Learning and playing the guitar is an enjoyable thing for me. When I held the guitar for the first time a few years back I wasn't sure how long I will come with this beautiful instrument. I didn't give up on the minor failures. After many days and months of practice, I feel that my journey of playing the guitar could be easy If I would have chosen the right guitar. I hope you won't repeat the same mistake. Last article was the 10 Best Mini guitars for Kids and Beginners. Article explained about the 10 affordable and travel-friendly acoustic guitars in brief. Today we are going to discuss 10 Best Acoustic guitars for beginners 2022.
Taylor GS Mini Rosewood
I already reviewed about Taylor GS Mini Mahogany. GS Mini Rosewood and Mahogany have all the similarities except for the wood used on the top, Back and side. Instead of tropical Mahogany they used Sitka Spruce top. Spruce produces bright and loud sound.
Mahogany top has deep bass and balanced mids. Spruce gives better treble compared to Mahogany. Both the guitars are compact, travel-friendly and easy to play for beginners. If you love loud and punchy tone Rosewood is a better option for you.
Taylor GS Mini Rosewood
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Martin LX1E little martin
Martin LX1E Little Martin has a 23" dreadnought body with Sitka Spruce top and Mahogany HPL back and side. Though it's 23" Martin LX1E has a surprisingly loud sound. I am keen to know how Martin could deliver such a loud sound with HPL back and side. The last time I tried and reviewed LXK2 Little martin with the same scale length but the tone was bold and deep.
It's a fact that both the guitars don't project the volume like full-size guitars they did the job well. But the Specially designed 13 gauge guitar strings compensate up to some extent. LX1E comes with the Soft Gig bag. This dreadnought size guitar is a perfect choice for Beginners, kids and adults with small hands. LX1E is slightly costs more than LXK2 but that sounds better too.
Martin LX1E little martin
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Yamaha FG800
Yamaha is a famous brand for making excellent budget-friendly guitars. FG800 isn't an exception. If you check the specifications and features you will surprise how is it possible to have such great features on this budget. In FG800 you get something interesting called scalloped bracing that is more responsive and delivers punchy bass compared to the guitars with straight bracing.
The Solid Spruce top with Laminated nato back and sides give a warmer sound that you rarely get in dreadnought size. Overall it's a fantastic entry-level guitar with only a con. Its high action made it difficult to press the strings for beginners. you need a practice of a few days to play them easily.
Yamaha FG800
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Fender CD-60S
Why is the Fender CD-60S is so popular model of Fender? The answer is easy. Can you get the guitar with a high-quality solid Spruce top and mahogany back and sides that also sound great and are easy to play for under $200?
A classic look is another specialty of Fender CD-60S. So many things to say about CD-60S but what I liked the most is how could they manage to deliver top-class features and a high-quality build at such an affordable price. The solid Spruce top gives a deep and rich tone over time. You practice with the CD-60S it sounds better and better. Another feature is x bracing which gives stability and a more balanced sound.
I highly recommend CD-60S Fender to those who are beginners and don't want to invest much but at the same time want high-quality sound and playability. If you are a lefty then you must think of this model. It also comes with 2 strap buttons
Fender CD-60S
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Yamaha FS800
I already reviewed Yamaha FG800 and FS800 is very common to FG800 except for the size difference. both have steel strings and a Sitka Spruce top that delivers loud and clear sound. If you are searching for an acoustic guitar for your kid FS800 would be a good option because of its smaller size.
FS-800 is also available in the electric version. In short, let me tell you that FS-800 and FG-800 are excellent guitars. Both have the same advantages that every solid top guitar has. The only difference is the size. It's clear that size of the guitar also affects volume and projection. Comparing the sound FG-800 is slightly better. If you are a beginner, kid or woman with small hands FS-800 is a better companion.
Yamaha FS800
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Fender FA-115
Why did I include Fender FA-115 in the 10 best acoustic Beginner Guitars list? The answer is quite simple. I tested many guitars. Some are expensive some of them are cheap but very few of them come with a solid top. FA-115 is one of them. It costs below $200 with a Spruce top and Mahogany back and side. It's good to have a Gig bag, picks, strap, and spare strings included in the package.
You might be thinking FA-115 sounds poor just because it's cheaper but that's not true. It sounds loud and clear. Another reason to have this dreadnought guitar on my list is its playability. Fender designed the neck so well that you won't exhaust it even after hours of playing. I would highly recommend Fender FA-115. Great sound, easy to play and comes with so many accessories that heighten the joy of playing a guitar.
Fender FA-115
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Orangewood rey mahogany
Orangewood Rey is my first Orangewood guitar review. If you ask to suggest a great guitar for a beginner many will say Yamaha, Taylor, and Fender are great brands in the guitar industry because they are old players in the industry. Of course, we prefer old players but sometimes new players like Orangewood can give healthy competition to these old and reputed brands.
If you are searching for an acoustic guitar for less than $150 I would suggest Orangewood Rey Mahogany. You might have seen many guitar makers use Mahogany as the main material because of its excellent properties. Mahogany is a dense hardwood that is also highly durable. If you love smooth sound Orangewood Rey Mahogany can be a great choice.
It's cheaper, sounds good, and also looks good. If you are a beginner you may feel a slight discomfort with strings. They are a little hard to play for a newbie but after some days you will find no problem with them.
Orangewood rey mahogany
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Oscar Schmidt OG2SM
Oscar Schmidt OG2SM is a dreadnought guitar with 10 color variants. Natural, Black, Flame Black cherry, Flame yellow sunburst, Spalted Maple, Trans Blue, Trans Red, white and trans green are the different color variants with having Spruce top and mahogany sides and back. Neck wood is also Mahogany.
The spruce top produces a loud and bright sound and the Mahogany back and sides make the instrument durable. It's a dreadnought size which is a little bit discomfort to play for kids and adult with small hands. Good playability is another pro of OG2SM. It is easy to play because of having smooth Fretboard.
Though it doesn't sound as good as solid top it's sounds good considering the price. Spruce top with high gloss finish looks attractive. if you want a good looking acoustic guitar in affordable price OG2SM is a great choice in $200. But I would suggest to try cheaper guitar if you are a beginner. We also have many guitars under $150.
Oscar Schmidt OG2SM
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Jasmine S-35
Japanese premium quality guitar maker Takamine designed Jasmine S-35. Takamine is one of the most prestigious brands in the guitar industry founded in 1959. Even if Jasmine S-35 is an affordable Guitar its build and design won't feel cheap. It has a spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The spruce top is not solid.
It is a joint of 2 pieces that help to reduce the cost but at the same time, it may affect the tonality. Jasmine compensates for this with their advanced X bracing gives more stability to the body. Satin finish and slim neck profile make Jasmine S-35 very easy to play. If you are newbie playability is the most important feature your guitar must-have. Overall, Jasmine S-35 is a value for the money instrument. It has the loud and balanced tone with affordable price. Only downside is it looks average.
Jasmine S35
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Jasmine S34 NEX
Size is the first difference I noticed between Jasmine S34C NEX and S35. S34 NEX has jumbo size. It's made up of a spruce top with Sapele's back and sides. Though it's large size guitar its Playability surprised me. Many beginners leave this instrument just because they don't have enough strength in the fingers. S34C NEX has a slim neck making the hold easy for beginners.
High action is the most irritating issue most beginners face but S34C NEX is an exception. You don't need more pressure to play the strings. This is the miracle of Takamine design. Though the spruce top is not solid and laminated it still delivers a loud and punchy sound. Another noticeable quality it has is full sound projection and volume due to its body size.
I have seen very few guitars have such a great performance in this price range. overall it's value for a money guitar with the nice sound quality balanced tone and nice build quality. If you can ignore minor quality control issues and lack of resonance in the mid it's a great guitar for beginners.
Jasmine S34 NEX
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Conclusion
while reviewing the guitars we decided on some criteria. it should be affordable. Because most beginners are unsure about their guitar-playing journey. That's why they prefer cheap guitars. The second criterion was the playability of the guitar. what's the use if a guitar is difficult to play.
Pressing the string is a little bit difficult due to low strength in fingers so Beginners need guitars with low action. The Next criteria were sound. with these criteria, we selected these 10 acoustic guitars. among these 10 guitars, a few were my favorites like Fender FA-115 that comes with the accessories, Martin LX1E for the loud and clear sound, and fender CD-60S for the excellent build quality and balanced sound.