[REQ_ERR: 401] [KTrafficClient] Something is wrong. Enable debug mode to see the reason. Exclusives – Guitar Ratings https://guitarratings.com Guitar Ratings Thu, 10 Dec 2020 23:31:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.15 https://guitarratings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-Guitar-ratings-final-1-32x32.jpg Exclusives – Guitar Ratings https://guitarratings.com 32 32 Best Electric Guitar Strings https://guitarratings.com/best-electric-guitar-strings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-electric-guitar-strings https://guitarratings.com/best-electric-guitar-strings/#respond Thu, 10 Dec 2020 23:31:27 +0000 https://guitarratings.com/?p=900

While everyone focuses on the build quality, pickups, ergonomic features, and other traits of electric guitars, the matter of strings gets kind of neglected. After all, this is where your initial tone starts, so it’s only obvious that strings play a huge role in shaping your overall output as a guitar player. Additionally, different kinds […]

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While everyone focuses on the build quality, pickups, ergonomic features, and other traits of electric guitars, the matter of strings gets kind of neglected. After all, this is where your initial tone starts, so it’s only obvious that strings play a huge role in shaping your overall output as a guitar player. Additionally, different kinds of strings will also make things more or less noisy or comfortable, depending on their design.

But what’s really tricky is the whole process of finding the best electric guitar strings for your needs. With so many products on the market, you might get lost finding the perfect set for you. Of course, this also depends on so many different factors, including your preferred style of music, the kind of tone that you’re aiming for, as well as the preferences in string gauges. Since it might not be the easiest task to find the best strings these days, we figured we could help you out by doing some research and bringing in the best electric guitar strings on the market.

Elixir Optiweb

Elixir are one of the most respected string brands on the market today. Although more expensive, their strings keep things really fresh for a very long time. For instance, Elixir Optiweb are nickel-plated steel strings with the company’s special coating that will keep them safe from any rust and dirt for a very long time. And this particular set is extremely bright and manages to stay like that even months after constant playing sessions. Although more expensive, you just can’t go wrong with these ones if you’re into a brighter tone.

Ernie Ball Classic Pure Nickel Super Slinky

Ernie Ball is one of the most important players in this game, and thei Super Slinky sets have proven to be one of the most popular ones on the market. Whatever is the genre, guitarists will quite often go for Classic Pure Nickel Super Slinky sets. This is mostly due to their “balanced” tone that covers all parts of the audible spectrum evenly. They are relatively light as these sets are in the 9-42 gauge. At the same time, they’re very comfortable to play.

GHS Strings BCCL Big Core Nickel Rockers

GHS is one of the first manufacturers that comes to mind for true electric guitar lovers. The set that we’re looking into here is their BCCL Big Core Nickel Rockers that come in an air-tight package that keeps them fresh right before you put them on your guitar. These are round-wound strings that are on a slightly larger than usual hex core. This gives them a medium bright tone and prolonged sustain.

Gibson Brite Wires

Additionally, we’d like to mention Gibson and their Brite Wires. These are especially designed to work with those vintage-oriented guitars and bring that strong crisp attack to the equation. They come with a nickel plating and a Sweedish steel hex core. With these strings, your guitar will have both the brightness and warmth, which is very unique for those old school rock and blues songs.

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Guild Starfire V https://guitarratings.com/guild-starfire-v/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guild-starfire-v https://guitarratings.com/guild-starfire-v/#respond Sat, 02 May 2020 15:11:44 +0000 http://guitarratings.com/?p=539 Guild Starfire V

Guild has a long standing reputation for producing high quality guitars, and they continue with that tradition with the Starfire V.  It may be priced a bit on the high end with a street price of over $1,000, but once you take a look at what you get it’s hard to debate that it isn’t […]

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Guild Starfire V

Guild has a long standing reputation for producing high quality guitars, and they continue with that tradition with the Starfire V.  It may be priced a bit on the high end with a street price of over $1,000, but once you take a look at what you get it’s hard to debate that it isn’t worth the price.

Semi-hollow body guitars just have a vintage vibe to them, and the Starfire V certainly doesn’t disappoint.  It features a double cutaway design with an arched top, and the white binding (along with the dual f-holes), adds a touch of style.  The thinline profile makes it extremely comfortable to play as compared to some other similar models with a thicker body; those can oftentimes come off as a little bulky.

Guild uses a ‘soft U’ profile for the neck on the Starfire V which keeps it from feeling like a baseball bat (that’s a good thing, by the way…). The tonewoods used for the multi-piece construction (mahogany, maple, and more mahogany) not only add strength but they help to bring out the best sound possible.  Capping it off is a rosewood fretboard with 22 frets and pearloid block inlays.

You can’t really get any more vintage than the hardware on the Starfire V.  Twin ‘Little Bucker’ humbucking pickups are controlled with individual volume and tone knobs, and the three position selector switch on the lower bout keeps you from accidentally knocking it out of place.

The Tune-O-Matic style bridge is mounted to a rosewood base to add an even more elegant look..  A big plus is the Grover Sta-Tite open gear tuning machines, which are a perfect match for the vintage style Guild vibrato system.

 It’s always refreshing to see a manufacturer which realizes that a customer’s investment needs to be protected, and the plush lined case that comes with the Starfire V is a very nice touch.  It’s yet another feature that adds to the overall class that this guitar just has oozing out of it.

From the first time you pick up the Starfire V, you know you are dealing with a top shelf instrument.  The playing action is butter smooth, which – combined with the comfortable neck profile – makes playing chords and single note lines almost effortless.

The wide range of tones that you can coax out of the Little Bucker pickups is impressive as well.  It’s easy to look at a semi-hollow body like the Starfire V and think it’s just for jazz or rockabilly.  We beg to differ!  Pared up with the right amp, you can get just about any sound you may need, from raunchy roots rock to gritty blues, with a little country twang thrown in for good measure.

For those players looking for a great semi-hollow body guitar, then it’s hard to look much farther than the Guild Starfire V.  It has all of the hallmark features of a top-of-the-line model, and the level of flexibility and comfortability it offers is simply hard to beat.

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Fender American Performer Stratocaster https://guitarratings.com/fender-american-performer-stratocaster/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fender-american-performer-stratocaster https://guitarratings.com/fender-american-performer-stratocaster/#respond Sat, 02 May 2020 10:19:39 +0000 http://guitarratings.com/?p=498 Fender American Performer Stratocaster

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you…the Fender Stratocaster. Enough said – end of review. Next page, please… Considering the status of the Fender Stratocaster (or ‘Strat’) in the history of the electric guitar, giving a review really could be that easy. Fender continues to produce incredible Strat models to this day, and the Fender American […]

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Fender American Performer Stratocaster

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you…the Fender Stratocaster.

Enough said – end of review. Next page, please…

Considering the status of the Fender Stratocaster (or ‘Strat’) in the history of the electric guitar, giving a review really could be that easy. Fender continues to produce incredible Strat models to this day, and the Fender American Performer Stratocaster is a great example of how they keep a time tested guitar appealing and relevant in today’s modern age.

The American Performer is Fender’s mid-level Strat in its product line, but just because it isn’t the quote-unquote ‘best’ model in their lineup doesn’t mean that it isn’t a force to be reckoned with. It’s all Strat all the time, with the same traditional double cutaway alder body that has rocked many a player since 1954, in your choice of three attractive finishes.

The bolt-on neck found on the American Performer is constructed from maple, with a satin finish to help give a smooth and fast feel. Rosewood is the material of choice for the fingerboard, and it features 22 jumbo frets that help out a great deal with clean bending techniques.

Fender has certainly improved on the classic Strat in the electronics department. The American Performer has the same three single coil configuration that made the Strat legendary, but with some very useful additions. The new Yosemite pickups are optimized to get the best tone possible, and your sound can be even more enhanced with the Greasebucket tone system.

With the Greasebucket setup, treble frequencies are allowed to shine through without any noticeable gain loss or getting a ‘muddy’ sound. It simply is one of the most flexible and functional tone setups that Fender has ever produced.

Another impressive stock feature is the push-pull tone pot which activates the neck pickup to always be on.. Traditional Strats do not have a way to get a neck & bridge pickup combination (or all pickups on at once), and this improvement offers an easy way to get these two additional tone configurations.

Hardware on the American Performer is top notch as well, with a standout being the new Classicgear tuning machines. They offer an 18:1 gear ratio to allow incredibly precise fine tuning. On top of that, the vintage style Fender tremolo system is amazingly stable for a guitar with no locking nut.

All of this adds up to one incredible guitar! Playability is top shelf right out of the box, which is partially attributed to the Fender Modern “C” neck profile and a great factory setup. With the updated Yosemite pickups and Greasebucket tone system, the range of sounds you can get is nothing short of amazing, and it’s greatly improved over the traditional Strat setup.

Simply put, the Stratocaster is in a class by itself as one of the most imitated guitar designs of all time, and it’s easy to see why. The Fender American Performer Stratocaster is a cost effective, USA made model that takes that timeless classic to a whole new level of performance and value.

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Epiphone Les Paul Special II https://guitarratings.com/epiphone-les-paul-special-ii/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=epiphone-les-paul-special-ii https://guitarratings.com/epiphone-les-paul-special-ii/#respond Sat, 02 May 2020 10:06:17 +0000 http://guitarratings.com/?p=492 Epiphone Les Paul Special II

Looking for that Les Paul vibe, but you don’t have much of a budget? Epiphone’s Les Paul Special II may be just what you’re looking for. It’s a great combination of many of the features that have made the Les Paul an iconic guitar, all while providing exceptional bang for the buck. All it takes […]

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Epiphone Les Paul Special II

Looking for that Les Paul vibe, but you don’t have much of a budget? Epiphone’s Les Paul Special II may be just what you’re looking for. It’s a great combination of many of the features that have made the Les Paul an iconic guitar, all while providing exceptional bang for the buck.

All it takes is a single look at the Les Paul Special II to know that you’re dealing with one of the most classic guitar designs of all time. The single cutaway body is made out of mahogany, and it features a flamed maple top which gives a striking look. It may not be carved like some of the more expensive Les Paul models on the market, but some concessions do have to be made to get things down to this price point. Bonus points for the three attractive finish options, though…

The slim profile neck (also made from mahogany) feels silky smooth, and it’s topped off with a true rosewood fretboard with 22 frets. Fret markers are single dot inlays as compared to other models, but that’s really a very minor detail.

Admittedly, the hardware on the Les Paul Special II is a bit of departure from tradition, but that’s really not a bad thing. You still have two humbucking pickups with a three way pickup selector, but the difference is with the control knobs. Instead of individual volume and tone knobs for each pickup, there are single master knobs for each.

A Tune-O-Matic bridge is a staple of the Les Paul line (along with a stopbar tailpiece), and the Special II is no exception. Tuning machines are chrome plated, sealed, and smooth, but it may be inaccurate to say that they always stay in tune.

Budget guitar models have evolved greatly over the years, and the Les Paul Special II is really an impressive instrument for being at this range within the market. Playbility can be tweaked to be spot on; you may have to get a professional setup done, but the same could be said with many models that cost much more.

And the sound? For a guitar that has a street price under $300, you’d think that you were hearing a much higher end model if you didn’t know any better. The stock pickups can easily get you from warm clean tones to outright nastiness with ease. The Special II is definitely versatile enough to pull off almost any genre that floats your boat.

Looking at the overall package, the Epiphone Les Paul Special II is simply an excellent guitar at a price that would be hard to complain about. Solid construction, combined with an easy to play design with some potentially monster tones, make it a guitar that’s worthy to be in just about any guitar player’s collection.

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Best Travel Acoustic Guitars https://guitarratings.com/best-travel-acoustic-guitars/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-travel-acoustic-guitars https://guitarratings.com/best-travel-acoustic-guitars/#respond Sat, 02 May 2020 09:57:15 +0000 http://guitarratings.com/?p=480 Best Travel Acoustic Guitars

Playing an instrument may be fun and engaging, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Aside from being somewhat time-consuming and difficult if you’re an absolute beginner, finding enough room for it can be an issue. Yes, it might sound weird, but if you’re playing, let’s say, an electric guitar, you also need […]

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Best Travel Acoustic Guitars

Playing an instrument may be fun and engaging, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Aside from being somewhat time-consuming and difficult if you’re an absolute beginner, finding enough room for it can be an issue. Yes, it might sound weird, but if you’re playing, let’s say, an electric guitar, you also need an amp, effects, and all other things that go with it. And acoustic guitars can be pretty tricky as well. They’re not heavy, but they can get pretty bulky. And this is especially problematic if you want to take your guitar with you on a trip. Knowing that this can be a big issue, we looked into this and thought that it would be a good idea to bring you a list of the best travel acoustic guitars.

They aren’t as common as regular guitars, but it’s still not impossible to find a good one. There are actually quite a few options out there. And these are not just smaller-sized guitars, but rather instruments designed and crafted especially for travels. Some guitar bodies even seem disproportionately small compared to their necks. But nonetheless, some of these guitars have a great tone and feel to them. You just need to find the right one for your needs, and we’re here to help you out with that! So let’s begin.

Traveller Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic

And what a better way to start than with a company that’s actually called Traveller Guitar. They specialize in making instruments that are more “travel-friendly,” meaning that they won’t take much space at all with your luggage. They have a great one, simply named Ultra-Light Acoustic. Now, this is not like your average acoustic guitar, as it doesn’t have the conventional body type. At the same time, this instrument has no headstock. Instead, the tuner machines are in the body itself and can be accessed easily. Yes, the body doesn’t have the standard construction. However, it gets loud enough, most likely due to the use of Eastern American hard maple as the main material. In addition, it’s also packed with a piezo pickup. It also comes with a detachable lap rest, so you can practice and play it sitting down as well.

Martin Steel String Backpacker

While Martin is one of the first names that comes to mind in every talk about acoustic guitars, you wouldn’t really expect them to have as weird of an instrument as their Backpacker. It takes no more than a glance to realize this guitar’s innovative nature. Although it has the standard body type with a soundhole, its shape is completely different. It’s reduced to an absolute minimum, and when you pack it, it won’t take much space. The entire length of this guitar is 24 inches. As the body top material, we have Sitka Spruce, which gives it a bit of a brighter sound. Although smaller, it still gets some volume out of it. It’s also really easy and comfortable to play.

Washburn Rover RO10

Washburn have built their reputation with a bunch of amazing acoustic and electric guitar series over the years. But they also have some interesting compact stuff that can come in handy for travel. Their Rover RO10 is a very interesting example. The name suits it well since it kind of resembles a small oar. The body is really small, but a lot of attention has been put into making it all work. First, we have the classic combo of a spruce top and mahogany sides. This impacts the guitar tone and makes it very rich. RO10 also has quality-made chromed tuners that ensure stability in performance. The mahogany neck is of regular size, so the guitar might look a bit weird with the disproportionately small body. Nonetheless, this doesn’t make it a bad instrument at all.

Luna Safari Muse

You don’t see Luna Guitars’ name pop out that often. However, they still have a lot of good instruments to offer, most notably their Safari Muse travel guitar. This instrument has the classic dreadnaught-type body and construction of a regular Western-style acoustic guitar. However, it’s 3/4 the size of a normal guitar. This makes it a good choice not only for traveling but also for anyone who has trouble playing full-sized instruments. It has a mahogany body, which gives more of a mellow tone. Overall, it’s a great guitar that’s definitely worth checking out.

Cordoba Mini M

In a way similar to Washburn’s RO10 Rover, Cordoba Mini M is also an instrument with a normal-sized neck and a very small body. And although it’s not an expensive one, Mini M does a pretty great job, both performance and tone-wise, despite having this extremely small body. It has a scale length of only 20 inches, which also makes it a great option for anyone who likes smaller necks. It’s so compact that at first sight, some would even confuse it with a ukulele.

What really makes it exciting is the build quality. The guitar has spruce top and mahogany back, sides, and neck. It resonates pretty well and you can even get some decent sustain out of it. If you need a reliable and cheap travel guitar, then you should definitely look into Cordoba’s Mini M.

Rondo Music SX Trav 1

Lastly, we would like to take a closer look at another very simple and compact instrument. In our opinion, this is one of the best travel acoustic guitars that you can find on the market today. Once again, we have a neck that’s just slightly smaller compared to a regular one, while the body is pretty close to the size of an average ukulele. Nonetheless, Rondo Music’s SX Trav 1 delivers quite a punch for a very reasonable price. We have standard spruce and mahogany combo with a rosewood fretboard. What’s more, it even comes with a bone nut, which is surprising for its price level. 

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Best Electric Guitar https://guitarratings.com/best-electric-guitar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-electric-guitar https://guitarratings.com/best-electric-guitar/#respond Fri, 01 May 2020 09:43:55 +0000 http://guitarratings.com/?p=377 Best Electric Guitar

Even with all the technological advancements today, it’s sometimes still a challenge to make a good guitar tone. Of course, in order to do so, you first need a good instrument. All the amps, pedals, and other gadgets come after that. Yes, your playing style and your technique play a huge part in it as […]

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Best Electric Guitar

Even with all the technological advancements today, it’s sometimes still a challenge to make a good guitar tone. Of course, in order to do so, you first need a good instrument. All the amps, pedals, and other gadgets come after that. Yes, your playing style and your technique play a huge part in it as well, but getting a good guitar is the first thing you should do. So what is the best electric guitar that you can get?

Well, the answer is far from a simple one. There are so many different things to consider here. It’s not only about how it sounds, but also how it feels in your hands and its overall build qualities. After all, you don’t want an instrument that will just turn your playing into an unbearable experience.

This is why we considered all these things and started going through electric guitars that you can buy today. After filtering everything out, we came up with this list of the best electric guitars that you can find today. There’s something for everyone’s tastes, music style, and for everyone’s budget. So let’s get into it.

Gibson SG Standard

Gibson is one of the oldest guitar brands. In their vast arsenal of instruments, we would single out their SG Standard as their best guitar. This old evil-looking design has been around since the 1960s, and you can see SG Standard used in any genre from jazz up to death metal, all with the same pickups. It features a mahogany body, two incredible Gibson pickups, and it’s quite light and comfortable to play. What more do you need?

Fender Player Stratocaster HSS

Fender’s Stratocaster is an even older guitar model. For this list, we’re mentioning Fender’s Player Stratocaster. The guitar comes with a very interesting combination of pickups, with a humbucker in the bridge position and single-coil pickups in the middle and neck. Not only does this instrument feel great, but it also sounds great. What’s more, we have a Floyd Rose tremolo on it. Other than that, we have the classic combination of an alder body and a maple neck. It’s where the old school meets some modern concepts.

Ibanez S670QM

Ibanez guitars are well-known for their versatility and playability. It’s no wonder that they’re seen in the hands of the most technically proficient shredders. We would put their S670QM into the spotlight since this guitar has it all. It comes with the humbucker-single-humbucker pickup configuration and Edge Zero II tremolo bridge. The guitar has the classic Superstrat shape and 24 frets. Its body is made of Meranti wood, while the neck is a maple one with jatoba fretboard.

Dean Michael Amott Tyrant X

Although Dean guitars might not be as big as Gibson or Fender, their quality never disappoints in any price range. But we’d mention one interesting model here, their Michael Amott signature Tyrant X guitar. It takes no more than a glance to see that this is a true metal machine. But aside from a very unique design, we also have two great humbuckers and the strings going through the body. This gives it a very unique feel, and you’re able to play some of the tightest and heaviest riffs that you can imagine.

ESP LTD EC-256

While we’re at metal guitars, ESP LTD has so many great instruments for this genre. Bearing a modified Les Paul shape, EC-256 is both a very ergonomic instrument and one that’s capable of delivering the best tones for many different genres. Its diversity comes from the coil-tap feature, and you can get some Fender-like jangling tones from it. Other than that, it has a quality-made mahogany body and a 3-piece mahogany neck. This is all rounded up with a great-looking finish. You just can’t go wrong with this one.

Paul Reed Smith SE Custom 24

Slowly, but surely, Paul Reed Smith guitars took over the world. And what they’re most proud of is their consistency in every price level. At the same time, these instruments find their way into so many different genres. For instance, their SE Custom 24 is one of the best examples. It features some of the best-made bodies, with a mahogany back and maple top. Meanwhile, we have a very thin maple neck. And in combination with the low string action makes this guitar rather easy to play. And what’s more, there’s also a specially designed cutout on the lower horn, which makes it easier for anyone to reach those higher frets. It’s just a fantastic instrument.

Yamaha Pacifica PAC212

We’d also like to include something cheaper. Interestingly enough, Yamaha makes some amazing guitars in the lower price range. The best example is their Pacifica series, and the model that we’re interested in is PAC212. It’s a very simple yet stylish Strat-shaped guitar with all the essentials. Although you don’t get a lot of flashy additions to it, the guitar is surprisingly reliable and is more than just an instrument that will “get the job done.” The stock pickups on it are pretty great as well, giving those Fender-inspired bright tones.

Gretsch G2655T Streamliner

On this list of great instruments, there should be something for those lovers of smooth tones. For this purpose, we present you Gretsch and their wonderful semi-hollow body G2655T Streamliner. It’s a vintage-styled instrument, but with a bit of a modern twist. We have laminated maple as the body material, along with a nato neck and laurel fretboard. It comes with two Broad’Tron BT-2S humbuckers which do a great job at highlighting this guitar’s natural resonance. The tones can be very smooth and jazzy, although the guitar is still pretty versatile and can do wonders for a lot of different music styles.

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Best Acoustic Guitar https://guitarratings.com/best-acoustic-guitar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-acoustic-guitar https://guitarratings.com/best-acoustic-guitar/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:20:23 +0000 http://guitarratings.com/?p=290 Best Acoustic Guitar

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 […]

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Best Acoustic Guitar

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.

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