Looking for the best acoustic guitars? View the best acoustic guitars here and read a review for each of our top picks. Click here to view the best acoustic guitars.
Best Acoustic Guitars
You're not the only one looking for the best acoustic guitars. View the extended list of our top picks and review articles written by a music critic and acoustic guitar experts.
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Best Overall
Overall Rating:
This electric-acoustic guitar is placed on top of our list for a reason. Coming from the Tekamine's TT series (Thermal Top body), it offers the sonic benefits of well-aged woods.
Its warm sound is replicated to an amplifier in a natural way, thanks to the top TLD-2 line driver pre-amp.
Body and Neck: 5 out of 5 stars!
Overall Rating:
No list would be perfect without a great Taylor guitar. Made in America, this acoustic guitar feels, looks and sounds premium.
Its Grand Auditorium body shape and the Venetian cutaway help increase playability and allow easy access to some of the highest 20 frets.
Overall Rating:
Players looking for the best acoustic guitars with a vintage sound should check out the Blueridge BR-160 guitar. It's very unique and packs a great acoustic sound. It's a good looking dreadnought body guitar!
The traditional tone with a robust projection is bound to impress you, and it's that kind of sound you want from a premium acoustic guitar with a dreadnough body shape.
Overall Rating:
There aren't many best acoustic guitars in this price range that can play as well as the Seagull S6. Because of its comfort and sound, this guitar is the top choice for both levels of players - beginners and experienced guitarists.
The Seagull S6 has a bright and vibrant sound that even beats some higher priced guitars.
Body and Neck: 5 out of 5 stars!
Overall Rating:
This is one of the best acoustic guitars for beginners, and a lot of it has to do with the price. The Yamaha FG800 is the top guitar for beginners, even in 2019!
It sounds decent and has a good amount of bass depth and resonance. Does it beat the 4 guitars mentioned above? Of course not. It is, however, a great choice for new players on a tight budget.
This model comes in many colors, so you're bound to find one variation that suits you.
Guitars For Beginners
Check the best acoustic guitars for beginners here. These are the top strummers for guitarists just starting out.
Overall Rating:
I know this is hardly news, but learning on a Taylor guitar is a real joy. They make some of the best acoustic guitars in the guitar world.
The body of this acoustic guitar comes with an ergonomic arm rest for extra comfort, which is the top choice for beginners that spend a lot of time practicing.
Taylor A12e (A stands for Academy) body also features simple electronics and comes with a cool gig bag.
Overall Rating:
If you want to keep things simple and not cross the $100 price tag, this could be one of the best acoustic guitars for you. The RA-090 guitar with a dreadnought body shape is a perfect choice for beginners that aren't that committed to learning.
If you just want to play around and experiment with music, definitely check this top pick.
Under $2000
Overall Rating:
Made in America, this high-end acoustic guitar features interesting body design and an impressive sound.
Many people have never heard of Breedlove guitars, but once they hear the sound, they don't forget.
This guitar doesn't have a lot of onboard controls, but you get top sound reproduction nevertheless.
Overall Rating:
With its eye-catching Auditorium body shape and Venetian cutaway, the Taylor 224ce-K will impress your friends and make you stand out from the crowd.
Reaching all 20 frets of the satin-finished neck is an easy task! Its bright tone will warm up with age, so the more you play it, the better it gets.
Overall Rating:
It features a 14-fret dreadnought body and comes with a solid Sitka spruce top of the body. It is proven to help the guitar get more balanced and sophisticated sound.
The Drs2 is one of the most affordable Martin guitars out there and sure won't disappoint you, no matter how good of a guitarist you are.
By the way, if you want to learn guitar faster, check out this Fender Play review. If you're not a Fender fan, check out this Guitar Tricks review instead.
Under $1500
Overall Rating:
Takamine does have acoustic guitars that are more high-end than this one, so why feature this one? Well, Bruce Springsteen uses it!
The glossy black color looks elegant and packs a solid dose of rock attitude.
Its cutaway dreadnought body makes accessing the upper frets a piece of cake and makes it sound warm and balanced.
Body and Neck: 5 out of 5 stars!
Overall Rating:
This all-mahogany acoustic guitar is there to be your friend in every situation. It's the best in studio, on stage and perfect for jam sessions.
The Martin D-15M features a non-cutaway dreadnought body and has a great playability.
Its warm and rich tone is well worth the price, even though you don't get any electronics on this guitar. View the full review to learn more.
Overall Rating:
This is an upgraded version of one of the best Taylor guitars; the Taylor 214ce.
It packs the Taylor’s Expression System 2 electronics and a well-balanced tone, plugged or unplugged.
The 214ce DLX body offers great playability and works best with many playing styles.
Overall Rating:
It looks great, plays great, sounds great and it even won the Guitarist gold award.
This is one of the finest and best built guitars the world has to offer at the moment. The body is made of mahogany, in case you wondered why on Earth does the body look so gorgeous!
The Martin 000-15m guitar is a good choice for people who aren't tied down to a specific genre.
Under $1000
Overall Rating:
Another acoustic Breedlove guitar, under $1000 this time. It sounds rich and warm, even when played through pre-amp.
Onboard controls give you 3-band EQ and a tuner.
Overall Rating:
I'm surprised I kept you waiting so long for the 114ce. Even though this isn't one of the best acoustic guitars on the list, it is a great performer for all styles.
The Taylor 114ce guitar features Grand Auditorium body shape and has a good playability thanks to its soft cutaway.
You get warm and clear sound when you push through an open chord. When you play a single note, you will be astonished just how round it sounds!
Strings feel very gentle, which makes this guitar perfect for beginners too – It's very easy and comfortable to play it with your fingers.
Overall Rating:
It comes with a solid Sitka spruce top of the body, layered rosewood back and sides. The body is made of the perfect material, that made this guitar lightweight and strengthened its acoustic features.
The neck is not glossed, which is a feature very useful for both beginners and professionals. Your hand won't stick to it while playing and will make the playing itself very enjoyable.
While this body might be too expensive for beginners, it is one of the best acoustic guitars available today, and it will most certainly pay off in the end.
Overall Rating:
It seems only fair that we talk about this model too. The Martin Drs1 body is very durable and good for people that plan on moving their guitars around. It features the solid sapele top, back and sides, and comes with a 20-fret fingerboard.
This guitar can sound very loud and has a full and rich tone. It is still very dynamic, however, and allows you to express every single detail of your favorite song.
Under $500
Overall Rating:
Considering how affordable it is, this acoustic guitar offers great value. It's part of the L series (the L stands for luxury) and does indeed have a luxurious feel to it.
The LS6's sound is great and if that's not enough, you can amplify it through the S.R.T. Zero Impact pickup. Read our full review to learn more!
Overall Rating:
Inspired by Gibson's iconic design, the Hummingbird Pro offers the vintage design we all love for a low price.
This electric-acoustic model packs a dreadnought body shape with square shoulders, solid spruce top, and laminated mahogany back & sides.
Included in the price, of course, is its Shadow ePerformer pre-amp system for good stage performances.
Body and Neck: 4 out of 5 stars!
Overall Rating:
Unless you want to spend more and get a Taylor guitar, this is a great choice if you're new to the guitar world.
The Yamaha FG830 is one of the best acoustic guitars for a reason. Assuming you set it up right, it can play like butter.
It has a bright tone with bold projection and beginners are guaranteed to enjoy it.
Overall Rating:
This is the 3rd Breedlove guitar featured on this list, and there's a reason for that.
The Discovery Concert model shines like stars in the sub-$500 market. To keep the price low, it is produced in China, but set-up in USA. Nevertheless, it's made out of high-quality materials and comes with a gig bag.
Body and Neck: 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Overall Rating:
Taylor is one of the most recognized and trusted brands, that's why you can see so many of their acoustic guitars on this list. They make some of the best acoustic guitars!
The Big Baby guitar is made for beginners that don't mind spending a little extra, as long as they get good value.
Body and Neck: 4.8 out of 5 stars!
Cheap Guitars
Overall Rating:
Expensive doesn't always mean better, and this acoustic guitar is a good example of that. The overall sound is very clear and you can get a good projection out of the S35.
The Jasmine S35 is the best for beginners, but even advanced players can add it to their acoustic guitar collection.
Body and Neck: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating:
This acoustic guitar projects a clear sound and performs good with a variety of styles. That's why the FA-100 is the best choice for beginners and players that often experiment with different playing styles.
Body and Neck: 4 out of 5 stars.
For Small Hands
Overall Rating:
Its compact and strong body can handle any style of playing. While it's best suited for players with small hands, anyone can use it. The Martin LX1E is one of the best acoustic guitars for people that like to travel.
Not the best sound money can buy, but it's pretty decent considering how small the body is. Besides that, it comes with electronics. Read the full review to learn more about this acoustic guitar!
Body and Neck: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating:
This guitar is a small version of their very popular APX500II model. It's beautiful thanks to the black gloss finish, and easy to hold thanks to its body size.
Just like the LX1E, it is equipped with electronics making it easy to produce a bigger sound.
Body and Neck: 4 out of 5 stars
Buying Guide
This buying guide will answer your top questions about the best acoustic guitars on the world.
Acoustic Vs Electric-Acoustic Guitar - What is Better?
As you can see, I didn't just feature acoustic guitars in this buying guide. When it comes to the best acoustic guitars, it's all about you and what your priorities are.
There are no downsides of acoustic guitar with electronics and hardware on it. Having electric-acoustic guitar comes in handy in a lot of situations. But then again, not everybody needs top electric-acoustic guitars.
If you plan on performing on stage, electric-acoustic guitars might be the best for you. Instead of attaching microphones to your acoustic guitar, you can just plug it in and play.
If you're a fella that likes a specific electric-acoustic guitar with hardware, but don't actually need hardware and electronics, there's no reason to worry. You can either look for the best acoustic guitars without electronics, or buy the top electric-acoustic version with hardware anyway.
Nylon-String vs Steel-String Guitar
As you see in this review, Nylon strings are usually the best choice for beginner guitars due to their softness. Besides that, Nylon strings perform best with classical music, and if that's what you're interested in, go for it.
It isn't necessary, however, that every beginner starts learning on a nylon-string guitar. Steel string acoustic guitars are great for country, blues, rock and folk, and these styles don't really do well on nylon strings.
I suggest going to your local music shop and trying out the best acoustic guitars they recommend. Then you can decide on strings and see which acoustic guitars fit your specific needs. Maybe you can even come back to view this review!
What Makes a Good Acoustic Guitar?
There are things to keep an eye on when buying the best acoustic guitars; build quality, playability, sound, pros and cons, hardware, neck, body and review.
Build quality should be good in any acoustic guitar you're buying. The last thing you want is getting cracks in the body or breaking your acoustic guitars. That's why you should view a review of every guitar that's on your radar before buying it!
Cheap acoustic guitars (rated with less than 2 stars) usually use laminated woods for the body and neck. Expensive acoustic guitars, on the other hand, use solid woods and exotic materials for the neck and body.
Components in all guitars should work smoothly too (neck, body, etc). The tuning keys, for example, should turn freely and hold tuning for very long. Electronics should be reliable too. If you buy a guitar rated with 5 stars, you don't have to worry about that. The body and neck should also feel nice and durable.
How Much Should You Spend on Acoustic Guitar?
That depends on your personal needs. Beginners are advised to spend under $1000 on their first acoustic guitar and equipment, unless they can afford more, of course. Experienced players, on the other hand, have more knowledge and know exactly what they need (what body shape, what kind of neck), so they spend more on the best acoustic guitars.
If you're buying your next acoustic guitar, I suggest you read this whole review and view our top picks. You can later upgrade and spend more as you gain more experience. The best acoustic guitars are often reserved for the best guitar players around the world. Make sure to view our rating (stars) next to the guitars above.
Which Acoustic Guitar Brand is the Best?
If I had to give you a straight answer in this review, it would be Martin and Taylor. Being on the market since 1833 and 1974, these two have a lot of experience making guitars and we rate them with 5 out of 5 stars in almost every review. Martin and Taylor have undoubtedly produced some of the best acoustic guitars on the world.
But there are other top acoustic guitars and brands that shouldn't be ignored. As you can read in our review, Seagull made a variety of top acoustic guitars popular among players of all kinds.
Then you have Breedlove, which is mentioned in this review 4 times. They're most known for their superb acoustic guitars and top neck & body quality.
The brands mentioned in this review all offer premium guitars. If you're not looking for one yet, take a look at Yamaha and Fender review. These are well-known for the best acoustic guitars for beginners, and top body and neck quality.
