The best way to get started playing guitar is with a simple acoustic guitar. Good bronze or steel string guitars are beginner-friendly, sound great, and allow you to play almost anywhere. Check out these best acoustic guitars for beginners. We cover the budget, mid-range, and high-end price range, as well as provide options for players looking for something a little different.
What to look for in an acoustic guitar for beginners
Buying your first acoustic guitar can be exciting. A guitar can brighten a room, bring people together, and spark joy with the strum of a single chord. You may wonder where to start if you’ve never bought an acoustic guitar before. This guide will give you the tools to choose the best acoustic guitar for beginners with your specific needs.
There are a few key things to determine the best entry level acoustic guitars for beginners.
Acoustic vs acoustic-electric
Purely acoustic guitars do not have electronics. When you pluck or strum a string, its vibration resonates through the guitar and produces sound through the sound hole. Additionally, you might prefer the lighter weight of a guitar body that does not include built-in electronics. Suppose you want to amplify an acoustic guitar or play live shows. In that case, an electric-acoustic model may be the best acoustic guitar for beginners.
Dreadnought vs concert body style
A dreadnought is a large-bodied acoustic, warm and booming, with a relatively undefined waist. The concert, or smaller shaped acoustic guitars, can be easier for smaller musicians to play. They can also feel more comfortable playing sitting down than the dreadnought due to its rounded shape.
Best Acoustic Guitars for Beginners
Fender FSR CC-60S Concert Acoustic Guitar
For budget and quality, the CC-60S is one of the best acoustic guitar for beginners. The compact concert-sized body is ideal for beginners and young people. With its comfortably rolled fingerboard edges, this instrument’s neck was built for an easy-to-play feel ideal for beginning guitarists. A cedar top with mahogany sides gives the CC-60S strength, brightness, and wide dynamic range. It responds well to any acoustic playing style, from hard strumming to delicate fingerpicking.
Boroughs B30DSB Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
The Boroughs B30D Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar with Sunburst Finish gives aspiring players and budding songwriters what they need in a quality, affordable guitar. The spruce top and high-quality mahogany back and sides ensure a clear, balanced tone. The B30D has a comfortable C-shaped neck, designed explicitly for smoother and easier playability. This lightweight acoustic is user-friendly for all players. For a dreadnought tone, the Boroughs B30D has everything necessary to make it one of the best acoustic guitar for beginners.
Ibanez TCY10E Talman Acoustic Guitar
Ibanez’s double-cutaway Talman TCY10E acoustic-electric is perfect for the beginning guitarist seeking a modern style and great tone. The smaller body allows beginners to maintain the rich sounds of an acoustic guitar while achieving the playability of an electric one. The Ibanez TCY10E features an Okoume neck for easy fretting and a purple heart fretboard and bridge. The TCY10E also includes the Ibanez T-bar undersaddle and a built-in tuner that works without the instrument being plugged in.
Fender Classic Design CD-60S Dreadnought
Fender is best known for their electric guitars. Although, they also manufacture high quality acoustic instruments like the Fender CD-60S Dreadnought. Also called “jumbo folk guitars,” dreadnoughts have oversized body shapes for a big, full sound.
It features a sleek rosewood fingerboard. The all-mahogany back and body produces deep, more projecting tones. Because of its size, the CD-60S is best for adult-sized guitarists.
Ibanez Jampack IJV50 Dreadnought
Another full-size dreadnought-body guitar is the Ibanez IJV50 Dreadnought. This one includes an electronic tuner — a great addition for new players. Ibanez uses a spruce top for this guitar, giving it a projecting sound quality suitable for both fingerpicking and strumming.
For adults seeking an entry-level guitar, you won’t find a better package than this considering affordability and playability.
Gretsch Roots Collection G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top
The Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top is a smaller “parlor” or travel guitar. It’s portable, easier on the hands, and a great choice for children learning the instrument. Despite its size, this is most definitely not your standard “first guitar.”
It even has internal X bracing and a build quality that’s similar to high-end Martins or Taylors that are ten times its cost. This is a quality instrument for the price point, with a sound and look hearkening back to Hollywood’s “singing cowboys” of the 1930s.
Fender CD-60SCE Dreadnought 12 String
Though similar to the Fender dreadnought above, this Fender CD-60SCE Dreadnought 12 String has some significant distinctions. Most important, it’s a 12-string guitar with six pairs of standard-tuned guitar strings. These particular models sound amazing for fingerpicking and strumming chords for a sound that’s almost like twin guitars doubling each other up.
However, this guitar is difficult for playing single-note runs and fretboard fingering requires more strength since players are pushing down two strings at a time. If you want a bright, unique instrument that will cut through crowd noises and plug into a gig-ready sound system, this is it.
Ibanez Acoustic Bass Series PCBE12MH
Technically, the Ibanez PCBE12MH Acoustic Bass is a bass guitar with four strings tuned an octave below the bottom four strings of a standard guitar. Acoustic basses, or even acoustic-electric models like this one, are much less common than solid-body electric basses.
They’re great for beginners wishing to learn the instrument without purchasing an amp or other accessories. Drawbacks of acoustic basses are that they are more difficult to play well in a solo setting. Also, their thicker strings can require significant strength.
They’re not the best for youth beginners, either. However, if you want to take part in multi-instrument jams and stand out in a world in which everyone else seems to play guitar, this bass is for you.
Conclusion
There are many versatile acoustic guitars for beginners — suitable for all styles, levels, and ages — from Gretsch, Boroughs, Fender, or Ibanez. You can’t go wrong with a pick from this list.
