The Top Acoustic Guitars And Brands! What It Takes To Find A Good Instrument?

If you are looking for a new acoustic guitar, it might turn out that the term “best” might be too broad. There are different types of musicians playing different genres and performing at different stages. There are the beginners interested in starting out, some of them have an unlimited budget, while others have a small amount prepared for investment; some of them are enchanted by the magic of the jazz, while others are hardcore Red Hot Chili peppers maniacs.

There is the caring girlfriend ready throw out all of her savings on a budget acoustic guitar for the man of her life; there is the loving dad that does not care that he will spend $500 as long as his kid is happy. Those are not the only examples; there are many more different people with different interests and different budgets.

Where Is All of This Leading To? How Will I Find My Dream Acoustic Guitar?

For every individual, “the best acoustic guitar” will be different. This is why I decided to split them in different categories with different, distinctive characteristics. You will find it way easier to navigate to the group you are interested and you will be shown guitars that fit your budget and goals. Would you be interested reading about $150 models when you have a budget of $1000? I thought so.

Would you be interested in a professional Taylor when you are just starting out? Do not want to read about huge jumbo sized guitars when all you want is a new compact travel companion? If you are after electric guitars there is whole different section for them. I do not want to waste any more time, so let’s get down to what you are here for:

Guitars For Beginners (click here for more reviews):

#1. Seagull S6 Original

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The best acoustic guitar for beginners would be the Seagull S6 original. It’s an outstanding instrument that blows away the competition in the starter guitars list. The Seagull brand is respected both by students and teachers and all of it is thanks to the S6. A six string wonder by the Canadian brand that comes with great balance and clean sound.

If you are looking for your first git, or for a present for your kid, as long as you are okay with paying the price, then this is the undisputed number one choice. The good thing about the S6 is that you can keep it even if you reach an intermediate or advanced level of playing. If, for some reason, you are not a fan of this manufacturer, you can check the other options that we have reviewed; there also some cheaper alternatives there if you are on a budget.

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Under $500 (click here for more reviews):

#1. Recording King RD10

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And the winner is… The Recording King RD10. This will be a real shocker for you if you did some prior research, as this is probably not what you expected to see; but trust me, this guitar is worth every penny. If you are not familiar with the most underrated brand on the planet, I want to introduce you to Recording King.

These guys are so good that they are even designing guitars for Fender and Alvarez. The RD10 comes with all solid top, back and sides, and it is ready to take your skills to the next level. The versatility of this acoustic queen will allow you to play any style with a well-balanced, warm tone and clean sound. Amazing pick, with a monstrous value per dollar spent. If you are still not convinced that this is the right choice for you, you can check out the list with similarly priced six string wonders.

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Under $1000 (click here for more reviews)

#1. Seagull Artist Mosaic

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Yet another Seagull is among the best picks. This time it is the Artist Mosaic. Believe it or not, you get a Martin-like quality of sound for less than a grand. The Artist series put the best of Seagull on the table. There are literally no drawbacks with this beauty. This is on par with all low-end Martins and Taylors that cost twice as much.

The Mosaic offers high quality craftsmanship straight from Canada, and unbelievable sound that will please even the most demanding and seasoned guitarists. With this beauty you get the warm, woody tone and bright, clean sound that is typical for every Seagull. If you are not after a specific brand and want to get the maximum for your money, there is only one option. Even if you are a professional that performs on stage for a living and you don’t need someone to show you the best way to teach yourself guitar, you can use this one until you have enough for a custom-made Jim Olson. There are also some other great models in this price bracket that are worth checking out and are also cheaper than this Artist.

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Travel Guitars (click here for more reviews)

#1. Yamaha JR1

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As I believe that every travel companion should be an affordable one, I would give the number one position to the Yamaha FG JR1. This is not the typical travel guitar, but it does its job perfectly and is only sold for something around the $120 mark. If you check our travel guitars section, you will even find reviews of a Baby Taylor and couple Little Martins, but their cost is significantly higher than this JR1.

You want your travel instrument to be durable, and to able to take some beating, and last, but not least, to be replaceable. It is way easier to replace a $120 git compared to a $300 one. Yamaha is known for providing quality at an affordable price and this is exactly the story with the Yamaha FG JR1. For a small amount of money you get a lot of sound.

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Cheap Acoustic Guitars (click here for more reviews):

#1. Jasmine S35

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If you are on a very strict budget and do not want to spend more than $100 on a guitar, and you are still looking for a good deal, you will absolutely love the Jasmine S35. Jasmine is a branch of Takamine that is focused on extremely inexpensive models that still provide good value and decent sound. Out of all the Jasmine options, the S35 is the absolute bestseller that is overtaking the cheap gits market.

I am a big supporter of new guitars over some second hand solutions with questionable backgrounds, and I would always prefer to spend $80 on a new S35. Even if we are talking about a cheap entry-level fiddle, the sound that comes out of it is still decent. If you want to start learning the guitar, but you are still unsure if this is your thing and you do not want to risk a lot of cash, the Jasmine is the perfect starter axe. There are some other great options that are all come in around the hundred dollar price, so you might want to take a look at them in my cheap acoustics list, too.

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Acoustic Electric Guitars (click here for more reviews)

Epiphone EJ-200CE

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I can describe this one as a revolution by Gibson. The Epiphone’s gemstone is ahead of every competition in the affordable acoustic electric guitars bracket. Everyone is aware of the brand’s capability of producing outstanding quality models that cost peanuts, but with the EJ-200CE they are not just over delivering, they are forcing you to buy it. Not to mention that with it you can buy a great and affordable acoustic guitar amplifier that will fir your budget nicely!

I like saying that in our reviews and price brackets the difference between a number 1 and number 2 is close to insignificant, but with this particular guitar things are different. Yes, there are other great acoustic electric beauties available, but I would consider any of them only if I am already EJ-200CE owner. Stunning design, great craftsmanship and the sound output is just great, no matter if you are playing plugged or unplugged.

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Explanation About The Guitar Ratings

You might be wondering how come the $900 Artist Mosaic averages 4.8 stars and the $120 Yamaha JR1 is at 4.5 stars. The answer is simple; I always rate guitars according to the quality that they provide in their specific price bracket. Of course that the JR1 compared to the Mosaic will have 2 stars. Does this make it a bad choice? No. Every review that you read, every rating that you see, keep in mind that I am always evaluating a git compared to its competitors.

Is the Jasmine S35 mentioned above terrible compared to a Seagull S6? Yes, but it is still the best acoustic guitar that you can get for less than $100, so it absolutely deserves its rating. I hope this makes things clear enough, because I know there will be a lot of questions coming regarding the ratings of the reviewed gits. Last but not least, you do not need the hottest guitar ever to start some online guitar courses, just get one and start practicing.

What is better, acoustic or acoustic-electric? Which one to go for?

There is no generic answer to this question. Everything comes down to what you want to do with your music instrument and where are you planning to play it. Almost all standard acoustic guitars have an acoustic electric version with one or two pickups, tuner, volume controls, and some other perks that vary depending on the price.

Usually adding the word “electric” to your guitar will cost you about 20% more than the original price, but as things are different with every brand, this is not an exact number that you should be looking for. Just keep in mind that you will need a amplifier to use the “electric” perks of your new acquisiton. If you are in the dark we have a detailed section that covers over 60 of the top guitar amplifiers on the market.

You should keep in mind that just because an acoustic guitar is good, it doesn’t mean that it will be just as good when you plug it in. There are some models that are way better than others, and if you are specifically looking for an acoustic-electric instrument, then you want to check out only those units, ignoring the quality and the sound of the plain acoustic guitar with the same name and brand.

Which type of guitar is more appropriate for you depends on where you will be playing and how often you will be switching places. If you want to have full control over the sound coming out of your instrument and you are tired of the “sound support” on every event that you visit, you might want to get an acoustic-electric instrument to solve your problems. Good guitar pedals are another option that will give you even more freedom with a geared acoustic-electric instrument, but this is another story.

This way you will avoid the awkward situation of explaining to the sound guy the difference between an instrument microphone and a vocal microphone, why they should have different settings, and everything else related to them. This is a very tiresome and annoying process, especially if you have to do it twice a week and every time you have a new “sound specialist” facing you.

Brands that were not included in the best picks

The first two that come in mind are Taylor and Martin, of course. In this website we review only acoustic guitars with a maximum price of $1000, so it is impossible to mention a model from either of those two manufacturers for the most obvious reason – the price. Yes, we have detailed reviews about a Baby Taylor and two Mini Martins, but they have nothing to do with the full sized product lines. Do not make the mistake and think that if you buy one of those travel guitars you will receive a real Martin sound and tone.

Takamine is another good brand that deserves a spot in our lists, and pretty soon it will. We are currently reviewing a couple good Takamines and you can expect them to show up really soon to shift the tables with a big bang. Some electric guitar fans will be wondering why there is no Ibanez and the answer is simple; they are just asking for way too much money for models with composite laminate materials. Explaining to someone why an $800 guitar can’t have real tonewoods is not my thing and I decided to move on.

How to determine if a nylon string or a steel string guitar is more appropriate for you?

There is a general belief that nylon string guitars are usually good for playing classical and folk music, while steel string guitars are more appropriate for rock, jazz, and the likes of them. This is a good rule to follow, but keep in mind you should not worship and take every other opinion as a “no-no”.

A good piece of advice is to do some research and see which types are popular in your music style, we have some great list with the best and most used guitar strings on the market. You should keep in mind the fact that you can’t put nylon strings to a steel string guitar and vice versa, they are attached in a different way and the interchange is practically impossible. If you are just starting out, you should know that no matter what guitar you opt for, your fingers will become tender and sore once you start practicing.

Do not blame it on the strings, your fingers just need time to get used to playing and it takes some time at the beginning for you to build up calluses. You can also refer to the video above from our blog that explains the differencies in detail.

Last words

Every acoustic guitar that you see here is good one. If we feature it, then it is worth it. Go with what you prefer. The difference between a number one and a number four in any of the brackets is close to insignificant, so go with what suits your budget and what you are passionate about. Never forget that the guitars mentioned here are not the only viable solutions available. If you are just starting out, check out our article on the recommended online guitar lessons.

There are plenty of good instruments that you can go for, we are just pointing out the most obvious, and as always we are trying to show you the models that offer the greatest value compared to their competitors. Above all, playing on a guitar is about passion, it is about that great feeling that it is you making this piece of wood sound great. Never forget that it is the player who forges the axe, not the other way around. If you are passionate about what you are doing and do not give up learning and practicing, every guitar will sound great in your hands.

On every stage, at every concert, the most demanding audience is always rating the player, not the instrument. People would always listen to B.B. King and Frank Sinatra, even if they were performing with a Cordoba that goes for less than couple hundred dollars.