During the 20th century, the world of music has changed completely. And, to be fair, the guitar had a huge role in it. What’s more, we’d argue that this instrument is responsible for the biggest change in modern music. Just look at it – almost any genre these days includes guitar in one form or another. But even though the electric guitar has taken the world by storm, acoustic guitars remain pretty popular as well. And you’ll hear them in all the different genres, going from the sweetest and smoothest ballads, over fusion jazz masterpieces, and even up to certain sections in extreme metal songs. So if you’re looking for the perfect instrument, we’ll be helping you out find the best acoustic guitar for your needs.
The choice, however, is not that simple, and you need to look into a few different options before deciding what’s best for you. There are a few different things to look into, including materials used, price level, and some additional features that make these guitars so special. So let’s get into it.
Yamaha FG800
Now, Yamaha is one of those brands known for delivering quality products in all price categories. The same goes for their acoustic guitars, where they’ve pretty much become famous for pieces like their FG800. Interestingly enough, this guitar isn’t expensive at all, but it still manages to deliver quite a punch.
This is a dreadnaught-shaped acoustic guitar with a quality-made body featuring Sitka Spruce top. Meanwhile, the back and sides are made from nato wood. This particular combination of materials gives you a very rich tone, covering both higher and lower parts of the spectrum. The neck is also made from nato wood, while we also have a walnut fretboard, which is not that common for instruments at this price level. To be fair, it’s one of the best deals for the price.
Alvarez Artist Series AF30
Although not as famous as some other brands, Alvarez is still one of the most important acoustic and classical guitar manufacturers on the market. We looked more into their Artist Series and dug up their AF30 as one of the best examples. Now, this is a folk-oriented guitar, with a body that’s slightly smaller than regular dreadnaughts and other larger concert guitars. This doesn’t make it worse by any means, but it impacts the tone in its distinctive way. This feature also makes it useful for those who prefer smaller guitars.
On the top, we have Sitka Spruce, while its back and sides are made from mahogany laminate. This is one of the common combinations of materials for many acoustic guitars. Also, the guitar has a very comfortable neck and is quite easy to play.
Seagull S6
It’s quite a shame how Seagull guitars tend to get overlooked among so many bigger manufacturers on the market. All made in Canada, their S6 is their best-known guitar and there are good reasons for it. Although more expensive than the guitars we mentioned above, S6 is entirely worth it. The best thing that we can notice about it is a very rich tone that can find application in almost any setting.
Its dreadnaught body is made from quality cedar wood, while the back and sides are from wild cherry laminate. It’s slightly brighter than combinations with mahogany, but it still delivers a very rich tone all across the audible spectrum. It’s one of the best options for live shows and studio recordings when you’re using microphones. The body shape and materials don’t add that “boominess” to the tone that might result in unpleasant sounds in these settings.
Takamine GD93
Present on the market since the late 1950s, Takamine builds some of the most appreciated acoustic guitars in modern history. For this list, we’re singling out their GD93. Now, just like their other instruments, GD93 is a very delicate one, with a lot of attention devoted to details. It’s not that cheap, but it’s definitely worth the price.
This all can be heard in its tone and felt when holding the guitar in your hands. This dreadnaught-style guitar features a solid spruce top. For the sides and the back, we have black walnut and maple, depending on the exact version of this guitar. All this results in a very bright, resonant, and defined tone with a strong attack. This is somewhat balanced out with a mahogany neck, that helps add a more mellow note to this mix.
Needless to say, the tuners are top quality. You won’t ever need to worry about any performance or tuning issues. For this price level, it’s pretty much a perfect guitar.
Fender CD-60S
Fender acoustic guitars are unavoidable on lists like these. The most important thing here is that you can get a really good instrument for a very reasonable price. A great example comes with their wonderful CD-60S dreadnought-shape guitar. We have the classic combo of a spruce top and mahogany sides and back. This covers a very broad spectrum and gives more of a “neutral” tone that can find application in many different music styles. The guitar also comes with additional equipment, including a gig bag, a pack of strings, tuner, strap, and a few other goodies.
Martin D-10E
But if you’re looking for an ultimate tool for expression, there’s no need to look further from Martin guitars. Yes, they’re expensive. However, there’s a good reason why people are so fond of them. A great example comes with D-10E which is definitely worth the price. The body is made completely out of Sapele wood, which gives it a very unique and rich tone. It has a quality neck with a hand-rubbed finish, which makes it super comfortable to play. It also comes with the company’s specially designed fretboard.
The resulting tone is just astounding. And the best part is that it also comes with Fishman’s MX-T electronics. Although it’s a piezo pickup, it still manages to pronounce this guitar’s best tonal qualities.
