While distorted guitars tend to have a relatively similar tone, the sound of acoustic guitars is much easier to differentiate and pick up on; there are dozens of great-sounding models on the market, but if finding the best-sounding ones is a bit tricky if you don’t have a small fortune to expend.
Today we are going to talk about acoustic guitars that are on a level of their own in terms of sonic performance, playability, and tone, so without any further ado, let’s get straight to the reviews.
Washburn Comfort Series USM-WCG20SCE
We’re starting off with a Washburn-made guitar called USM-WCG20SCE. It’s arguably one of the best performing guitars from the acclaimed Comfort series; as most fans of the brand already know,
this series houses ultra-playable, sleek-looking guitar models, and USM-WCG20SCE represents it perfectly.
The tone of this guitar is derived from a very exotic combination of tonewoods, including Spruce on the top, bound rosewood on the back, and hardwood on the body.
It has an eclectic sound characterized by airy, bright highs and deep, vibrant lows. Although it’s quite expensive, USM-WCG20SCE is definitely a keeper as it also excels in durability like no other guitar in its price range.
Shecter 6 String Orleans Stage Acoustic Guitar
All Schecter guitars are beautiful, but most pale in comparison to the Orleans Stage 3710. This guitar boasts the exquisite Vampyre Red-Burst color complemented with a marvelous Satin finish that makes it such a beautiful eye candy.
In terms of tonewoods, Orleans Stage 3710 features Ebony top and back and a body made of mahogany; its tone leans towards the warmer end of the tonal spectrum; Ebony is the dominant tonewood in the construction of this guitar that provides it with the unique, hard-to-get vintage sound; if you are looking for top-quality sound, look no further than Shecter’s Orleans Stage acoustic guitar.
Guild Guitars Jumbo Jr Reserve Acoustic Guitar
Many professionals turn to Guild Guitars when searching for a quality instrument, mainly because the engineers of this brand craft the guitars thinking about both playability and sonic performance.
Even though the Jumbo Junior Reserve might not look as unique as some of the guitars Schecter, Ovation, or Gretsch have released, rest assured that this guitar has a massive sound to compensate for its lack of aesthetic elements.
This guitar features a Sitka Spruce body, Flamed Maple sides, Arched Maple body, Pau Ferro fingerboard, and a Maple neck. It leans toward the brighter end of the tonal spectrum, although the eclectic variety of tonewoods spread its tone evenly across all the other angles as well.
Gretsch Guitars Jim Dandy Flat Top Acoustic Guitar
People who are searching for a guitar that has a roaring bigger-than-life sound might want to check out Gretsch’s Jim Dandy.
This is one of the most popular acoustic guitars for a reason; it packs a highly playable C-shaped neck profile and impeccable hardware, but it also sports top-quality tonewoods.
Speaking of which, this guitar is mainly constructed from delicately refined Agathis; atop of the fact that this material is superior in terms of durability, it also gifts this guitar with a unique tone and sound that is extremely difficult to replicate.
Fender CD 60 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
Being one of the oldest and most popular brands in the history of the guitar, Fender is the go-to company that beginners and professionals alike turn to when they want to get a quality instrument. One of their best-sounding guitars is the CD 60 Dreadnought.
This guitar features a Spruce top with Fender’s proprietary scalloped bracing, and it’s mainly built from Mahogany. Even though its tone is much warmer than that of an average acoustic guitar, it is still big enough to punch through audiences of hundreds of people.
In a nutshell, people who want to benefit from superb playability and highly controllable tone should look no further than the CD 60 Dreadnought.
Fender Newporter Player Acoustic Guitar
Here we have yet another model from Fender; the Newporter Player acoustic guitar is modeled after some of the finest-performing Fender electric guitars, and it is meant to provide a similar feel, action, and attack, albeit with a bit different tone.
This guitar features a Spruce top while the rest of the guitar is made of mahogany; just like our previous pick, this guitar has a distinctly warm tone, but due to its unique shape, it also benefits from an exceptionally stronger presence and sustain.
Oscar Schmidt OG2SM Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
As we were descending deeper down on the ladder of the lower mid-range bracket we stumbled onto Oscar Schmidt’s OG2SM Dreadnought.
Some people can’t quite afford some of the Schecter’s, Guild’s, or even some of the pricier Fender guitars, so if your pocket is slightly shallower, this might be a perfect choice for you.
The OG2SM features Catalpa back & sides, a Maple top, and Ebony back; its tone is full-bodied and rich, and its presence is absolutely staggering in comparison to most mid-priced acoustic guitars.
Zager EZ-Play ZAD20 Acoustic Natural Dreadnought
Beginners and people on a cash-strapped budget who are looking for a great-sounding guitar should definitely check out Zager’s EZ-Play ZAD20 Dreadnought guitar. It sports a Spruce top while the rest of the construction is comprised of mahogany materials.
Even though it’s a bit heavier than usual, it offers a massive, yet highly controllable tone atop premium-quality hardware and excellent playability and intonation.
