Here is a collection of the some of best Acoustic Guitars.
I have researched these guitars not only from feedback here at GuitarSite.com, but also by communicating with retailers, and scouring the feedback and comments on a whole host of websites. These are all steel stringed acoustics – there is a separate page for our Nylon Stringed roundup.
There were a lot more I would have liked to include, but in the interests of keeping this simple, particularly for those of you who may be looking for your first Acoustic Guitar (maybe you’re a beginner, or maybe you’ve been playing electric for years and would like to try something different), I had to make the cut somewhere.
I’ve chosen some from different price ranges so no matter whether you’re a beginner looking for something good but cheap, or your an experienced guitarist looking for something more, hopefully this list will be of help to you. I have listed the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) for each guitar, but you will generally be able to pick them up for quite a bit less if you shop around (Hint – hardly anyone ever pays the full list price).
Beginner Guitars
Firstly we’ll look at a few of the best entry level guitars for beginners.
Epiphone DR-100
This is Epiphone’s best selling acoustic and many a young musician has had this as their first ever guitar. It comes in 3 colors – Ebony, Natural, and Vintage Sunburst (same color as my first electric).
MSRP is 182.00 but most online guitar shops sell it for $99
Ibanez AW50NT
Inspired by the Ibanez acoustic guitars of old, the AW50NT is a great first guitar. Ibanez say it sets a new benchmark in entry-level guitars, and they’re not exaggerating much.
MSRP is $299.99 but you can get it online for as little as $199.99.
Fender CD-60 Dreadnaught
This is a great acoustic for the price and comes in 3 colors – Black (as pictured), Natural, and Sunburst. It has a relatively low action which is a bonus for beginners because it makes it easier to press the strings down onto the frets.
MSRP is $299.99, but you can get it for less than $199.99 online. More Fenders– where you’ll also find more info and pictures.
LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
You wouldn’t usually expect to see a cheap Martin, however they do make guitars for beginners, and this is certainly a great guitar to start with. It follows the Martin tradition of quality, is very well balanced, and also nice and light.
MSRP is $419.00 – however I’ve seen it selling for $299 online.
Epiphone Hummingbird
It has the classic look of the Gibson Hummingbird, however being manufactured in South East Asia it comes without the classically high price tag. Reviews and comments on the Epiphone Hummingbird seem to universally agree that this is a very playable guitar with the kind of soft tone you’d expect from the original.
Taylor 110 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
I have read comments from a number of guitarists who have owned one of these for years and say it still plays as well as it did when they first bought it, but then you wouldn’t expect much less from Taylor.
MSRP is $798.00 but it’s selling online for less than $600.
Ovation iDea
Strictly speaking this is an Acoustic-Electric, but I really couldn’t leave this one out of the list. It has both acoustic pickups and a built in microphone, and to top it all off it also has a built in MP3 recorder. And it has USB so you can upload/download your recordings. That really is a great idea!
If you want the features of the iDea in your own guitar, then you can buy the Ovation iDea OPi-1 Preamp.
MSRP is $829.00.
Yamaha LJ6
There was a time when Yamaha were thought of as just a guitar maker for students and beginners – but those days are long gone and Yamaha now produce quality acoustics that compete favorably with the best in this category, and the LJ6 with it’s Jumbo body is a favorite of many.
MSRP is $829.99. Go to the Yamaha LJ6 page for more.
Top Acoustic Guitars
Breedlove American Series
Breedlove Guitars have a loyal fan base, and they’ve earned it with their American Series which have beautiful finishes and tones to match. The Dreadnought body has solid mahogany back and sides and a solid sitka spruce top, and of course they’re lovingly made in Bend, Oregon, USA.
Bedell TB-28-G
You may not have heard of this brand – it was founded by Tom Bedell in the 1960s and originally imported from Japan. These days it’s designed in the USA by “Two Old Hippies” and manufactured in China. The Bedell TB-28-G Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar has had some great reviews and it also has respectable sales figures, which is saying something because it’s not the cheapest guitar on the block.
MSRP is $1,559.00. Go to the Bedell TB-28-G page for more.
Taylor DN8
You didn’t think we were finished with Taylor in this list did you? The truth is that there isn’t enough room to fit in all the deserving Taylor acoustics, but I couldn’t leave this one out. It has a traditionally styled Dreadnaught body matched elegantly with Rosewood & Sitka spruce.
MSRP is 2,798.00 but. Go to DN8 for full specs and pictures.
Gibson Robert Johnson L-1
Gibson are one of the most famous guitar brands, and could easily be included in this list more times than I was able to fit them in, but the Robert Johnson L-1 had to be here because it’s much loved by it’s owners, just like the legend it was named after.
MSRP is $2,793.00 but is sells online for less than $2,200.
Martin HD-28
This is one beautifully American made dreadnought body guitar. Sitka – Mahogany – Rosewood – Ebony. I don’t have enough space here to give it the praise it fully deserves.
MSRP is $3,449.00 but you can get it online for around $2,600.
Go to the Martin HD-28 page for complete specifications and more pictures.
If Bill Gates offered to buy you an acoustic for Christmas…
Gibson 50th Anniversary 1960 Hummingbird
The Hummingbird is one of the most iconic acoustics, and one that you see many copies of. An original 1960 Hummingbird is a collectors’ item and very few of these ever come onto the open market. This 2010 ‘tribute’ version built using Hawaiian Koa on the back and sides, Sitka spruce on the top, Mahogany neck with an Indian rosewood fretboard, is pretty much the next best thing. It doesn’t seem fair to write only a few lines about this guitar, so if Gibson would like to send me one I’ll promise a detailed full page review 🙂
MSRP is $10,748 but you can get it online for around $7,500.
