Best Acoustic Guitars for Beginners for 2023

You’ll be powerful when equipped with an impeccable acoustic guitar. With the guitar you love, you’ll have the tendency to stick longer with it and improve your technique, and your guitar playing will become more effortless and enjoyable. But what are the most critical factors to take into account when picking out the best acoustic guitars for beginners? Well, you’ll want to choose a guitar that maintains its tune throughout your playing sessions and it will need to be durable as well. 

Of course, checking all these boxes shouldn’t surpass your budget either. That’s why with this compilation of the best acoustic guitars for beginners, you can jumpstart your music journey with a fantastic guitar coming from well-known brands with a price starting from as low as $169.  

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1. Epiphone DR-100

It may be regarded as a low-cost acoustic guitar, but not much that’s at fault about this DR-100 that we could find for budgeted individuals. The Epiphone DR-100 generates a tone that wouldn’t be expected given such a low price tag. Coming in a range of finishes, its build quality outperforms the majority of its rivals in this price category. 

A select spruce top is accompanied by a mahogany neck and body, the latter of which boasts a compact taper profile for more enjoyable playing, ending up with a rosewood fingerboard. 

It’s a fairly easy player when used, and the body has plenty of resonance. If your budget is tight, then definitely learn about the Epiphone DR-100.

SPECIFICATIONS: 

• Type: Dreadnought

• Top: Select spruce

• Neck: Mahogany

• Back and sides: Mahogany

• Fingerboard: Rosewood

• Scale: 25.5"

• Frets: 20

• Electronics: N/A

• Tuners: Premium tuners

• Finish: Gloss

• Left-handed: Yes

REASONS TO BUY:

• Decent build quality

• Comfortable player

• Can’t malfunction for just over $100

REASONS TO AVOID:

•  Not the most awesome guitar for beginners. 

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2. Fender CD-60S All-Mahogany Acoustic Guitar

With this Fender, you get a well-known company making a top-notch acoustic guitar at a budget-friendly price. In our tests, we found that the all-mahogany construction of this dreadnought resulted in a rich, rounded sound, which is equivalent to loudness and assured mid-level power supporting a dazzling treble.

When compared to comparable guitars in this price range, the tuners are great quality at the sub-$200 threshold and are positive and durable. Previously, the action on Fender's beginner-level acoustic guitars tended to be on the high side. However, the CD-60S has a low enough action to make playing simpler while preventing bothersome fret chatter.

SPECIFICATIONS: 

• Type: Dreadnought

• Top: Solid Mahogany

• Neck: Mahogany

• Back and sides: Mahogany

• Fingerboard: Rosewood

• Scale: 25.3"

• Frets: 20

• Electronics: N/A

• Tuners: Chrome Die-Cast

• Finish: Gloss

• Left-handed: Yes

REASONS TO BUY:

• Stays in tune

• Entry-level price

• Balanced sound

REASONS TO AVOID:

• Some people could be turned off by individual looks.

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3. Yamaha LL6 ARE

The goal of Yamaha's Acoustic Resonance Enhancement treatment method is to give this gorgeous instrument a "played-in" sound right out of the box. We found that the outcome sounds like a guitar that is more expensive than the LL6. This Yamaha provides for a very forgiving acoustic guitar for novices with chords chiming through.

Here, amplification is kept to a minimum while giving the Zero Impact pickups no additional control. The LL6 has a low action, a neck with a consistent thickness, and, as is typical of Yamaha, a very high-quality finish. Check out this acoustic guitar if you're looking for a beginner-friendly model.

SPECIFICATIONS: 

• Type: Medium Jumbo

• Top: Solid Engelmann spruce

• Neck: Mahogany/rosewood 5-ply

• Back and sides: Rosewood

• Fingerboard: Rosewood

• Scale: 25.9/16"

• Frets: 20

• Electronics: Yamaha SRT Zero Impact pickup

• Tuners: Die-cast gold

• Finish: Gloss

• Left-handed: Yes

REASONS TO BUY:

• Outstanding plugged in and acoustic sound

• Solid build quality

• Sound is forgiving for the beginner

REASONS TO AVOID:

• Premium price for an entry-level guitar

• Gold hardware isn’t everyone’s favorite.

SHOPPING LINK:

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4. Epiphone Hummingbird Studio

The Epiphone Hummingbird Pro certainly looks the part and has a reputation to match, having been played by the Rolling Stones and sporting a rich appearance thanks to the pearl inlayed neck and artworked scratchplate.

The "genuine" Hummingbird, based on its bigger brother from parent firm Gibson, would cost you more than $3,000, so this one is a steal. Although the action, right out of the box, may be a little bit lower to make it easier for beginners to play, we found the sound to be well-balanced and perfect for a variety of styles.

The built-in Eperformer preamp from Epiphone can provide a variety of tones for energized sessions. The Grover tuners elsewhere kept consistent tension for us.

SPECIFICATIONS: 

• Type: Dreadnought

• Top: Solid spruce

• Neck: Select mahogany

• Back and sides: Select mahogany

• Fingerboard: Rosewood

• Scale: 25.3"

• Frets: 20

• Electronics:  Shadow ePerformer pre-amp

• Tuners: Chrome Die-Cast

• Finish: Gloss

• Left-handed: Yes

REASONS TO BUY:

• Brilliant sound

• Multi-purpose pre-amp

• Easy player

REASONS TO AVOID:

• The large body may not be suitable for smaller players 

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5. Yamaha FG800

Another lower priced guitar in our guide is Yamaha’s FG800, is an expert in the subject of beginning acoustics.  a seasoned veteran in the beginner’s acoustic field. The sound produced by this beauty could easily stem from a more pricey guitar and when used, it’s consistent at maintaining its tune as well. 

A great spruce top, more often seen on more expensive guitars, helps to generate the outstanding tone. And we believe that it is the sound that’s a stand-out feature of this guitar and helps it distinguish it from the competition at the sub-$200 category. No amplification is provided, but who’s complaining for this price?

Although the neck has a comfortable, rounded profile, the action was found to be slightly on the high side. But there’s nothing that can’t be fixed by a local guitar technician. 

SPECIFICATIONS: 

• Type: Traditional Western

• Top: Solid spruce

• Neck:  Nato

• Back and sides:  Nato/Okume

• Fingerboard: Rosewood

• Scale: 25.9/16"

• Frets: 20

• Electronics:  N/A

• Tuners: Die-cast Chrome(TM29T)

• Finish: Gloss body/matt neck

• Left-handed: Yes

REASONS TO BUY:

• Decent sound for the money

• Solid build quality

• Inexpensive

REASONS TO AVOID:

• Lacks electronics

SHOPPING LINK:

Here are some of the key things to think about before purchasing one of the best acoustic guitars for beginners:

• Guitar size: is it a small-bodied acoustic, baby acoustic, jumbo or dreadnought that you’re looking for? 

• Brand: Are you buying from a trustworthy brand? Epiphone, Fender, Taylor, and Yamaha are great brands to look into.  

• A beginner's acoustic guitar is made simpler and more comfortable to play by having a low action, or the height of the strings above the fretboard.

• If you want to play higher notes, a guitar with a cutaway will be needed in order to get access to the higher frets. 

• A guitar tuner can help keep the tones of your guitar, so it’s a wise investment to make. 

• Want to make your playing louder? You'll need to purchase an acoustic electric guitar that already has electronics installed, or you can retrofit an acoustic guitar pickup.