The Best Acoustic Guitars for Beginners

Shopping for an acoustic guitar can feel like choosing shoes in the dark, because everything looks nice, but only a few will actually help you play longer and sound better at home. The smartest move is to buy the best guitar you can afford. 

It might sound like a sales pitch, but a well-built instrument keeps practice comfortable, holds tuning more easily, and saves money because you won’t rush into an upgrade.

Put your budget toward parts that affect tone and playability, such as choosing a solid top, adding a trusted pickup brand like Fishman if you plan to plug in, and, if your budget allows, going for solid back and sides. You can skip the fancy finishes and extra trim that raise the price without helping you learn.

What Acoustic Guitars Are Best for Beginners?

In short, a beginner-friendly acoustic guitar should feel comfortable, stay in tune, and sound clear when you strum or pick quietly at home. 

The models below balance size, materials, and electronics so you can practice chords and simple melodies without fighting the instrument:

Smaller-Bodied Acoustic Guitars

Many beginners, especially younger players, find smaller bodies easier to hold. Good examples include grand auditorium, orchestra, parlour, and folk shapes. Out of these, the Grand Auditorium often gives the best balance of tone, comfort, and playability. 

Some smaller bodies can sound a bit thin to some ears, with less bass. If you want everything in one box, check starter packs for a guitar, gig bag, and basic accessories at a lower combined price. 

You can also browse acoustic guitars for beginners that don’t put a dent in your budget but deliver reliable performance and playability. 

Tanglewood Guitars

Tanglewood offers solid spruce and mahogany builds across dreadnought, superfolk, and parlour shapes, with many models adding cutaways for easier reach up the neck. Electronics range from reliable Fishman Presys systems to Tanglewood’s Smart system with built-in effects, handy for simple amplified practice without extra pedals. 

Expect comfortable neck profiles, tidy binding on the top and back, and hardware like Grover tuners that help day-to-day tuning. If you want something aimed at new players, the Union line is a strong place to start, pairing a clear tone with straightforward controls. Pick the body size that fits your frame, then choose the pickup system that matches how often you plan to plug in.

Gretsch Jim Dandy

The Gretsch Jim Dandy brings a compact parlour or dreadnought body, laminated basswood top, back, and sides, and a nato neck with a walnut fingerboard for a balanced, old-school sound. X-bracing supports resonance, open-gear die-cast tuners keep tuning practical, and the vintage styling nods to the mail-order “Rex” guitars from the 30s–50s. 

Although many Jim Dandy models feature laminated rather than solid tonewoods and are smaller-bodied parlours, which some players hear as lighter on bass, the tone has a charming, throwback character that suits early blues, folk, and casual strumming. It’s one of our most popular beginner choices for its size, look, and straightforward feel. If you want something easy to carry and comfortable on the couch, start here.

Yamaha FG / FS Series

The Yamaha FG series uses a dreadnought body that gives a bold, versatile sound and handles strumming well. The FS series is a smaller concert body that feels easier to hold for many players and gives a more balanced tone that works for fingerpicking. Both lines commonly include solid spruce tops and scalloped bracing, which helps the guitar resonate and project. 

On higher trims, you’ll find upgrades like solid mahogany or rosewood backs and sides, bone nuts and saddles, and the Atmosfeel pickup system for a natural sound when you plug in. Setups are consistent out of the box, so you can focus on playing. Choose FG if you want more low-end and volume. Choose FS if you prefer a compact body and tighter mid detail.

Fender California Series

The Fender California Series blends classic Fender styling with player-friendly specs. You’ll see solid tops, slim C-shaped necks that are easy to hold, and Fishman preamps for simple stage or home amplification. 

The distinctive 6-in-line, Stratocaster-style headstocks and finishes such as candy apple red and surf green tie in with famous Fender looks. Body shapes vary across the line, so you can pick the size that fits your reach and volume needs. If you like a familiar Fender vibe and want consistent electronics, this series gives you both in an acoustic format.

Eastman

Eastman acoustics are hand-made in China by seasoned luthiers. Entry models come with a solid spruce top for a stronger, clearer tone. As you move up in price, you get all-solid construction for both the top and the back and sides, which adds depth and volume. 

Some solid tops are thermo-cured, also called torrefied, to mimic the way wood ages, so the guitar sounds more open. Eastman ships D’Addario strings from the factory. You can change string gauges later, but ask a tech to do the first swap to keep playability and intonation on track. 

Many models use the Truetone finish that protects the wood while still letting it resonate. Truetone has also been designed to be more environmentally friendly than some traditional finishes, like nitrocellulose. Selected series include the Tone-Tite neck system to improve how vibration transfers from the neck to the body.

Faith Guitars

Faith Guitars is a premium option for beginners who want a “buy once” instrument. The brand has won the UK’s Best Acoustic Guitar Award five times, and every model is hand-made to designs by Patrick James Eggle, a respected master luthier. You’ll see comfortable shapes, rich tone from quality woods, and clean setups that support steady progress. 

They also prioritise sustainability, such as by partnering with the JUST ONE Tree charity, which plants at least one tree per guitar sold, and provides environmental education to the communities nearby planting sites.

If you want similar specs without the cosmetic extras, look at stripped-back lines like the Naked series. You still get a Fishman pickup, solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, and ebony bridge and fingerboard.

How to Buy the Right Acoustic Guitar

Many brands offer “stripped back” versions of their popular models with the same or comparable electronics, tonewoods, and playability, just without pricier visual details like bursts, fancy binding, or intricate rosettes.

For example, the Faith Naked series is the most affordable line and still includes a Fishman pickup, solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, and an ebony bridge and fingerboard; those specs line up closely with the Eclipse series, which looks different and costs almost twice as much. We list detailed specs so you can compare what matters.

Unless the guitarist is very young, avoid smaller-scale or travel guitars. These use shorter scale lengths than the standard 62.9–64.8 cm and tighter string spacing around 50–55 mm total, roughly 10–11 mm between strings, so moving to full-size later can feel like a relearn. 

You can also save by checking Clearance models for discontinued or lightly marked instruments, or by choosing a used electric or used acoustic at a lower price than new.

If you’re near Newstead or the Gold Coast, visit us and we’ll help you narrow the list, compare body sizes and pickup systems, and leave with a guitar that supports steady practice from day one.