Which beginner guitar to buy? Yamaha or Washburn?

-I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I have thought about this for a very long time and I can't decide which guitar to buy. I'm looking into two entry level guitars. One is the Washburn WD10s and the other is a Yamaha FG700S. I had a bad experience with Epiphone and so I'm not too hot about their products. Now here's what I've thought about these two instruments. I'm reluctant to buy a Yamaha because they make everything from motorcycles to 4 dollar recorders that I've used in elementary school. However, I do realize that at this price range, almost any guitar is made in Asia in a very similar factory, so they might just be all the same thing with just a different label on the inside and a different paint job. However, All over the internet, I have found a ton of reviews about the Yamaha and everyone seems to love it. But I'm skeptical about them for the reason I've listed above.



Next the Washburn seems to be a good guitar as well, and specifications-wise it's almost the same thing as the Yamaha. However, I can't find as many reviews about it online, but the few reviews I have read say that it's a great guitar as well. I have wanted to try out the Washburn, but can't find it in any stores in the area I live in and was wondering if anyone has played/ owned a Washburn guitar and what they think of it.



I heard that Washburn went through a rough patch a couple years ago where the quality of their instruments dropped drastically. Has this changed? Are they making quality instruments once again? Yamaha is fine, but I just don't feel comfortable buying an instrument made by them. They make great electric pianos and drums, but I don't know about their guitars. Anyway, my main purpose in posting here is to get an opinion from someone who has played both instruments and can fairly tell me which one is better. Obviously I will have to test out the individual instruments before I buy one, but in general, which guitar company is better? Washburn has been making guitars for just a little bit of a shorter time than Gibson and Martin, so they can't be too horrible, can they? Yamaha has only been around for about 40 years, so have they had the time to master this skill? Please let me know what your opinions are and which guitar you would recommend to a student or a friend.



Another thing I've heard is that guitars go bad after a while, so is this true for anything in this price range? Will I end up replacing it in a few years or will the instrument last me for a long time with proper care? This is going to be my first guitar, so please advise me towards an instrument that will last and will be a good friend to learn on. Also, please don't just say "Yamaha!!!!" or "Washburn!!!!" but rather, please tell me why you think this is the better instrument. So right now, I'm leaning towards the Washburn, but am willing to change my mind about it if convinced that Yamaha will be a better investment. Thanks for your help!



Here are the links to the two guitars:



http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/washburn-wd-10s-dreadnought-acoustic-guitar/430372000010000



http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/yamaha-fg700s-folk-acoustic-guitarNormally I would take the time, but im tired lol, too much to read.

I don;t know much about yamaha guitars, but i've had a washburn electric and it had good quality and sounded really good.

And I do agree, Epiphone sucks.. I played some of their guitars a few years ago, and I can gladly tell you that I will never play one again :/