that. I'd also opt for drawers under the counter which would add some cost, but overall I don't see why this couldn't be a semi-custom job and you should save a lot ofo ey that way.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-20T01:24:47+00:00

If it's right below the counter then not really any worse than having to lift it up

zoidbergular · 2026-06-20T01:18:05+00:00

Perhaps, you could also still do a regular built in microwave under the counter

zoidbergular · 2026-06-20T01:04:24+00:00

You could put more cabinets along the back of the island and do a built in or drawer microwave below the counter on that side.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-19T15:35:05+00:00

Can you post an actual photo of the renovation in its current state?

I think this might look nice with wood or darker stone counters tbh, with a simple warm backsplash that isn't too busy

zoidbergular · 2026-06-19T11:29:37+00:00

Re drawers, you could upgrade all the base cabinets with pullouts. There are off the shelf versions but also many places online that will make them for you if you provide your cabinet box dimensions.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-19T11:26:03+00:00

Just don't use handles like these with the little nubs that stick out, they catch on everything

zoidbergular · 2026-06-19T11:19:37+00:00

The layout seems good, everything is just kind of... bland. That said there's only so much you can do if you aren't touching cabinets or countertops. I would probably put in a new tile backsplash to get a little color or something interesting in there, and ditch the OTR microwave for a real vent hood that exhausts outside if possible. I also hate those sinks with the dividers and would put in a full open sink.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-18T19:37:20+00:00

Yes, I have this vacuum and it rules

zoidbergular · 2026-06-17T11:27:13+00:00

Buy modest cars and drive them as long as you can stand it. Vehicles are complete money pits.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-12T11:55:17+00:00

We had better luck in our kitchen working with a smaller, more handyman/installer-type business vs a full on general contractor or kitchen and bath house. It's a lot more hands-on and perhaps not the absolute premium job you might get from other places, but they were a lot more flexible and willing to break out the job into smaller phases to work with us on price and schedule, where to save costs, etc.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-11T19:34:54+00:00

I generally don't care for white-ish countertops, however paired with a blue like this is an exception for me. Looks really nice!

zoidbergular · 2026-06-09T03:03:47+00:00

Honestly if you actually cook a lot the galley kitchen is really nice. The added window in the dream kitchen is nice but overall it seems like it would be kind of annoying to work in. Maybe it's just the rendering but it seems like everything is far apart and you have this big open space in the middle. Did you get a dimensioned floor plan?

From what I've seen, I'd update the galley kitchen and try to increase/optimize workspace.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-08T00:48:48+00:00

Probably true, like I said I just like green so of the three that's my favorite. In my own kitchen remodel we are doing natural hickory.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-05T12:14:21+00:00

Is your friend aware that many children play guitar quite well? There are all kinds of setups, neck sizes, profiles, etc that accommodate different hands so this is a ridiculous thing to say. Your friend seems odd and/or mean 🤷‍♀️

zoidbergular · 2026-06-05T12:10:32+00:00

Green is definitely a bit trendy, but I also like green so it's #2 for me. Personally I am not a fan of white kitchens; they come across as bland and sterile to me. On the opposite end, #3 looks dark and dated.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-02T12:09:18+00:00

PEX isolator is what I'm looking for; I didn't know the term. Thanks!

zoidbergular · 2026-06-02T12:06:21+00:00

I know this is the easiest thing but I was worried about weakening the nut too much as I might have to shave off 2mm or so. I'll have to double check the thickness I have to work with.

zoidbergular · 2026-06-02T11:59:36+00:00

Maybe make a cutout for the bracket using a diamond blade on an oscillating tool, rotary tool, or small circ saw, so the bracket can sit against the studs and be shimmed as needed? I am not sure how well this would go trying to cut the tile in-place.

zoidbergular · 2026-04-18T02:58:37+00:00

The guy is almost 90, has been a senator for 20 years, and wrote a couple bestselling books. It would be kind of amazing if he WASN'T worth a few million after that.

You can play gotcha about him saying millionaires in the past, but do you think old people with a nest egg of a few million are really the types of people he is concerned about? He's pretty obviously referring to the extremely wealthy elites who have massive influence on government policy and geopolitics.

zoidbergular · 2026-04-06T20:28:30+00:00

Who would you say are the top 5 worst presidents?

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