The Best Acoustic Guitar Brands for Beginners

--------Update 7/3/14----------
I originally wrote this post three years ago and, since then, some models that I originally mentioned have been discontinued and prices have changed. So, I've gone through and made updates to reflect current offerings and recommendations. I hope you find these suggestions helpful.

For a beginner, buying an acoustic guitar can be a daunting, but exciting experience. There are so many things to watch out (how's the setup? does it buzz? etc.)  and features to decide on (what body shape is right for me? Steel or nylon string? etc). However, there's an entirely different issue of guitar brands that can complicate the issue even further. With dozens, even hundreds of brands to choose from, how do you know which are good and which aren't? Are there significant differences between the brands? Guitar retailers won't really give you the dirt on guitar brands that they're trying to sell, and sorting through all the various reviews and Wikipedia entries is likely far more research than anyone realistically wants to do. So, if you'd like a quick snapshot of the guitar brands out there, look below for an overview of acoustic guitar manufacturers:

Alvarez AF30

Alvarez - Affordable, fairly well made guitars. They have guitars ranging from about
$200 - $3000 (the Alvarez Yairi is their high end and are around that price range). Their Regent Series is their most affordable line, well suited for beginners. Some in this series have laminated tops, backs and sides, which I prefer to avoid, though they do have several with solid tops that are ideal beginner guitars.**Update** The Regent line no longer offers solid tops, so stepping up to Artist line will get you into solid top territory. Fortunately, the prices for some of their Artist Series guitars are about the same as what the solid top Regents used to be.

Good options for beginners:
Alvarez AF30 (pictured)- Street price - $229.95
Alvarez AD60SB (Dreadnought, sunburst) - Street price - $266.99

Blueridge BR-40

Blueridge - A division of Saga Music, Blueridge Guitars are fairly affordable guitars designed with an eye toward the traditional, emulating classic styles pioneered by Martin and Gibson. They offer some great boomy dreadnoughts, as well as nice smaller-body fingerstyle guitars, depending on your preference. Incredibly good guitars for the money.


Good options for beginners:
Blueridge BR-40 - Street price - $369 - A good example of the Blueridge style - a dreadnought with a solid Sitka spruce top and a nice vintage feel and tone. You won't be disappointed with this one.
Blueridge BR-63 - Street price - $302 - If you want great quality but prefer a smaller bodied, solid top guitar, this is a great choice.  

Crafter HiLite D SP

Crafter - Somewhat unknown, although you may happen upon a Crafter or two at your local guitar shop. If you do, give it a shot. Their pricing is pretty competitive and their guitars are just as good, if not better, than many other guitars in the same price range. There are many models that are very accessibly priced for beginners. (They recently introduced a new line of affordable, solid top acoustics called the HiLite Series). The only trouble is finding them. They have a pretty small distribution network in the United States, and if you were to do a search for them online, you're not going to find much. It's a shame, because Crafter is a guitar well worth considering.

Good options for beginners:
Crafter HiLite D SP - Street price - $349 - Solid spruce top, laminate mahogany back and sides. (I was able to find one available here)

Dean Exotica Cocobolo

Dean - Dean is largely known for their electric guitars, though you'll never have a problem finding their acoustics in most guitar stores. And for the most part, they aren't good at all. They tend to go the gimmicky route, with flashy wood veneers designed to catch the eye. For the most part, their acoustics are made of laminated wood (plywood) tops, backs and sides with an exotic wood veneer so, while it may pull you in, visually, they're not at all impressive, sonically. On top of that, they tend to be plagued by construction flaws and inconsistencies which point to a general lack of quality control and attention to detail.

Epiphone - Part of the Gibson family, Epiphone is their affordable line of guitars, many built in the style of famous Gibson guitars, but built with lesser quality materials in their factory in China. Their quality can be inconsistent. But there are some good ones to be found, even though there can be some pretty poor ones, too. While Epiphone may be Gibson's less popular and less expensive little brother, it shouldn't be lumped into the same group with other major brands who have entry level brands (e.g. Takamine's Jasmine, Fender's Squier, etc.) because Epiphone is much more than that, and much better than that. Their Masterbilt series, for example, are very respectable guitars for their price range, and well worth checking out.

Epiphone EEHBFCNH1

Good options for beginners:
Epiphone EE00VSNH1 - Street price - $299
Epiphone EEHBFCNH1 (pictured) - Street price - $293

Fender - Fender's electric guitars are the stuff of legend. Think of many of the most iconic electric guitar players of our time, players like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and it's hard to imagine them without their Strat in hand. For country (as well as many rock and blues) players, the Telecaster is no less significant. But when it comes to their acoustics, sadly, it's a much different story. Completely uninspiring, through and through. Perhaps they've sunk all their creative energy and mojo into their electrics, and there's just nothing left for Fender's acoustic line. It's one of many good examples, however, that just because a company makes great electric guitars does not necessarily mean that they make great acoustics. And in fact, that tends to be true more often than not.


Gibson - Of all the guitar companies that manufacture both acoustic and electric guitars, Gibson is perhaps the only one whose reputation is equally as strong for both. While the Les Paul and SG have become two of the most recognizable guitars in the electric world, there aren't many more recognizable guitars than the Gibson L-1 played by Robert Johnson, or the big jumbo J-200, and even the Hummingbird. And certainly, you can equate no other company with the sunburst more than Gibson. Made in their factory in Montana, their starting price is close to $2000, so unless you're fortunate enough to be a beginner with a significant budget, you won't likely find a Gibson in the entry-level price range. But they make great blues guitars, and are very popular among country and bluegrass players too.

Guild - Now owned by Fender, this is a brand that's been around for over 50 years, with a reputation of well-made, workhorse guitars. Their dreadnoughts are particularly popular, and have been the axe of choice by such notable players as Nick Drake, Richie Havens and, more recently, Ryan Adams. Despite their home-base being shuttled from Rhode Island to California to Washington to Connecticut in the last 15 years, they've somehow managed to maintain that legendary Guild quality. They're not a brand that's typically accessible to beginners, but one worth considering when you decide you want to move into that 'next level' of guitar.

Hohner Essential Dreadnought

Hohner - Hohner occupies an odd place in the musical instrument world. They're most notably known for their harmonicas, where they are an industry leader. But they've diversified, significantly, and they've been producing acoustic guitars for a while now. Because of their strength in the harmonica world, they have a very strong network of retail distribution. As a result, you will likely find their acoustic guitars everywhere. Initially, it seemed like they were just trying to cash in on the popularity of acoustic guitars,and basically phoning it in, when it came to the actual manufacturing of the instruments. But they have made significant strides with their acoustics and, although there are many sub-par Hohner acoustics, there are also some relative steals that are well worth checking out.

Good options for beginners:
Hohner Essential Dreadnought - Street price - $269 - A good value on a solid top guitar, Acoustic Guitar magazine says of this guitar that it's "well-built and brimming with warm, colorful tones, the EL-SD Plus sounds and plays great regardless of price."

Ibanez AC300LVS

Ibanez - Like Dean, Ibanez has a reputation for manufacturing face-melting electric guitars that are especially popular among hard rock and heavy metal players. For a company like this, you wouldn't necessarily expect them to be able to produce quality acoustic guitars. Dean has certainly fallen flat where that's concerned. Ibanez, however, has managed to create a fairly extensive line of acoustics that are able to stand on their own. The majority of their acoustics have laminate tops and tend to be somewhat underwhelming. But their solid top offerings are impressive for the price. Generally favoring the easy, fast necks that make their guitars easy to play, they've struck a healthy marriage of quality and affordability that makes them a consistently solid choice for beginning acoustic guitar players. 

Good options for beginners:
Ibanez AC300LVS - Solid Engelmann Spruce top, laminate Mahogany back/sides. Street price - $299
Ibanez AC240OPN - Solid Mahogany top, laminate Mahogany back/sides. Street price - $299

Martin - The holy grail of guitars for many people, Martin is known for making outstanding guitars. Martin Guitars have a certain mojo that nobody can match. While Taylor and Gibson certainly have their spots at the party, this is Martin's dance. This is not to say that Martin is better than the other two because they all have their unique qualities. But, established in 1833, Martin has been making acoustic guitars for almost 200 years. And with that much history under your belt, you have to be doing something right. While they do have some "entry" models like the Little Martin - a $299 travel guitar, or their X series which hovers around $500, it's when you get into their all-solid wood guitars where the magic happens. The Little Martin and their X series are not bad guitars by any stretch, but they don't have that Martin mystique that you'll find in so many of their legendary guitars. If you decide to stick with the guitar, at some point in your guitar-playing career, you owe it to yourself to get a Martin.

Martin LX1 Little Martin

Good options for beginners:
Martin LX1 Little Martin - Street price - $299 - This is a very good option for kids. A smaller guitar with a solid spruce top, it's much more comfortable to play for those of smaller stature, plus it fits in the overhead compartment, if you want a guitar to take on vacation!

Recording King RPH-05
Dirty Thirties Solid Top Single O

Recording King / Silver Creek - Originally, Recording King was a house brand of guitars for Montgomery Ward in the 1930s, but today's incarnation is produced by a company called The Music Link, based in California. This same company also produces Silver Creek Guitars which is a house brand for Musicians Friend/Guitar Center. Both brands (Recording King and Silver Creek), while not very well-known names, churn out remarkably good guitars for the money, offering solid top and all-solid wood guitars at a price well below solid wood price points from other brands. While you'd expect that a guitar offering better materials at much lower prices must be cutting corners, it certainly isn't readily apparent that they are. Their guitars play well and sound good. While you're not going to mistake their entry level models for a high-end guitar, they can certainly go toe-to-toe with other guitars that are twice, even three times as much. Highly recommended for any beginning guitar player.

Good options for beginners:
Recording King RPH-05 Dirty Thirties Solid Top Single O (pictured) - This is a fun little one. The Single O is a small bodied acoustic. Great for smaller player or those wanting a guitar that travels easily. This has a solid spruce top and is great value for the price - Street price - $199
Recording King RD-10 - Street price - $399 - This is one of their all-solid wood offerings. A solid Spruce top, and solid Mahogany back/sides.

Seagull Entourage Rustic

Seagull - A North American-made entry level guitar is an extreme rarity in this day and age, as most guitar companies have moved their manufacturing of their lower end guitars (and even some higher end ones) to China. Godin (Seagull's parent company) prides itself on the fact that their guitars have been, and continue to be, manufactured in Canada. Godin has a few different guitar brands which include Seagull, Simon & Patrick, Norman, La Patrie, and of course Godin Guitars. Seagull is the one, however, that has really made a name for itself in the beginner guitar world because of the S6. There's nothing particularly remarkable about its looks with its solid cedar top, and laminated cherry back and sides. But it plays and sounds brilliantly for a guitar in its price range. Consistently outstanding, the Seagull S6 is a guitar that I would never hesitate to enthusiastically recommend.

Good options for beginners:
Seagull S6 - street price -$399 - (described above) - For players with smaller hands, or for those who prefer a thinner neck, the Seagull S6 Slim ($309) is a good, and less expensive option. Or if you'd like a bit more style, you can upgrade a bit from the Slim and go with the Entourage Rustic. 

Takamine GS340SC

Takamine - Ubiquitous on stages, Takamine has a reputation for being great guitars for performers. This is both due to the fact that they have a unique pickup and preamp system, but also that they are workhorses. Not particularly expensive, but well-built, they're a good choice for gigging musicians that need to plug in. This isn't to say that they're not a good choice for beginning players who have no intention of hitting a stage anytime soon. They're good, consistent instruments that are definitely worth what they cost. The trouble is that the beginner guitar market is a very competitive one, and there are equally good beginner guitars that can be had for less. That being said, I wouldn't criticize anyone for choosing a Takamine.

Good options for beginners:
Takamine GS340SC - Street price - $299 - Solid spruce top.

Baby Taylor

Taylor - Wildly popular among singer-songwriters and acoustic rockers, Taylor makes consistently good guitars. Some would even say great. As with many incredibly popular things, they have their die-hard fans and their die-hard detractors, but Taylor Guitars got where they are today for a reason. Like Martin and Gibson, there's no question you pay a premium for a premium brand. So, there aren't many choices that are accessibly priced for beginning guitar players.

Good options for beginners:
Baby Taylor - Street price - $299 - Like the Little Martin, the Baby Taylor is a small, travel guitar. This is an ideal size, however, for younger kids that are just starting out and for whom a full-size guitar would be far too large and uncomfortable. It's also a great choice for a travel guitar, or for people who just want a smaller guitar around. They come with either a solid spruce or mahogany top.

Walden G570TB

Walden - Walden is a relative newcomer (to the US market, at least). They've been manufacturing guitars since 1996, but were distributed primarily in Europe until a few years ago when they began distributing in North America. They're generally affordable and well-made guitars, offer solid tops and even all-solid wood guitars at great value.

Good options for beginners:
Several - Walden has a number of guitars in the sub-$500 range. The G570, with a solid cedar top is a very nice option if you're looking for the warmer tones that cedar delivers.- Street price - $299

Washburn D10S

Washburn - Few acoustic guitar brands have been around as long as Washburn, and they've had a fairly tumultuous history. Unfortunately, their guitars have gone through as many ups and downs as the company and are inconsistent, to be nice. There are a few nice ones in the mix, but there are some bad ones too. While I wouldn't avoid them completely, I would certainly make sure to play it (and give it a thorough look over) before you buy it.

Good options for beginners:
WD10S - Street price - $240 - An excellent price for a guitar with a solid spruce top. Acoustic Guitar magazine reviewed the WD10SCE (the same guitar with a pickup installed) very favorably.

Yamaha FG700S

Yamaha - They manufacture a TON of acoustic guitars, starting with some very cheap guitars that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. But they also have some guitars (like the FG700S) that are impressive instruments for the money. Not high end guitars by any means, but they're a brand worth checking out for the beginning player. Just make sure to get a solid top.

Good options for beginners:
Yamaha FG700S - Street price - $199




There are many more high-end boutique brands that I didn't mention like Breedlove, Collings, Santa Cruz, Goodall, Froggy Bottom, Huss and Dalton, Bourgeois and more that make expensive hand-made guitars, but produce amazing instruments that are out of many people's price range (with the exception of Breedlove who does have a line of affordable guitars that are ok). And there are also a number of very low-end brands like Rogue, Jasmine, Aria and Samick that just aren't worth mentioning. I'll certainly update this post as I think of more brands worth describing here, but I hope that this will serve as a useful guide to you as you seek out the best beginning guitar for you.