It’s a decision that all guitar players make at least once in their lives. For some of us it can become more of a regular occurrence. I mean who doesn’t like getting a new instrument?

But if you are new to playing or have never purchased an acoustic guitar, how do you know you are getting a really good instrument? Check out these acoustic guitar recommendations before making your next purchase.

I have owned several acoustic guitars over the years and have enjoyed them all. I have also had the pleasure of getting to try out and experience hundreds of different guitars from teaching guitar lessons. This has been a great learning experience for me. To get to hear and play all of these different acoustic guitars over the years is a great benefit of teaching. Not just to hear them once, but to get to hear them week after week. It is from this experience that I have put together this list.

Just to make it clear for you I will arrange the guitars according to price. Since price for most people is a deciding factor. Regardless of your price range you will be able to get a really good sounding guitar. One that you will be glad you purchased and will be a pleasure to play for years to come.

First Price range – $100-300

• Fender CD-140S – This guitar features a solid spruce top with a laminated mahogany back and sides. The solid top helps this guitar have a nice balanced sound.
• Yamaha FG700S – This guitar has a solid Sitka spruce top and is my favorite guitar in this price range. It sounds great and is easy to play straight from the factory.
• Alvarez-Artist-AD30 – This guitar also has a solid Sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides. I really like the sound and playability of this guitar as well.

Second price range – $300-600

• Yamaha FG730S – This guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top and rosewood back and sides. This wood combination is one of my favorites. This guitar’s tone is balanced well and is a lot of fun to play.
• Seagull S6 – These guitars are made in Canada and they feature all native North American woods. This guitar features a cedar top with a cherry back and sides and also has a cutaway. Everything about these guitars is well done. The craftsmanship is exceptional. On top of that these guitars are great to play and continue to sound better and better the more you play it.
• Alvarez AD70CE – This guitar features a solid Sitka Spruce top and rosewood back and sides. These guitars are also very well made and are easy to play. They sound great and feature a cutaway which makes it a lot easier to play higher on the neck.

A great upgrade to guitars in this price range is to have the saddle and nut changed to bone, and to replace the plastic endpins with wooden ones (either rosewood or ebony).

Third price range – $600-1000

• Seagull Maritime SWS – This guitar also comes with a solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides. It has a nice balanced sound and this wood combination is one of my personal favorites. This is an all around great sounding guitar.
• Taylor 114CE – This guitar is actually a little out of this price range if you buy a new one, but used ones will fit easily in this category which make it a great bargain. It features a solid Sitka Spruce top paired with Sapelle back and sides. Taylor guitars are easy to play and sound great. Try one out and see for yourself.
• Martin D16GT – Martin guitars have history of creating great sounding instruments. This guitar has that great “Martin” sound, and for a price that is quite a bit less than many of there high end models. The top wood is Sitka Spruce, and the back and sides are Mahogany. You can also get this guitar with rosewood back and sides, if you prefer the sound of those tone woods. This guitar is also just out of this price range, but if you look you can find it on sale for under $1000.

You can get Rosewood or Mahogany back and sides on either the Seagull or the Martin in this third price range. Which is nice if you prefer one of those combinations over the other.

If you can find a good local music store I would recommend getting your guitar from them. I personally buy all my “gear” from Amazon, Sweetwater, or Sky Guitars in Denton.

This is not an exhaustive list of instruments but one that I have made based on my experience with each instrument. I’m sure there are other great guitars that aren’t on the list as well. If you have a question about a particular instrument just leave a comment below, ask your teacher, or call us at 972-510-3676.

Question: What other guitars would you recommend that I haven’t included?