After weeks of research and firsthand testing, we’ve concluded that the Taylor – Academy 12 is the best acoustic guitar for beginners. While it may be a step up in price, the Academy 12 makes up for it with unparalleled playability, superior construction and beautiful sound. In the world of acoustic guitars, experts say “it’s expensive to buy cheap” (more on that below). Still, our budget pick Ibanez – AW54OPN is a quality affordable option.
My name is Tyler. I’m a guitar instructor, recording artist and guitar nerd in San Diego, California. Throughout my 13 years playing the guitar and five years as an instructor for Mobile Music Teacher, I’ve gained a lot of firsthand experience with beginner acoustic guitars as both a student and a teacher.
I’ve always said that there’s no greater joy in my life than setting someone up with a guitar that they love. I believe that a guitar can grow to be a valuable companion in life, and I cannot stress enough the importance of picking a good one. So let’s begin!
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Throughout my time as a guitarist and guitar instructor, I’ve had the pleasure of playing hundreds of different guitars. Whether shopping for myself, a student or for random people in need of advice at a music store, I’ve gained an understanding of acoustic guitar options for players of all levels. I have bought and sold numerous guitars of my own, so even before my extensive research for this review, I was familiar with most of the final candidates for the best beginner’s instrument.
In addition, I attend The NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants) in Anaheim, California, every year. Thousands of companies set up shop there to make connections in the industry and promote their products. In this mile-wide musical candy store, most instruments are available for us players to demo.
Acoustic guitars are guitars that do not require electrical amplification. These instruments produce sound with a hollow body that amplifies the string vibrations. Practically speaking, acoustic guitars are guitars that don’t need to be plugged in.
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Electric guitars are different from acoustic guitars in that they require amplification through a separate unit fittingly called an amplifier. There’s no right or wrong answer when choosing between an electric and acoustic guitar; it’s just personal preference of sound and musical taste. A large benefit of acoustic guitars is that they don’t need an amplifier, an electrical outlet or any cables/wires to play and produce sound.
There are, however, acoustic guitars with “pickups” installed within the body cavity. The pickups allow the guitar to be plugged in and amplified, but these guitars are typically still referred to as acoustic. Acoustic guitars with pickups are not necessary (or appropriate) for beginners, and they are almost exclusively used in live performances.
When purchasing an acoustic guitar for new players and students, a very important trade-off arises. Acoustic guitars, primarily the more affordable ones, can be risky purchases due to their tendency to become less playable over time. It’s a gamble of money versus longevity. Spending your money on a guitar with a lower price tag may seem sufficient for a new player, but in reality you’re likely committing to a higher-priced upgrade in the not-so-distant future.
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In addition longevity issues, cheaper guitars are harder to play. Very small differences and inconsistencies in a cheaper guitar’s construction can make a world of difference when it is played. When the strings are too hard to press into the fretboard, students (particularly children) can get very discouraged and quickly storm away with sore fingertips. This can be due to various factors that must remain in balance in order for a guitar to play, feel and sound the way we want it to.
Guitars that cost around $300 or less tend to fall victim to these issues of quality. Usually, the necks of these cheaper guitars will warp over time due to poor manufacturing and/or subpar wood quality. This slight change in the overall balance of the guitar can have a significant effect on its playability. However, our runner-up pick, the Ibanez – AW54OPN, was an exception to this.
Now you would think there’s a formula that guitar companies use to manufacture consistent guitars. But wood has dynamic properties, which means a guitar expands and contracts with changes in weather, humidity and temperature (just like it would in a tree). It’s important to invest in a guitar that was built with these factors in mind. Even though a guitar may play well upon first purchase, it’s not a guarantee that things won’t change over time.
Best Acoustic Guitars For Beginners
So, you should invest in an instrument that is unlikely to change significantly over the years. Although it’s difficult to predict the volatility of wood movement over long periods of time, we can infer many things by taking initial measurements and assessing any inconsistencies in areas like neck alignment and tuning issues.
Every piece of wood is different, and quality wood with solid manufacturing comes at a higher price. It’s no coincidence that the best-sounding guitars will also maintain their structure and balance better than all others. So what does this all mean? Ultimately, it’s worth it to spend a decent bit of cash on quality wood and solid construction in even a beginner’s guitar. However, if this isn’t realistic for you, we’ve included great fallback options with lower price tags that will still hold their own and perform the way you’ll need them to.
When people talk about “playability” of guitars, it’s generally safe to assume that they’re referring to the action of the guitar. This is the very fine balance of string proximity to fretboard.
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Guitars with lower action, or those with strings that are closer to the fretboard, are generally much easier to play than guitars with higher action. However, if the action is too low, the strings can make unintended contact with multiple frets, leading to a “buzzing” sound that may render the guitar unplayable. Fittingly, this is commonly referred to as “string buzz.”
Guitars with too high of action are also difficult to play for beginners and can lead to a variety of issues. When just getting started on the guitar, your fingers are very sensitive to the strings, and calluses have likely not formed on your fingertips yet. With a greater distance between the strings and the fretboard, the strings need to be pressed harder, a strain that you can feel in your fingers. This is almost always inhibiting and discouraging to children, and can lead them to put down the instrument during practice or even give it up completely. Choosing an acoustic guitar with a reliable build quality should lead to lower (but not too low) action, relieved fingers and a happy guitar player.
The neck relief of a guitar is the curvature of the neck. In general, acoustic guitar necks should be somewhere from straight to very slightly bowed. In other words, a typical guitar neck will form a very shallow “U” shape when the guitar is lying face up on a flat surface.
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Neck relief can be adjusted by using a small tool (typically either an Allen wrench or a tool provided by the manufacturer) to tighten or loosen the guitar’s truss rod. The truss rod is a metal rod that extends from the point of contact with the body all the way to the headstock, or the top of the guitar.
Adjustment of the truss rod affects the curvature of the neck itself. However, when the neck on an acoustic guitar has significant relief issues, it can be extremely difficult or even impossible to fix completely.
The intonation of a guitar is the instrument’s relative tuning to itself. For example, if you were to pluck the open sixth (lowest) string, you would be playing an E note. If the guitar is properly intonated, then the instrument should maintain the same accuracy for each and every note as you move up the fretboard.
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Good intonation is crucial to a guitar. With inconsistencies in the instrument’s intonation, certain chords and notes will not ring harmoniously as you progress up the fretboard. This leads to extreme restriction, and sometimes even a totally scrapped guitar.
Intonation problems are far more common with cheaper acoustic guitars. These issues are difficult to fix, and buyers of cheap low-end guitars should be aware of this. These guitars could very well shift and twist their way to poor intonation, rendering them restrictive and potentially unplayable.
Guitars come in many different shapes and sizes. Ultimately, there is no right size or shape; it all boils down to personal preference.
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Smaller-bodied guitars such as the Taylor – GS Mini are fitting for children due to their reduced size. Children frequently have difficulty playing larger, full-size guitars due to an inability to see their fretting hands or reach the strings comfortably with their strumming hand. They may also have an overall feeling of discomfort and awkwardness with such a large instrument.
Adults tend to prefer full-sized guitars. However, smaller-bodied guitars can be very useful for traveling, and many adults and teenagers choose smaller guitars for this reason. I personally use a
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