We could go on for days about some of the best guitars on the market. We’d be fascinated by their features, build quality, and tone. However, with all of the best traits comes an astronomical price tag. Yes, these are some of the best instrument you can ever imagine, but they’re far above almost anyone’s designated budget for an instrument.
This is why we usually take one or two steps back and look more into the higher midrange to the high price level of guitars. If we’re talking about acoustics, then that would probably be somewhere below the $1,000 mark. These are still professional instruments and can often perform as well as some really expensive instruments. But they might lack a nuance or two that could push their price exponentially higher. With all this in mind, we’ll be bringing a list of the best acoustic guitars under $1000.
The choice is, of course, never that easy. Although there were some pretty awesome guitars, we had to skip them on the final list in favor of some even better instruments. You might see even relatively cheaper examples, but there are some instruments that we just can’t help but mention on a list like this one. So let’s see what we’ve come up with!
Martin D10E
Talking about this particular price range, the discussion cannot go without Martin guitars. Yes, they’re usually high-end instruments and can cost a lot. But their D10E is a more affordable model that retains some of the much-appreciated traits of their expensive instruments.
This guitar’s entire dreadnaught-shaped body is made of Sapele wood. Such a construction gives it a very unique tone and loud volume. The neck is hand-rubbed, which makes it the guitar very comfortable to perform on. Play anything on this instrument, and you’ll feel every single note resonate under your hands. Its great tone can also be reproduced through built-in Fishman MX-T pickup and electronics that allow some great tone-shaping options.
Paul Reed Smith SE Tonare T40E
Although we remember them for their great electric guitars, Paul Reed Smith offers some interesting acoustic guitars as well. For this list, we have their T40E, which is one of their most appreciated acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars. We have a similar design and feel of those classic PRS electric guitars, with very playable necks and those gorgeous bird inlays. It has a large “grand concert” body with a solid spruce top and laminated ovangkol sides and back. Meanwhile, the neck is made from mahogany and is designed almost the same way as their electric guitar necks.
Aside from being a very playable instrument, it also comes with its Fishman GT1 electronics and pickup system. And it does a great job of replicating the realistic tone of this guitar.
Fender Paramount PM-3
Fender guitars never disappoint, no matter the price level we’re talking about. And although a bit pricy, their Paramount PM-3 is one of the finest instruments you’ll see on this list. The whole series has three different body types, and PM-3 features a relatively smaller body with a single-cutaway design. Made from spruce and mahogany, this particular setting gives it a very balanced tone with somewhat of a vintage twist to it. It also has a classic C-shape neck that’s quite comfortable to play. Grabbing your hand on this guitar feels like you’re in complete control. The whole thing is rounded up with a great Fishman preamp and pickup system. You even get an onboard tuner with it.
Washburn Comfort WCG55CE-O
The “Comfort” in this instrument’s designated name is not just a random addition. It’s actually a pretty great description of this instrument. Furthermore, we also have a great body shape with a Venetian-style single cutaway and an elbow-comfort binding. But aside from ergonomic qualities, like the very comfortable mahogany neck, the body has a very interesting combination of tonewoods. First, we have the koa top, which is something you don’t see that often. Meanwhile, sides and back are made from a unique maple and mahogany combination. This results in a very rich and full tone that can fit in any musical style that you need. We also have Fishman Presys+ preamp with its piezo pickup.
Ovation 2778AX
Ovation manufacture professional guitars only. Even the lower-end instruments have their qualities. But for this list, we’re looking into 2778AX. It bears the company’s classic design with the oval back, a cutaway, and multiple upper-bout soundholes. The tone is really “sharp,” which makes this one very useful lead instrument. Whether it’s jazz, blues, pop, or rock music that we’re talking about, this instrument will handle it well.
The body top features quality solid spruce, while the back construction is the company’s famous Contour Bowl made from composite materials. It’s a one-piece rounded back that serves both as the sides and the back. Somewhat unconventional, yet it serves its purpose well. It also comes with the company’s OCP-1K piezo pickup, as well as their OP-Pro preamp which provides players with some great tone-shaping features. If you’re predominantly a lead player, this is an instrument you’ll want to check out.
Taylor 110e
Just like Martin Guitars, Taylor is another brand that specializes in making the best acoustic guitars out there. If you’re looking for the best acoustic guitar under $1000, Taylor’s 110e is one of the most exciting to check out. This dreadnaught-shaped instrument has a really rich tone due to its body construction with Solid Sitka Spruce top and layered walnut for sides and back.
To reproduce this tone well through PA systems, we have the company’s Expression System 2 electronics. There are no cutaways, but this instrument is still very comfortable and easy to play. It’s often praised as one of the best acoustic guitars for live performances as it sounds great both with microphones and with its internal preamp and pickup.
