Acoustic Guitar roundup
The Best Acoustic Guitars for the Money
The best-value acoustic guitar options differ significantly by price tier. Here are the strongest choices from entry level to professional.
The best acoustic guitar for the money differs significantly by price tier. Here are the strongest options at each budget level, covering entry-level, mid-range and professional instruments.
Best Entry-Level (Under £250)
The Yamaha FG800 is the best acoustic guitar at entry level — it offers a solid spruce top, quality hardware and consistent manufacturing at a price most beginners can manage. Its dreadnought body projects well and suits most playing styles. The Fender CD-60S is a close second and is similarly specified. Both include a solid top, which is unusual at this price tier and makes them meaningfully better than all-laminate competitors. The Tanglewood TW15 NS is a good alternative if a smaller concert body is preferred. Avoid the cheapest unbranded instruments — inconsistent quality control makes them poor investments even at the lowest price point.
Best Mid-Range (£250–£700)
The Seagull S6 Original is the standout acoustic guitar at mid-range — a solid cedar top, silver leaf maple back and sides, tapered headstock and Canadian manufacture make it a serious instrument at an unusually low price. Seagull's quality control is remarkably consistent for the price tier. The Yamaha LL6 ARE is the second best choice — it uses Yamaha's ARE (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement) treatment, which accelerates the acoustic resonance development that normally comes from decades of playing. The Martin 000-15M, though more expensive, is the best all-mahogany choice at this level.
Best Professional (Over £700)
The Taylor 314ce is the most versatile professional acoustic guitar in this price range — its solid sitka spruce top over sapele back and sides, with a Venetian cutaway, suits both fingerstyle and strumming with equal capability. The Martin D-28 is the definitive dreadnought professional instrument, unchanged in specification since 1931 and still the reference point for its body size. The Gibson J-45 is the best choice for players who prefer a warmer, more compressed sound. For an overview of what to look for when buying, see our buyer's guide.
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