The two guitars that captured my heart were both Takamine Acoustic/Electric guitars. They were both really pretty, and both seemed well made. The store was more of a band lesson sort of store, not Guitar Center, so I wasn’t allowed to play the guitars unless I was “seriously interested.” So, what I know about the two guitars is that I like them both, but one was $600 and the other was $1,400.

Takamine EF-350SMC-SB Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst Solid spruce top. Highly figured maple back and sides. Concentric rings rosette. GRAPH-EX pre-amp.

If I had found $2,000 lying outside in the street (and I weren’t married) I might have gone back inside and purchased one of the guitars. At that point, obviously, I would have played them both and gotten a feel for which I liked better. But, I wonder if I would be able to make a rational choice.

Takamine G Series G5403S-VFT NEX Acoustic Guitar Violin Finish 6-string acoustic. Body shape: NEX. Rosette: concentric rings. Top: solid spruce. Inlays: dots. Back: flame maple. Sides: flame maple. Fingerboard: rosewood. Tuners: nickel with ivory buttons.

Obviously I perceive from the outset that the more expensive guitar is “better.” It is probably made of a finer wood, or constructed using better materials. But, I know a thing or two about marketing. I know that you can but take two cars from the same factory and double the price of one of them if you put the right logo on it. I know that Fruity Dino-Bites are pretty tasty, and cheaper than Fruity Pebbles.

I also know that crappy guitars sound crappy – no matter who you are.

But, we’re not talking about crappy guitars – at least, for $600, I hope it’s not a crappy guitar. So, when given the choice between two guitars, one of which is more than double the price of the other, will we always think the more expensive guitar is better?

I do want to play both of these guitars. I see that Guitar Center has them online, so I may go to the store and see if I can play them. In the interim, I’m going to go shop for Guitars at GuitarCenter.com

I think the bug is about to bite again.

Time proved me wrong. It does take a little longer to tune a 12 string, and a little longer to change strings, but this extra time is minute in relation to the hours of enjoyment I get from the unique and beautiful sound.

The 12 string guitar is not a Labrador Retriever, it is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. It does the same job, but looks and acts just a little different. The neck is a little wider to accommodate for the extra strings, but not as much as you might imagine, since the strings are really in pairs. It is just a touch tricky to finger pick a 12 string and get both strings at once, but with practice, it comes naturally after a while.

While I would not recommend a 12 string to everyone, I would recommend it to most folks who love the guitar and want to incorporate the unique and beautiful sound into their guitar playing. I learned most of the basics on an old beat up six string, but I’ve done most of my beginner to intermediate learning on the 12 and I’ve never felt hindered by it. If anything, the effect of the extra sounds hides a few of my mistakes and has allowed me to play in public sooner than I might have with a six string guitar. I think it sounds great, so I am confident, and all my friends seem to think it sounds great too. So really it is a win-win.

I’ve included a list of some great 12 strings below – in a pretty wide price range. Since I am a middle of the road guy, I have the middle one – the black Takamine. I HIGHLY recommend it because it is a perfect guitar. But then, I might be a little biased. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these.