Friday 4 January 2008

Best Acoustic Guitars For Under $500

For those on a budget or those that are looking for a fantastic bargain here are the best acoustic guitars that are available for under $500. Gone are the days when you needed to break the bank to be able to afford a great guitar as now you can have both great sound and a well built guitar that will last for years at under $500.

Here then are my recommended best acoustic guitars for under $500 in no particular order.


Washburn D10S Acoustic Guitar


The worlds best selling acoustic guitar and the one that acoustic guitar magazine named the best guitar available for under $500. Although I don't totally agree with that statement it certainly is a fantastic guitar for the money. It is easy to play and sounds fantastic, in fact it sounds better than many acoustic guitars that cost twice the price.
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Seagull S6


This is one of the best acoustic guitars in the world in fact if you didn't know it's price (under $400 ) you would swear it would be a $800 plus guitar. The Seagul S6 sounds almost as good as many top end Martins, Taylors and Gibsons but for a fraction of the price. It may be a little more expensive than the Washburn d10s but for that you will have a guitar that will last you a lifetime.
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Epiphone Hummingbird Acoustic Guitar


It's amazing how close this comes to the Gibson hummingbird when you consider the difference in price but Epiphone have done a fantastic job. It may not be a Gibson but for many it is as close as they will come to owning a hummingbird because of the price. This guitar is fantastic for beginners and even experienced players will find some joy.
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Fender DG100 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar


The beautiful DG100 has a fantastic feel to it and is well suited to almost any style of play. The strings that come with the guitar are a little harsh but this is easily fixed with new strings. If your looking for great acoustic guitar from one of the biggest names around then this is definitely worth a look for under $300.
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Takamine G320 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar


If your looking for a bargain then this is it. I've played $800 acoustic guitars that don't have the same quality of sound as the G320 Dreadnought, and yet this cost under $150. This is another example of the quality that Takamine guitars provide. It may not last you a lifetime but for value for money this is amazing.
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Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar


Whether a complete novice or a veteran player the FG730S offers an amazing playing experience. The feel of it is that of a much more expensive guitar and the sound is also great. It may not be as easy to play as some of the others which is something a complete novice may want to consider but it is a wonderful instrument for the price.
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Alvarez RD8 Regent Series Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar


I'd never played an Alvarez guitar before trying the RD8 and to be honest I wasn't expecting much but this is a great guitar for the price ( under $200 ). It has a clear and full sound that not many $200 guitars can match and is a great purchase for any beginner or for someone looking for a solid second guitar.
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Ibanez AEL20E Acoustic-Electric Guitar with Onboard Tuner


This is the best looking guitar you will find for under $500 but it deserves to be in this list of the best acoustic guitars for under $500 for more reasons than that. The Ibanez sounds absolutely beautiful whether plugged in or acoustic and is a match for many higher priced guitars available. If you can afford it this has to be considered.
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Takamine G Series 340C Acoustic-Electric Guitar


In my opinion I have saved the best until last as I believe the 340C to be the best of the best acoustic guitars for under $500, in fact in terms of sound I doubt you will find a guitar for less than a $1000 that sounds better. Takamine have produced, in my opinion the best value for money guitar in the world.
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And there you have my best acoustic guitars for under $500. If you have the complete $500 I'd go with the Takamine 340C but whichever of these guitars you opt for I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

21 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm thinking of purchasing an acoustic guitar but I can't decide which one to choose.

Can someone answer the following questions which may ( I believe/hope ) enable me to decide:

1). Can I perform on stage with an acoustic guitar or an acoustic electric guitar is a must ?

2). Acoustic sounds better than acoustic electric ?

3). Acoustic sounds better than the cutaway acoustic ?

Thanks for your assistance
Gadi

Unknown said...

answer:
1) if u perform using an acoustic, u have to play only at one position, because u need a mic. if u're using an acoustic-electric, u can play around like nuts and make ur audience/fans go nuts. and, u won't need to hold a mic while playing.

2)acoustic electric is just like playing acoustic with extra sound(jazz, blues, rock) it spices up the tone.

3) cutaway is only a design, doesn't affect anything.

Anonymous said...

It would be nice if you could get a hold of a Carvin for review (if you're still posting to this site). Thanks!

Cheap Magazine said...

I just checked http://www.magazinesubscriptions.ws and found other acoustic guitar magazine that are cheaper than $500... you may want to check it out also.

Acoustic Songs said...

Thanks for this list, I've been looking for an acoustic guitar for a while and this might help narrow it down.

Unknown said...

DO NOT.. buy a new Alvarez RD8.. they are not manufactured nearly half as good as they once were due to company restructuring i believe.. I have one of the original older ones that still has the solid bookmatched spruce top... you can tell, the bridge is different now... buyer beware.. as someone if it is an older model first.. like from a pawn shop, ebay etc.. Mine sounds amazing and the neck is really rounded so it plays fast.. I love it..

Russ said...

The taylor 110e is an excellent guitar for the price. If you buy it new it costs about $600 but a used one should be about $500. i had one for a cuple years,it has beautiful overtones and a very prominent low end. worth every penny!!

James King said...

I'm still thinking if the acoustic guitars is perfect of what genre I would like to belong. I like the music genre of RnB, acoustic, slow rock? It that okay if I will buy acoustic guitar?

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Is it worth it to pay extra to get the Takamine 340SC instead of 340C ?

The 340SC is solid spruce top and the 340C is spruce top.

Thanks!

Tatum said...

How about a Hohner HW03 acoustic guitar? It's under $500 plus it seems to be crafted for a beginner.

Mr. N. said...

I have to disagree with many of your assessments. I have been playing professionally for 27 years, and while I am a firm believer that there are many fine guitars for under $500 the lower end Takamines and Yamahas do not belong in this category. These lower end models are mass produced in China and are very poorly crafted. The sides are not mahogany or rosewood, but a cheap laminate of either and do not hold up well. The fret work is an abomination and will quickly destroy quality strings and always produce poor action and intonation. Takamine, Yamaha, and other companies, such as Blueridge, have spent a tremendous amount of money on marketing these instruments but they simply do not hold up under careful scrutiny. The Seagull is a better quality instrument because it is manufactured in Canada and more attention is paid to craftsmanship. A truly well crafted dreadnought for under $500 is Tanglewood. This is a British company that has recently made their guitars available in the USA. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in checking out a well crafted and reasonable priced dreadnought pay serious attention to this guitar. It's a winner in every way.

Nat said...

I'm really looking for a great acoustic/electric for around 500. For the right one I'm willing to go up from there, but I really don't want to spend more than 1k. I've been hunting and playing in a lot of shops but I want to know that if I spend that kind of cash for a guitar that's not a Taylor/Martin I'm getting the most bang for my buck. I'd rather spend on the high side and be in LOVE with it than spend on the low side and want to ramble and buy something else in 6 months.... Anybody have any good suggestions or ideas of where I really need to look? I like a guitar a little on the deep side. It seems to match my voice better (true alto) when I perform.

Anonymous said...

I need to be able to plug in on stage and am looking for a new guitar. Is it better to buy and acoustic-electric, or buy an acoustic and get the electric placed in afterwards? Not sure about the downsides of each decision.

donhaley the Californiakidd said...

I have read most of the comment partaing to acoustics under $500.First off Epiphone is owned by Gibson.Most all Acoustic guitar made since 1975 are produced over seas in Asia or mexico.most acoustic guitars $500- are compsit sides , tops or laminate plys.(plywood).My suggestion after 30+of being a prof.musician and teacher;is go to a store set with a top price,then ask a salesman to show the selection play all pluged unplug throught one amp same setting for all.In general solid top(spruce or cider)solid (Mahogany or rosewood,maple sides).Play all guitars thoroughly,check for fret shrinkageand tightness of glue seems and you know after playing which one feels,sounds,plays in your hands.I have played high end Giby's ,Martin ,Taylors that Suck! others,Seagulls,Epi Masterbuilts and Normans sound great.Don't just go by Name alone Spend Time ,all my guitars were under $1000,spend the money on a hard shell case and set up.Most of my gear up and down road was either stolen or needed for food money times for working musicians can get lean!So in the end just play them all within you $ amount checking the above and you'll fall in love with one for sure.

donhaley the Californiakidd said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Simon George said...

this is a great post. its always a good idea to inform yourself especially when your buying a guitar of a smaller brand that you dont know as much about. keep up the good work and the helpful posts. check these out IStillGotMyGuitar

Shane said...

Nice to see someone mention Alvarez!IDK about the RD8, but I have a rd20sc and it easily compares to the majority of guitars costing twice the price from any brand.

ohtara1211 said...

What is it about the Yamaha FG730s that makes it harder for the "novice" to play?

jeffroso said...

I recently bought an Alavarez AD90 with solid spruce top and laminataed koa back & sides. Sound is wonderfully full and balanced. Playability is wonderful. Frets dressed perfectly, action low, natural bone saddle and nut make great combo. Liked better than Yamaha FG730S, especially in the playability dept. Action way too high out of the box on Yammie.

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