Looking for the best acoustic guitar that suits your expertise and budget? You’re in the right place! This guide gives you a list of 25 guitars for beginners and experts and considers material, build, sound quality, and price, among other features, to recommend the best. 

How We Made Our Picks?

Editors from the BYJU’S FutureSchool blog researched the most popular guitars for beginners and cross-referenced them against guitars that members of our music curriculum team recommend and have tried for themselves. The result: a list of vetted guitars for beginners to help get you started strumming like a pro. 

Top Acoustic Guitars for Beginners

1. Best Overall: Martin LX-1 (Little Martin)

Made in the USA, the Martin LX-1 is one of the best acoustic guitars for beginners. Its size may be smaller than other acoustic guitars, but the sound is loud enough, making it perfect for first-time buyers. The top is solid sitka spruce, and the high-pressure laminate along the back and sides allows for protection from heat and humidity. 

2. Best Budget Acoustic Guitar: Yamaha FG800

The Yamaha FG800 is a go-to for most beginners because of its affordable price. With steel strings, the sound it generates is very similar to that of a more expensive guitar. The solid spruce top creates a deep and warmer tone. 

[Read: Best Acoustic Guitar Strings]

3. Best Sounding Acoustic Guitar: Fender CD-60S

Learning to play the guitar is challenging, but with this Fender guitar, the first steps become easier. The neck with rolled fingerboard edges ensures pulling the chords is simpler. It comes with a mahogany neck and a solid spruce top, giving it a more balanced, full-rounded sound. Good sound adds volume and confidence when playing bright notes. 

4. Most Versatile Acoustic Guitar: Taylor Academy 10

This is another one of the best acoustic guitars on the list with a solid Sitka spruce top. This guitar comes at a slightly higher price, but if you’re serious about learning the guitar, this is an excellent choice. It’s easy to play and gives out a well-balanced sound. It’s also versatile, coming with a natural finish, an ebony fingerboard, and a maple neck. 

5. Best for Aspiring Rock Stars: Epiphone Hummingbird Studio

This dreadnought guitar, considered one of the top 10 acoustic guitars, comes with a remarkable amount of history—it’s the choice for members of the Rolling Stones. It’s a beautiful guitar with an artwork scratchplate and a pearl inlaid neck. The Hummingbird Studio is affordable with good quality sound, perfect for beginners who need an extra flair. 

6. Most Stylish Acoustic Guitar: Ibanez AW54CE

This is the best acoustic guitar with top-notch style. The Ibanez AW54CE comes with a beautiful dark mahogany finish. Plus, the cutaway gives you access to the frets more than other guitars. As a result, it delivers a balanced, well-rounded sound. It also has a preamp and a Fishman pickup, giving it more volume. 

[Read: Guitar Songs for Beginners]

7. Best Value Acoustic Guitar:Yamaha LL6 ARE

Following the Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (ARE) process, this guitar is stunning. It makes a tone that’s worth way more than its price tag. The sound action is low, and as with all Yamaha guitars (one of the best acoustic guitar brands), this one is of top-notch quality. The top is solid Engelmann spruce, while the neck is a Mahogany/Rosewood 5-ply. 

8. Best for Playing A Variety of Music: Gretsch G5024E Rancher

At first glance, you’ll notice the unique shape of the soundhole, and it has a beautiful aesthetic with exquisite details all across the body. Dreadnought acoustic guitars can look similar to each other, but the Rancher breaks the mold. While the sound is similar to other acoustic guitars in the same price range, it’s versatile enough for most styles.

[Read: Best Acoustic Guitar AMP]

9. Best Acoustic Guitar for Kids: Taylor GS Mini Mahogany

This is the best budget acoustic guitar for young players who can’t handle big guitars. The Taylor Mini can be used for learning at home, with the sound leaning towards the mid-range. It’s versatile enough for an entry-level guitar with a tropical mahogany top and an ebony fingerboard. 

10. Best Long-Lasting Acoustic Guitar: Seagull S6

A little on the higher end, the Seagull S6 is built to last for a long time. It comes with a solid cedar top, a silver leaf maple neck, and a semi-gloss finish. It’s the best acoustic guitar without over-the-top aesthetics and a solid build. The construction gives refinement to bright tones, adding beautiful warmth with low volume. 

11. Most Powerful Acoustic Guitar: Alvarez AD30

The Alvarez AD30 is another great-sounding acoustic guitar, giving a high-quality playing experience for its lower price. It comes with a Sitka spruce top and a mahogany semi-gloss neck. The tone has a significant volume, which is warm and bright. In addition, the guitar comes packed with a surprising amount of power, which means you can play as aggressively as you like. 

12. Best Looking Acoustic Guitar: Yamaha Storia 1

One more stunning guitar from Yamaha, the Storia 1, is anything but boring. The guitar was designed to make playing an excellent experience while keeping aesthetics in mind. It comes with an off-white finish (unlike any other guitar on this beginner’s list) and a light-blue interior.

Top Acoustic Guitars for Experts

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1. Best Overall: Martin D-28

This guitar comes with steel strings and a Sitka spruce body. The Martin D-28 also has an impressive list of alumni, from The Beatles to Elvis Presley. It’s iconic, revered, and the warm, detailed sound quality it offers is one of the best. It ranks high on all factors, including durability and versatility, and is considered one of the top acoustic guitars. 

2. Best Looking Acoustic Guitar for Experts: Epiphone EJ200SCE 

Another best acoustic guitar, the size of the Epiphone EJ200SCE, is almost as much as a jumbo acoustic body. While the design work is for aesthetics-lovers, looks alone aren’t all that it has. It’s feature-rich, with excellent quality sound, good low-end tone, and interior pickups. You can also use this guitar for recordings and performances. 

3. Most Versatile: Takamine GN93CE 

This Takamine guitar has one of the best preamps on an entirely acoustic guitar. The preamp is flexible and versatile, letting you play different music styles. It also comes with a three-band EQ, notch filter, tuner, excellent quality tone, and a solid spruce top.

4. Best Acoustic Guitar to Take On the Go: Martin GPC-X2E

Martin’s (one of the well-known acoustic guitar brands) GPC-X2E is one of the higher-end guitars. The preamp is a Fishman Sonitone, and the guitar top is made of solid sapele. The build offers a warm tone with a strumming quality, and the slimmed dreadnought design gives out natural resonance. Plus, it comes with a handy gig bag to take your guitar with you anywhere!

5. Best Splurge: Seagull Performer Series CW

Another guitar in the higher price range, the Seagull Performer, comes with a solid top plus a laminated Maple back and sides. The guitar offers excellent quality and a rich sound for open chords, while the cutaway allows for a brighter tone and higher notes. It’s the best acoustic guitar for intermediates and experts. 

6. Best Crafted Acoustic Guitar: Yamaha FG3 Red Label

The Yamaha FG3 is backed by a rich history. In the 1960s, Yamaha’s guitars like the FG300 were widely used, especially by Jeff Buckley. The guitar is crafted and constructed in Japan, using high-quality wood and artisan craftsmanship. It comes with steel strings and a Sitka spruce body.

7. Best Acoustic Guitar for Folk Music: Cordoba C7-CE

This acoustic-electric guitar comes with a Cedarwood body and a Rosewood fingerboard. The Cordoba C7-CE is the best acoustic guitar for Spanish folk music enthusiasts. Its cutaway gives access to the highest frets, making it the perfect guitar for flamenco players. Because of its unique playing style, the Cordoba guitar’s tone can’t be imitated. 

8. Best for Established Guitar Players: Cordoba C12 SP

Another Cordoba on the list, this guitar has a European Spruce body. It’s well known for its top-notch nylon strings and one of the finest tonewoods. It’s one of the top 10 acoustic guitars for classical and Spanish music players. While it comes with an expensive price tag, you’ll fall in love with its premium quality. 

9. Best Vintage-Looking Acoustic Guitar: Blueridge BR-163CE

This Blueridge guitar comes with a deep cutaway, giving you easy access to the higher frets. It’s one of the best acoustic guitars in terms of looks and style. The body top is made of Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are of Indian rosewood. For those needing an amplifier, this guitar has a Fishman Presys Blend pickup system.

10. Best In-Tune Acoustic Guitar: Taylor Big Baby

Another one for the pros, Taylor’s Big Baby is top quality and one of the best acoustic guitars offering value for the money. The back and sides are made of walnut wood, whereas the top is sitka spruce. It produces a good sound tone and remains in tune for longer. 

[Read: How to Tune a Guitar]

11. Best Hybrid Acoustic Guitar: Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat

An acoustic-electric guitar, the Tim Armstrong Hellcat, is a signature instrument from Fender. The guitar can be kept stable using X-bracing and comes with an acoustic amplifier—the Fishman Isys III System. It’s a little smaller in size but has excellent sound quality with a vibrant, rich tone. 

12. Best Portable Acoustic Guitar: Voyage Air Songwriter Series VAD-04

A unique feature of this guitar is its foldable neck which makes it easier to carry anywhere you go. It comes with a solid spruce top, a rosewood fretboard, a mahogany back, and sides with scalloped bracing. The instrument itself is moderately priced, making it an excellent choice for experts and intermediates.

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, everyone needs a little help making essential decisions sometimes. So, use this article by BYJU’S FutureSchool as your guide to buying the best acoustic guitar for you. And if you want more guitar resources, you can sign up for a FREE trial class where you can learn live in a 1:1 setting with knowledgeable instructors—or check out some more helpful articles.

Do you already own a guitar? Which one is it? Tell us about your experience playing it in the comments below. 

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