Best Acoustic Guitar Brands

Choosing the best acoustic guitar brands can be confusing, frustrating and just plain difficult. Which brands are best for you? Which options or features do you really need?

With this list, I’ve broken things down into sections, letting you choose what’s most important to you, and then giving you two options.

These acoustic guitars are the best in each section, removing the worry that you’ll choose a lemon, and helping you to narrow things down.

Focus on what’s most important to you, and what you’re looking for in an acoustic guitar.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best Overall

If you’re looking for the best, and you don’t want to mess around, these two acoustic guitars will satisfy your cravings.

In this section, I’ve chosen the best acoustic guitar brands overall, based on two competing ideas: Traditional Acoustic Guitars, and Acoustic Guitars with Modern Features.

Option 1 is a very traditional, old school guitar that has no fancy electronics, but will serve you well for the rest of your life.

Option 2 is less traditional, with electronics and a cutaway, but still has a great sound, and will last a lifetime.

These are the best ones, overall, and will satisfy the most discerning player, and the most demanding professional.

Martin D-18

With iconic looks, and tone, the Martin D-18 acoustic guitar is part of music history. It’s the original dreadnought shaped guitar with great volume, colorful mids, bright highs, and plenty of low end tone that never overpowers.

The Sitka spruce top and genuine mahogany back and sides will give you plenty of brightness, warmth and a fuller tone that’s round, and full.

Thanks to the modified low oval neck shape and high-performance neck taper, playing will be a breeze, whether playing chords or picking.

An ebony fretboard with old style 18 inlays and 20 frets will give you a vintage look, and a classic Martin tone.

With an ebony bridge, bone nut and saddle, your tone will sustain, and ring out whether playing a solo, or just strumming along.

The Martin D-18 has a very vintage look, thanks to its vintage style nickel tuners with Butterbean knobs, tortoise colored binding, and gloss finish.

It has that timeless Martin tone that’s iconic. This is the guitar that all other dreadnought guitars aspire to sound like.

Simple, and elegant, with no electronics, it’s everything an acoustic guitar needs to be.

It sounds great, with a distinctive tone that’s very pleasing, and timeless.

Taylor 214ce Deluxe

So maybe you’re looking for something more modern? Something with a pickup, and a cutaway? Maybe something less traditional, but still with a great sound and excellent playability?

With a grand auditorium shape that has a Venetian cutaway and white binding, The Taylor 214ce Deluxe is the answer.

It’s got a solid sitka spruce top, and layered maple back and sides that will give you a dynamic tonal range, and wonderful, bright highs.

The sapele neck has a 15″ radius and a scarf joint, making the neck very playable, and extra stable.

An ebony fretboard with diamond inlays, and 20 frets will help give you a balanced tone, as well as an elegant look.

The ebony bridge, enclosed chrome plated tuners, Nubone nut and micarta saddle will help to keep you properly intonated, and in tune, while looking, and sounding great.

Taylor’s Expression System 2 has 3 individually calibrated pickup sensors which will all you to capture a more dynamic range of acoustic sounds.

Taylor 214ce Deluxe has a full, bright sound with a pleasing low end, and sparkling mids. It’ll give you a warm sound, with a lot of sustain, and resonance.

The cutaway, and the ability to plug in will open up a lot of sonic options, as you choose your sound, and play all the way up the fretboard.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best Budget

If being on a budget is your first concern, then these two guitars are for you.

Both these guitars are traditional dreadnoughts, that are not only easy on your wallet, but also sound great, and are built with quality in mind.

Don’t expect any fancy woods, or expensive electronics, but do expect a workhorse guitar that will serve you for years, sound good, and be enjoyable to play.

Both these guitars are also great for beginners, being budget friendly, and easy to learn to play on.

Mitchell D120 Dreadnought

If you’re looking for a traditional acoustic guitar, and you’re on a budget, look no further than the Mitchell D120. It’s readily available and a joy to play.

It’s got a classic dreadnought shaped body with a select spruce top and mahogany back and sides which will give you a rich tone, with lots of warmth, and plenty of volume.

The mahogany neck has a slim “C” shape profile making it easy to fret chords, as well as being very stable, and a joy to play.

A jatoba fretboard, with 20 frets and pearl dot inlays, will give you a classic look and easy playing experience.

The Mitchell D120 has plenty of resonance and a very round sound, with clear mids and highs, and full lows.

It’s simple, which is important in a beginner’s guitar, with a great tone and a lot of volume. Plus, it’s very affordable.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll be pleased with the tone, and volume of this guitar, and you’ll love the fast, playable neck.

If you’re on a budget, this is a great guitar to have because of its great sound, high quality and affordability.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best Runnerup

Maybe the Best Overall wasn’t for you? Maybe you’re looking for something a bit different?

These two guitars reflect the very traditional, and the more modern options in acoustic guitars these days.

If you’re looking for more options, then definitely consider these guitars. They’re both worthy of consideration for Best, but didn’t quite make the cut.

Both are acoustic electric guitars, but the first one is a more traditional acoustic guitar, while the second reflects more modern tastes, and the needs of professional touring musicians.

Both these guitars are great acoustic guitars in their own right.

Martin D-13E

The Martin D-13E is part of Martin’s Road Series of guitars focused on quality and affordability.

It’s got the classic dreadnought shape, with a solid Sitka spruce top and siris back and sides, for a bright tone with great bass response, and clear treble.

A select hardwood neck with a performing artist neck shape, and a radius of 16″ will be easy and comfortable for you to play, whether you’re strumming or picking your favorite tune.

The fretboard, and bridge, are both Richlite, giving you a look and feel similar to rosewood.

With 20 frets and D-28 style mother-of-pearl dot inlays, this guitar has a traditional look and feel.

Enclosed chrome tuners, a white corian nut, and white tusq saddle will keep you in tune, and intonated, while giving you a wonderful, rich tone.

The Fishman MX-T has an onboard soundhole tuner that will automatically mute your output while you’re tuning, very helpful when you’re on stage.

With a clear, bright tone, and lots of bass tones, the Martin D-13E will give you lots of volume, and a classic sound, perfect for just about any genre of playing.

Takamine Legacy EF341SC

The Takamine EF341SC is part of Takamine’s Legacy series of classic inspired acoustic guitars.

It’s body has a Venetian cutaway for easy higher fret access, and is handcrafted with a solid cedar top and maple back and sides, all in a gloss black finish.

The neck is mahogany, in classic “C” shape with a comfortable playing fretboard radius of 12″.

A rosewood fretboard with snowflake inlays and 20 frets looks great, and ensures a classic tone.

The rosewood bridge, and bone saddle will really enhance your tone, as will the genuine bone nut.

CT4B II preamp system has a 3-band equalizer and built-in tuner, as well as Takamine’s proprietary Palathetic pickup design which will will give you a more natural tone when you’re dialing in your sound.

With sweet, mellow tones, clear bright highs, and pleasingly powerful bass tones, the Takamine Legacy EF341SC is a workhorse guitar.

It’s one of Takamine’s most popular acoustic guitars, so if you’re looking for an acoustic electric with a cutaway, definitely check this one out.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best For Beginners

If you’re a beginner, you’ve got different needs and desires than somebody who’s an old hat at guitar.

Ease of play, value, and availability are things that I considered when choosing these two acoustic guitars.

I also chose them based on recommendations from other guitar players who were asked about choosing a guitar for beginners.

The necks on both of these guitars are easy for beginners to play on, and they’re both from popular, well known manufacturers, who are known for the quality of their instruments.

Both of these are simple, traditional acoustic guitars, since the most important thing beginners need to be focused on is playing.

Yamaha FG800

Yamaha’s FG series of acoustic guitars are some of the best selling acoustic guitars in the world, and the FG800 is a really great example of why they sell so well.

It’s got a traditional dreadnought body shape with a solid spruce top and nato/okoume back and sides which will give you a punchier tone, and better projection.

The neck is nato with a radius of 15.75″ so it’s stable, and flat enough to really be comfortable for your hand.

Composed of walnut, the fretboard has small dot inlays, and rounded edges, for extra playing comfort.

The walnut bridge and chrome tuners will enhance your tone, and make tuning easy.

The Yamaha FG800 has a bright tone, with great mids and highs.

It’s not as bassy as a dreadnought, owing to its smaller size, but that also means you might find it more comfortable to play.

The slim neck is great for beginners, and is really easy to play, with a really great, natural feel to the shape.

As well as being high quality, this guitar is available at an affordable price.

Fender CC-60S Concert

A guitar designed to appeal to beginners, Fender’s CC-60S Concert is an affordable and attractive choice for a beginner guitar.

It’ll be easier for beginners to handle sincle the concert sized body is smaller than a full sized dreadnought.

The body is made of a solid spruce top, with mahogany back and sides for a traditional tone that’s bright and articulate.

Mahogany makes up the neck, and it’s in Fender’s ‘Easy-to-Play’ shape, with a radius of 12″, making it a classic size giving beginners a great neck to learn on.

The Walnut fretboard has rolled edges, 20 frets and 3mm pearloid dots, so you’ll have a traditional looking guitar, with a really easy playing feel.

Chrome tuners and a walnut bridge will easily keep you tuned and your tone sustained.

Scalloped bracing will give you more volume and a better tone, especially as the guitar ages.

The Fender CC-60S’ sound isn’t as full as a dreadnought, due to its concert size, but it will be more comfortable to play for some people, especially beginners.

It’s got a bright, pleasant tone, with plenty of resonance and sustain. The well balanced sound of this guitar will be very pleasing.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best For Intermediates

Are you ready to step up to the next level? Are you looking for something a little nicer or more exotic to play?

Maybe you’re looking to expand your tonal range, but you’re not ready to shell out for a custom guitar?

Both of these guitars off you a step up in playing experience, tone, overall sound and build quality.

They’ll feel easy and natural for someone with experience to play, while also offering tones, and overtones that will be appreciated by you if you’ve played acoustic guitar for a bit.

Peruse these guitars, and hopefully you’ll find some inspiration for your next purchase!

Martin Road Series D-12E

The Martin D-12E is part of Martin’s Road Series offering great sounding guitars at affordable prices.

It comes in the classic dreadnought shape with a solid Sitka spruce top and solid sapele back and sides giving you a powerful, rich tone.

Internally, the scalloped Sitka spruce X-bracing will give you a better volume, and help enhance your tone as the guitar ages.

The neck is select hardwood and is in the Performing Artist shape, with a high-performance taper, while the mortise and tenon neck joint will ensure stability, and resonance.

A Richlite fretboard with 20 frets, Mother-of-pearl D-28 style dots, and a white Corian nut will give you the look and feel of rosewood, and a better tone.

The Bridge is also Richlite with compensated Tusq saddle and Open gear nickel tuners with Butterbean knobs

The Fishman MX-T has a convenient soundhole tuner and volume and tone controls to help you craft your plugged in sound.

With a bright tone that’s got plenty of mids, the Martin D-12E will give you a very open sound. It’s very balanced, with an even sound that you really have to play to appreciate.

Takamine GD93CE

Takamine’s GD93CE is an acoustic-electric guitar with an interesting look, and sound.

The body is dreadnought shaped with a cutaway for easy access to the higher frets, and plenty of tone and volume.

Constructed from a solid spruce top, black walnut sides, and a 3-piece back composed of black walnut and quilted maple, the GD93CE has a distinctive look and sound.

You’ll get a traditional playing feel from the neck, which is composed of mahogany and has a radius of 12″.

The fretboard is laurel with 20 frets, dot inlays, and a synthetic bone nut, so you’ll have a great look and sound.

The gold die-cast tuners have black buttons, and the laurel bridge has a split saddle made of synthetic bone, so you’ll have better tone and intonation.

The Takamine TK-40D preamp has a built-in tuner, 3-band equalizer, as well as gain controls giving you convenience and access to a versatile sound.

The Takamine GD93CE produces a solid tone, with a really great midrange, and some wonderful bass tones. The highs are really bright, and crisp. Definitely worth checking out.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best For 2020

2020 has been a crazy year, but here are two bright spots!

Both of these guitars are new for the year, and will give you a shot at expanding your tonal range, and inspire you to create new sounds.

Neither are very traditional, which will help you to play outside the box, and create something new, and both offer a unique playing experience.

If you’re thinking about acquiring something new, or different, definitely check these guitars out.

PRS SE Parlor P20E Limited Edition

With less than 1,000 available worldwide, the PRS SE Parlor P20E is a limited edition guitar in a very attractive color.

It’s a parlor sized acoustic guitar in PRS’ tonare shape, that is Powder Blue with PRS’ iconic headstock shape.

The body has a solid mahogany top, and mahogany back and sides, giving it a warm, full sound.

PRS hybrid “X”/Classical bracing allows the top to vibrate freely, and will enhance your tone as the guitar ages.

The neck is also mahogany, with a “Wide Fat” shape that’s playable and responsive.

The ebony fretboard has 20 frets, and a bone nut, as well as the trademark PRS bird inlays, so this guitar looks really cool as well as sounds great.
ebony bridge bone saddle

The Fishman GT1 pickup system will deliver a dynamic range, and fluid tone should yo choose to plug in.

The PRS SE Parlor P20E is small but mighty, with a sound that belies its size. For such a small guitar, it’s got an impressive sound that’s bright, and full, with warm lows and clear mids. If you like the looks of this guitar, it’s definitely worth trying it out.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best Under $500

Are you looking for the best for your dollar? Do you want a traditional acoustic guitar, or are you looking for something with modern features?

I’ve selected one of each, modern and traditional, and both of them will give you a great sound, and an enjoyable time playing without breaking the bank.

If you’re stepping up from a beginner’s guitar, or just expanding your budget, both of these guitars will appeal to the player in you.

Both of these guitars are a step up in quality, and tone, as well as in value.

It’s up to you to choose which one appeals to you more! Here are Best Acoustic Guitar Brands under $500.

Yamaha FGX800C

Yamaha’s FG series of acoustic guitars are focused on playability, tone and build quality, and the FGX800C, derived from the ever popular FG800, is no exception.

With a traditional dreadnought cutaway shape, you’ll have access to the higher frets, while still keeping your volume and sound high.

A solid spruce top with nato/okoume back and sides will give you a bright tone, with wonderful voicing, and the scalloped bracing will enhance your volume, and tone.

With a radius of 15.75″ and a thin profile, the nato neck will be comfortable for experienced players, as well as easy to play for newbies.

The walnut fretboard has 20 frets, and tiny dot inlays giving you stability and a warmer tone.

The Yamaha System-66 electronics include a proprietary undersaddle piezeo pickup, and a preamp that comes with a 3-band equalizer, and tuner allowing you to dial in your tone.

Yamaha FGX800C has a bright, full tone with really bright highs and mids.

It’s got great projection, and volume with a round sound and full lows.

Seagull S6 Original

A revamp of a classic, every Seagull S6 Original top is pressure tested to ensure maximum harmonic vibration.

It’s got a solid cedar top and laminated wild cherry back and sides which will give you a clear sound, that’s full and has lots of overtones.

The neck is silver leaf maple, with a 1.8″ Tusq nut, making it comfortable to play if you’ve got larger hands.

The rosewood fretboard has dot inlays and 21 frets, while the headstock, despite its shape, provides a straight string pull that will help keep you in tune even when you’re using altered tunings.

A compensated saddle made of TUSQ will give you better sustain and harmonics.

The gloss finish on the Seagull S6 Original is intended to enhance the guitars vibration, while the back and sides sport a very beautiful wood grain.

As simple, and basic, as this guitar looks, you’ll be surprised by how rich its tones are, and how good it sounds.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Best Travel Sized Guitars

Are you a digital nomad? Do you want to strum your guitar by the beach at sunset? Maybe while camping you’d like to entertain with some tunes?

Let this guitar be your constant companion! Both these guitars are designed with two things in mind:

1. Sounding Great
2. Being Easy to Travel With

Gone are the days of choosing between lugging your guitar with you, or having to leave it at home. These guitars will give you a full sized guitar sound, with a small guitar experience.

These aren’t practice guitars, and you won’t be sacrificing sound, or tone. These are high quality guitars that just happen to travel well.

Here we have the best acoustic guitar brands that are travel friendly.

Traveler Guitar Redlands Concert 

If you travel, you’ll appreciate the convenience, portability, and quality of the Traveler Guitar Redlands Concert.

It’s got a solid mahogany top with mahogany back and sides for a warm tone with plenty of brightness.

It also features a beveled edge and “scoop” cutaway what makes playing more comfortable and high fret access easier.

The mahogany neck has an easy to play 12″ radius, and has a shorter scale than a full sized guitar, making it compact but still delivering a great sound.

The striped ebony fretboard has 20 jumbo frets giving you a great look and sound.

With a custom preamp that includes a 3-band equalizer, presence control and tuner, you’ll be able to plug in and choose your sound, while conveniently staying in tune.

Traveler Guitar Redlands Concert is a versatile guitar that is clear, and loud despite its compact size.

It’s definitely got a mellower sound, that’s warm with a full deep voicing.

Since its scale is shorter, the playing feel is slinkier, and a bit easier on the fingers.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: FAQ

What is the best acoustic guitar brand for country music?

You’ll probably want to stick with the big name brands, like Martin, but if you’re just starting out, it’s more important to get a guitar that’s shaped like a guitar used in country music.

Something like a dreadnought will probably serve you well, and give you the tone and volume you’re looking for, whether it’s strumming or picking.

Before purchasing, definitely look up what kinds of guitar are being used by your favorite artists, and remember to focus on shape before brand.

What’s wrong with plastic nuts and saddles?

By themselves, nothing in particular. A Tusq or bone nut will give you better resonance, sustain and a better sound, but if you’re a beginner, or on a budget, having a plastic nut/saddle won’t make that big of a difference.

Upgrading your nut/saddle is relatively easy and inexpensive. Plastic nut/saddle is often a cost saving measure, and sometimes they’re not cut correctly causing problems with intonation or tuning that are easily fixable.

I guess it’s a pet peeve to pay hundreds of dollars for a brand new guitar, and receive it with a badly cut plastic nut when including a Tusq nut seems like an inexpensive option.

Best Acoustic Guitar Brands: Tips and Tricks

You’ve got your new guitar! Congratulations! Now what?

Change the Strings on Your New Guitar for Better Sound

The strings on your new guitar may be a year old, which means your guitar won’t sound its best. Changing the strings will improve your sound.

Only Adjust the Truss Rod After Letting the Guitar Acclimate

After receiving your guitar, give it at least 24 hours for the wood to fully reach the temperature of your home. Oftentimes, a guitar that has fret buzz, or dead spots hasn’t fully warmed/cooled from travel, and will “self adjust” once the wood has a chance to fully expand/contract.