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Our pick of the very best flat tops from Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Fender and loads more acoustic guitar nice
1. The quick list 2. Best for beginners 3. Best on a budget 4. Best electro-acoustic 5. Best under $2,000 6. Best under $1,000 7. Best under $500 8. Best for blues 9. Best for fingerstyle 10. Best 12-string 11. Also tested 12. Buying advice 13. How we test
Choosing the best acoustic guitar for your personal needs is a tough one. With so many options on offer these days it’s not surprising that many find themselves faced with option paralysis when looking at tonewoods, bracing patterns, and body types. Taking all of these into account is a monumental task, but we’re here to help with our picks that are separated by price point or use case.
Our team of musicians here at MusicRadar have been reviewing guitars for decades, so all of our recommendations are backed by real-world experience. We’ve put these acoustics through their paces in various situations whether that’s the sofa in front of the TV, in the rehearsal room, recording studios, or playing them on stage. It’s all part and parcel of assessing the true quality of these instruments, putting their playability and build quality to the test in the same way you’ll use them.
We’ve put together some buying advice for those who want more information before they purchase, with loads of common questions answered by our guitar gurus. If you already know your stuff and just want to see the best acoustic available today, then keep on scrolling…
For beginner acoustic guitarists it doesn't come much better than the Fender CD-60. Blending brilliant build quality with playability, it's a springboard for any acoustic journey.
One of the best acoustic guitars for those on a budget, the Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy is the perfect companion for songwriting or as a durable and playable sofa guitar.
If you're after an acoustic that sounds as good plugged in as it does unplugged, you'll want to take a look at the Yamaha A5R ARE with its brilliant SRT2 preamp.
If you're looking to step up from a beginner acoustic to something of higher quality, the Martin 000-15M is a fantastic all-rounder that can cover loads of different sounds.
It may be small but the sound of the Taylor GS Mini is what makes it such a popular guitar. Well rounded and balanced, it's a stunning instrument below the $1,000 mark.
For those on tighter budgets, the Yamaha FG800 is phenomenal value for money, giving you a solid top, lovely playability, and excellent unplugged tone for well below $500.
We love this guitar for its blues chops, but the Gibson J-45 is versatile enough to handle fingerstyle, chords, arpeggios, Country, and pretty much anything else.
The forward-thinking Martin 000-28 Modern Deluxe features a slightly shorter scale and ultra-thin, asymmetrical neck profile making it perfect for fingerstyle acoustic guitar playing.
Sitting in that Goldilocks zone between usability and great value, the Guild F-1512 is our top pick for those searching for their perfect 12-string acoustic guitar.
✅ Buy if you want a big brand, beginner acoustic: Being backed by one of the biggest brands in the world is a comforting feeling when buying your first acoustic guitar. ❌ Avoid if you're a very young beginner: This is a full-size dreadnought instrument, so will likely be too big for younger children to start learning on.
The Fender CD-60 is a good reminder of just how much guitar you can get for your money at the more affordable end of the market. We've come far since the days of high-action, poor tuning stability, and shoddy construction that used to mark out lower-priced models. Instead, we're offered a spruce top, laminated mahogany back/sides, and a playable Walnut fretboard.
The CD-60's action is great out of the box, too, though not too low to make us wary of alternate tunings. The punchy character of Spruce is certainly here, bringing the brightness usually associated with these tops.
The result is something that’s genuinely inspiring to play and chimes in chord work, and one of the best acoustic guitars for beginners or those looking for a second acoustic. After all, why should new players settle for just okay when they need to be comfortable and inspired? And there’s no reason why this dreadnought wouldn’t be a good addition for anyone else, too.
Read our full Fender CD-60 review
✅ Buy if you want a guitar to noodle on the sofa: The tiny size and low cost of the Jim Dandy make it a perfect living room guitar that anyone can pick up. ❌ Avoid if you have big hands: It's a small guitar so the fretboard might feel cramped for those who have bigger hands, and can make fretting certain chords difficult.
With more and more players looking to both save costs and space, we’ve seen a huge resurgence in travel and parlour-sized acoustic over the last few years. The Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy ticks all these boxes, providing a brilliantly playable instrument that is one of the best cheap acoustic guitars we've gotten our hands on.
Of course, due to the size, it won’t compete with a boomy dreadnought, but the sound has an endearing character all of its own. It’s bright but never harsh with bags of articulation and a strong attack. It really punches above its weight and price tag when it comes to note clarity, excelling at flatpicking and fingerpicking.
You’d expect at this price point that the hardware might not be the best, but we were surprised at how good the tuners are. They don’t feel cheap and hold their tuning particularly well. We also love the vintage style finish and the small body size which makes it perfect for strumming and songwriting at home.
Read our full Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy review
✅ Buy if you want a brilliant gigging guitar: The SRT2 preamp onboard the Yamaha A5R ARE are some of the best we've ever heard, making it a proper gigging machine. ❌ Avoid if you prefer traditional guitars: You can only get a cutaway version of this guitar, so if you prefer a traditional-looking acoustic guitar then steer clear.
There is traditionally a gap between how we enjoy the sound of our guitars and the way they’re represented plugged in. Enter Yamaha acoustic guitars, a leader in stage-ready acoustic technology for decades – and in the A5R ARE, it may have just offered us a very desirable solution.
The A5R's rounded fretboard edges offer an enjoyable playing experience that mimics the feeling of guitars that have been played in to a degree and it has an ethereal quality in the high ranges, even though some treble resonance is traded with the lower action.
The A5R’s resonance and bright balance are a fine showcase for the clever SRT2 preamp – we actually couldn’t dial in a ‘bad’ sound on it because the treble and bass controls mirror the natural subtlety of the pickup/mic dynamic design.
An electro experience that captures the sound of an unplugged acoustic? The SRT2 is one of the closest acoustic-electric guitars to get there yet. This is an update that marks the A Series out as an essential consideration for players who rely on a consistent and controllable stage sound.
Read our full Yamaha A5R ARE review
✅ Buy if you want a no-frills acoustic that sounds incredible: Some may judge its looks as plain, but the Martin 000-15M has a beautiful voice and outstanding playability. ❌ Avoid if you want booming lows and sparkly highs: Both the size and tonewoods used mean that this guitar isn’t quite as full range as a dreadnought or spruce-topped acoustic.
The Martin 000-15M is one of our all-time favourite acoustic guitars thanks to its unbelievable unplugged tone, solid tonewoods, and outstanding playability, all at a fantastic price point. It’s a no-frills look and purposeful design come together to make a sensational acoustic that’s well worth the money.
Despite it’s all mahogany construction, the 000-15M is super balanced across the tonal spectrum, with none of that ‘honk’ you usually find in acoustics of a similar spec. It’s super responsive and plays just as great with open tunings and slide guitar as it does with open chords accompanying a vocalist.
Due to the size and construction, it’s not quite got as much bass and treble as a dreadnought or Sitka spruce-topped instrument, but we’d wager that this makes it fit better when playing with ensembles. It’s a simply superb Martin guitar that is sure to bring a smile to your face.
Read the full Martin 000-15M review
✅ Buy If you want a compact guitar that sounds great: The GS-Mini is incredibly popular thanks to its combination of small body size yet remarkably full acoustic voice. ❌ Avoid if you need unplugged volume: Despite its fantastic voice, it still won't compete with a dreadnought or jumbo-sized guitar if you need volume playing unplugged.
The Mexican-made Mini is equally functional as both a travel guitar and "modern-day parlour guitar". Despite its small footprint, the GS Mini is no toy instrument: there's a solid Sitka spruce top, a faultless build quality and the setup is immaculate, making it our pick of the best acoustic guitars under $1,000.
The slight, soft 'V' profile of the neck combined with narrow nut width makes this acoustic feel much more like an electric guitar, in spite of the standard 56mm string spacing. It gives the GS Mini a really comfortable playing feel, particularly when you're strumming chords, though fingerstyle players might prefer a little more room.
Rather like a good parlour-size guitar, the GS Mini outputs a sound that belies its compactness. We'd lay a considerable sum to suggest it'd be a fine recording guitar, that tight low end giving space to a bass guitar (or bassier six-string) while the mids aren't overly honky, as some parlours can be, and the silky, sparkly highs are pure Taylor fidelity. Far from a gimmick, this is a guitar with its own vibe and voice – and both are very appealing.
acoustic guitar cost Read our full Taylor GS Mini review