Playing a musical instrument like an acoustic guitar is very soothing. It is a great way to release all the stress and positive energy and to spend some quality time with your loved ones. This is one of the reasons why their sales have reached their peak in the last two years. So, we bring you up to speed on the best acoustic guitars on the market, followed by a comprehensive guide to help you.
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Our selection
"This guitar from Ibanez is suitable for both beginners and professionals. It comes with a tuner, picks, an accessory kit and a strap."
"It is a good quality guitar, but with a very affordable price. With a very easy handling, this kit promises great moments for both beginners…"
"This is by far the best acoustic guitar on the market. This high quality instrument is both durable and remarkably beautiful. It has a very…"
"It is an acoustic guitar with a 4/4 size suitable for an adult. Its quality remains remarkable and you can feel the amazing playability. The…"
This guitar from Ibanez is suitable for both beginners and professionals. It comes with a tuner, picks, an accessory kit and a strap.
85,60 £ on Thomann.deThis acoustic guitar is the perfect instrument to introduce you to the string. The package includes the guitar and all the necessary accessories. You will have a guitar, a strap, a tuner, an accessory kit and picks. It promises extraordinary playing comfort. With a full and balanced sound, you can have fun with this guitar at any time. Aesthetically, the natural color gives an original effect.
The top is made of spruce, the back and sides are made of agathis, the fingerboard and bridge are made of New Zealand pine. The width at the nut is 42,50 mm and it has 20 frets. The strap is made of nylon and the bindings are made of leather. It can be played for a long time without showing any signs of wear.
It is a good quality guitar, but with a very affordable price. With a very easy handling, this kit promises great moments for both beginners and advanced musicians.
62,28 £ on Thomann.deThis is an electro-acoustic guitar with an ergonomic dreadnought body. Thus, the strings are made of steel which means that you will have a rather strong and warm sound. The gears are also made of metal. With the cutaway, a professional can really enjoy this instrument.
The top is made of spruce, the back and sides are made of mahogany. The neck is made of mahogany and has a C profile. It is equipped with 20 frets. The pitch is 650 mm while the nut is 42.5 mm. As it is an electro-acoustic guitar, it is equipped with a microphone and preamplifier system. The volume can be adjusted, the equalizer really facilitates the adjustment and makes it very practical to be amplified. As for the aesthetics, the black color with high gloss gives a very bright effect.
This is by far the best acoustic guitar on the market. This high quality instrument is both durable and remarkably beautiful. It has a very harmonic and pleasing sound to the ear.
863 £ on Thomann.deThe Takamine brand is recognized worldwide as the best acoustic guitar brand. Thus, this model promises you strong moments in emotions and in sensation at any time. Indeed, you can play almost any music with this electro-acoustic guitar. It is of dreadnought style. On the aesthetic side, there is nothing to say, it is the best model.
All the parts of the guitar are made with high quality materials. The top is made of solid cedar, the back and sides are made of solid sapele, the neck is made of mahogany and the fingerboard, headstock and bridge are made of rosewood. We can then deduce that the sound it will emit will be very different from the guitars we can find every day. It has 21 nickel-plated frets and 42.5 mm of bone nut. With the cutaway, you can practically practice with all the notes.
It is an acoustic guitar with a 4/4 size suitable for an adult. Its quality remains remarkable and you can feel the amazing playability. The sound is delicate, varied and strong at the same time.
102 £ on Thommann.deThis acoustic guitar has nylon strings that emit a delicate and full sound. Dreadnought type, this guitar model is very suitable for those who want to have a good start in the world of stringed music. However, the professionals will also find their happiness because this very resistant guitar is remarkably incredible in sound.
The top is made of laminated spruce while the back and sides are made of laminated mahogany. The fingerboards and bridge are made of walnut, the neck is made of nato. Like most acoustic guitar models, it has 20 frets with 643 mm tuning forks and 43 mm nut width. The black color is very captivating and attractive.
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Your guide :
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| OUR SELECTION |
Ibanez V50NJP-NT Jam Pack - Acoustic Guitar
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Harley Benton D-120CE BK - Acoustic Guitar
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Takamine P3DC - Acoustic Guitar
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Fender CD-60 BK V3 - Acoustic Guitar
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This guitar from Ibanez is suitable for both beginners and professionals. It comes with a tuner, picks, an accessory kit and a strap.
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It is a good quality guitar, but with a very affordable price. With a very easy handling, this kit promises great moments for both beginners and advanced musicians.
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This is by far the best acoustic guitar on the market. This high quality instrument is both durable and remarkably beautiful. It has a very harmonic and pleasing sound to the ear.
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It is an acoustic guitar with a 4/4 size suitable for an adult. Its quality remains remarkable and you can feel the amazing playability. The sound is delicate, varied and strong at the same time.
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Guitar quality
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Saddle width
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42.50 mm
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42.50 mm
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42.50 mm
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43 mm
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Wood type
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Spruce, agathis, pine
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Spruce, sapele, mahogany
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Solid cedar, solid sapele, mahogany, rosewood
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Spruce, mahogany, nato, walnut
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String type
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Nylon
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A steel
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Steel
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Nylon
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Comfort of use
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It is important to choose the neck of the guitar well, especially if you are a beginner and it is the guitar with which you will practice. The neck should fit your hand. The necks of classical guitars are much wider than those of folk guitars. If you then have a small hand, you should look at guitars with small necks.
On the market, there are guitars of all shapes, but the most popular ones are:
However, we can also distinguish between jumbos, auditorium and roundback.
The choice of wood type is also important to have the best acoustic guitar. For tops, the most suitable woods are spruce and cedar in order of importance. Spruce provides a more open, warm and assertive tone. On the other hand, cedar is more elastic and soft. This results in a faster response and a very harmonic sound effect.
For the sides and back, mahogany, maple and rosewood are preferred. Maple offers clearer highs and deeper bass. Aesthetically, this wood is very tempting. Mahogany is a versatile wood. It provides a warm and balanced sound. It offers singing highs that are very pleasing to the ear. Finally, rosewood stands out for its strong bass and very bright harmonic effect.
The sound effect of the acoustic guitar depends in particular on its strength and these strings. So, the most important thing is to choose first of all the type of music you want to play, or that you prefer to listen to. For example, if you like Gypsy Kings, you should choose a classical, Spanish or flamenco guitar. On the other hand, folk guitars are suitable for all types of music. In fact, most musicians prefer the folk guitar for its sound quality.
In general, there are two main types of guitar strings. There are nylon strings that are associated with classical guitars and metal strings that are associated with folk guitars. These two types of strings are very different whether it is in terms of the playing sensation or the sound obtained.
Nylon strings are softer and smoother, but thicker. They are very easy to handle and require less adjustment time. As a temperament, we have an intimate tone, like jazz. On the other hand, steel strings are more powerful and brilliant for a very pleasant sound projection. It is a versatile type of string with which one can play rock, French song or even country music.
When maintaining an acoustic guitar, there are a few things to keep in mind. Indeed, it would always be best to consult a luthier and ask him to do all the necessary adjustments and maintenance. However, you can take care of the essential points to save money.
Acoustic guitars are all made of wood, and it is a very sensitive material to humidity and sudden temperature changes. Thus, it is forbidden to put it near heat sources such as fireplaces, hotplates, radiators, ovens, in a room that is always humid such as the kitchen, the toilet or the bathroom. Of course, it is also more convenient to put the guitar away from the sun. It should be stored away from any openings.
To prolong its life, use a wall hanger that will ease the tension on the neck. This also avoids the risk of twisting.
The sound generated by the guitar depends on the condition of the strings. So, you must think of changing them from time to time to keep the quality of your strings. In general, a guitar string should be changed every 6 to 8 months. If you play your guitar every day, you should reduce the time interval between the two changes.
The entire guitar should be cleaned with a soft, clean cloth. Ideally, this should be done at the time of string change to easily reach the hidden parts. If there are stains that are difficult to remove, you can moisten it slightly. However, there are also special products on the market for cleaning the headstock and neck and body of the guitar. There are "all-in-one" products, which can clean both and specific products for each part, the choice is up to you.
Also, according to grandmother's tips, lemon oil is perfect for cleaning rosewood and ebony necks. To do this, you gently soak a soft cloth and leave it on for a few minutes so that the wood absorbs the product.
For guitars with a varnished finish, you must rub VERY CAREFULLY with a steel wool. Afterwards, we finish by putting linseed oil to protect the varnish.
A classical guitar is very common on the market. It is mainly composed of three low strings with a steel core and three other high strings. The six small tuning machines are parallel to the headstock.
In general, there are four sizes available for classical guitars: 110 cm for an age range of 5 to 6 years, 125 cm for an age range of 6 to 8 years, 140 cm for an age range of 8 to 10 years, and finally, a standard size of over 150 cm in length. The flamenco and Spanish guitar have almost the same characteristics of a classical guitar. It can be used for many different kinds of music, including classical.
The flamenco guitar has quite similar characteristics to classical guitars. The main difference is the size and the type of wood used. For the back and sides, cypress is usually used. This gives a more dynamic and brilliant sound effect. However, the power is less consistent. This guitar is very interesting for the comfort of use that it offers.
For fast playing, this is the right type of acoustic guitar. There is almost a very low height between the fingerboard and the strings. You can easily give blows because there are protections for the globe.
The folk guitar is the instrument par excellence that American folk musicians use. Hence its name. This type of guitar is distinguished by their metal strings. As a result, it produces a very metallic and richer sound. This gives you more variety in sound as you get used to it and develop in this area.
This guitar is available in 6 and even 12 strings. For professionals who know how to handle it, you can get even more beautiful and interesting sound. Folk guitar is more compatible to everyone, but for beginners, it is quite difficult to start with folk guitar. However, if you master it, you can easily excel with other models.
When we say gypsy guitar, we can immediately turn the thought to Django Reinhardt. Indeed, he is the character who popularized gypsy jazz music by using this guitar. Compared to the folk guitar, the gypsy guitar has a slightly larger body. In addition, it has six strings that must be specially fixed by a professional metal tailpiece.
Thus, the gypsy guitar is more suitable for jazz music. This includes more musical qualification. Professional jazz players with very fast fingers, rhythm and synchronized movements are the main fans of this type of acoustic guitar.
The acoustic guitar is also known as the folk guitar. It is a guitar with six metal strings. The three bass strings are covered with bronze while the three treble strings are all steel. They are a bit harder. Moreover, the neck is a bit thinner on the end, around the fourteenth fret. In terms of practicality, it provides more feel.
With a folk guitar, the sound is like a slap in the face, brighter, colder and more metallic. This versatile instrument is suitable for acoustic rock and country... There are also electro-acoustic guitars which are a folk guitar that can be amplified, as well as Auditorium folk guitars.
At first glance, a classical guitar is a guitar with six nylon strings. The neck contains 12 fretted cases. It is also called a "Spanish guitar" or "acoustic guitar". With a thicker neck and softer strings, you don't even have to press hard to generate sound. Plus, the fingers are less tight because the strings are further apart.
The classical guitar has a soft, round and warm sound. You can play almost anything with this type of guitar. It is then easier to play classical guitar as well as flamenco guitar.
The choice between classical and acoustic guitars depends on your taste, both in terms of style and sound. However, if you are a beginner, it will take you longer to get used to a folk guitar. On the other hand, if you like a Latin sound, you should turn to a classical guitar.
An acoustic guitar is more pleasing to the ear
Playing an acoustic guitar is certainly more difficult, but the sound generated by the metal strings is more harmonic than other models. In addition, there is a real variety of music and arrangements that can be made.
It's a pleasure generating instrument
The guitar brings more pleasure and this is justified by a neuro-scientific study at McGill University in Montreal. According to the researchers, several happiness-generating hormones are released when playing the guitar, or just listening to the guitar. One of these is the famous hormone dopamine.
Acoustic guitar is a stress reliever
After a busy day at work, you can sit in the garden or on the terrace and play a few songs on the guitar to relieve stress and free your mind. Your worries will simply fade away and a sense of calm will come over you. Studies at Loma Linda University and EMBA confirm that playing a guitar significantly reduces stress.
The guitar stimulates brain activity
To put it simply: "Playing the guitar makes you smarter". It fights against mental sclerosis in the medium and long term. You won't have to take supplements or drugs to stimulate your brain activity because playing the guitar is more than enough.
Helping a child to develop well
The concept is very simple to define, when you play the guitar, the brain tries to adapt to new trends, remember chords and tune the location of the fingers well over time. Thus, it helps to improve creativity and concentration. It also helps to develop self-confidence.
In our opinion, the best brands of acoustic guitars in 2022 are :
Founded in 1962, Takamine makes the best electro-acoustic guitars on the market to date. Its difference is that it always brings great innovation to its latest products to extend the functionality.
It is a Japanese guitar brand propelled by Hoshino Gakki Ten and started in 1929. Its products always have better value for money.
Created in 1946, the music company Fender offers several actions in the music field such as acoustic guitar manufacturing. Since its creation, it always offers high quality instruments that are placed at the top of the comparisons.
The Harley Benton brand was founded around 1997. With a total passion for stringed music, the luthier Ovrille Gibson created the Gibson brand guitar in 1898. This experience confirms the quality of his products and the confidence that great music professionals have in them.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
How to start playing the guitar
There are some rules to follow to start and excel in guitar. Thus, we start by investing in a good instrument, try to play correctly by using the tuner, to remain modest and patient to better evolve. We continue by practicing regularly, trying to take pleasure in playing the guitar, making revisions and working on the acquired skills. Finally, one must try to copy and improve the pieces of other musicians, to use all the possible means to develop oneself well. Above all, the most important thing is to be persistent and not to be afraid of failing after the first practices.
The right gestures to adopt to play the guitar well
You can play guitar well while sitting or standing. The most important thing is to take the time to position yourself well so that you are totally comfortable in the position. If you are sitting, you need to have both feet on the floor, your back straight and the guitar against your body. With one leg crossed, you should rest the body on your upper thigh. Finally, if you use a footrest, you can raise the guitar to stimulate good blood circulation in the leg. When you are standing, you should use the strap to avoid possible back pain.
Learn the solfege better
It is essential to learn music theory when you play guitar. To do this, accelerate your skills, you need exercises as often as possible. In this purely repetitive work, you read aloud the notes, memorize and repeat them on the guitar. Above all, you must try to remember each sound generated by the notes. A practice of 10 min per day will be largely sufficient to familiarize and learn the solfege.
How to choose the right pick
The pick is an essential accessory to play well with an acoustic guitar. It gives an authentic sound to the pieces to make them more pleasant. On the market, we can distinguish soft picks which are not very precise, medium picks which are versatile and rigid picks of 0.90 mm which are very precise. For beginners, medium picks should be preferred, hard models are made for soloists and soft models to lay down the rhythm.
The importance of the guitar size
There are several sizes available for guitars, we have plenty of choice to have a model with which we are comfortable. In particular, there is an appropriate size depending on the age range of the player. Thus, 1/4 guitars are for children from 5 to 8 years old who are beginners, 1/2 guitars are for children from 7 to 9 years old, 3/4 guitars are for teenagers from 10 to 13 years old and finally, 4/4 guitars are for young people and adults. However, the latter format is more common.
Whether it is an acoustic or a classical guitar, there are several criteria to consider when choosing a good guitar. In particular, one must take into account the material of manufacture, the type of neck, the type of string, the type of guitar itself, the size of the guitar, the sound generated by the guitar, and especially the quality/price ratio presented by each model.
It is necessary to do an adequate maintenance to improve the sound of a folk or acoustic guitar. In general, it is more convenient to delegate the work to a more competent person such as a luthier to ensure the improvement of the sound emitted by the instrument. However, it is conceivable to replace the saddle of the bridge and the headstock to ensure a better effect.
To begin with the acoustic guitar, you should choose the best model that is both comfortable to handle and easy to master. However, if you are very persistent, nothing is better than choosing a metal string folk guitar. It is quite difficult to adjust to, but it is ideal to master the other types easily.
Effectively, there is a specific guitar size for every age group. It depends on the size of the person who wants to play it. So, if you are between 1 min 37 s and 1 min 50 s, you need a 3/4 guitar with a pitch of ~58, but above 1 min 55 s, you should go for a 4/4 guitar with a pitch of ~65.
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