9 Best Acoustic Guitars Under $1000 (2021) Reviews & Buying Guide (2023)

1. Best Acoustic-Electric –Martin D-10e
2. Best for Beginners –Yamaha FG800
3. Best for Travel –Taylor GS Mini
4. Best Cheap –Fender CD-60S
5. Best Under $500 –Seagull S6
6. Taylor Big Baby (BBTe) Acoustic Guitar
7. LX1E Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
8. Yamaha F325D Acoustic Guitar
9. Fender FA-100 Acoustic Guitar

I am a big fan of hybrid acoustic-electric because I sometimes like to plug in, and these types give me an opportunity. Either plugged in or not, Martin D10-e delivers some resonant tones, even when it’s not metal.

This acoustic-electric also has a proper construction that’s eco-friendly. Martin utilized a Sitka spruce for the top, which produces a warm sound. They also used an FSC certified wood on the fretboard and bridge.

There are 20 frets on this board, and X-bracing supports the spruce top, which also provides a high level of volume.

Sapele makes the backs and sides of the instrument. This tonewood particularly shines in the midrange. When playing acoustically, you get a very crisp and even sound.

When you opt to plug it in, you get a chance to use the new and significantly upgraded Fishman MX-T electronics package. It has a built-in tuner which is super easy to use and excellent tone control.

The other new feature would be the looks. With this new version, Martin added a new premium look appealing for pretty much everyone.

So, how does the instrument perform? Well, this is a clear and crisp guitar that has a respectable level of volume. The midrange shines with this instrument, and overall, it’s also a guitar that has a high level of durability.

Even though it is a little expensive, it’s an excellent investment. You can use it wherever you go, or whatever you want to play. It has solid tonewoods which will improve the quality of the guitar as time pass by.

You can read the full review of Martin D-10e here.

High-quality wooden and metallic materials form Yamaha’s western dreadnought guitar.

Here’s why it’s one of the best acoustic guitars under $1000:

First, this guitar’s top is a Sitka spruce, which produces a warm sound as a tonewood. The Nato/Okume back and sides enhance the sound, which is excellent with various folksy styles of music.

In addition to this unique sound profile, the internals of the guitar utilizes scalloped bracing, which helps this instrument produce some truly high volume that emulates grand concert levels.

While this instrument has a high action level, this is still a relatively easy guitar to learn on. This instrument is also a very sturdy and durable; the scalloped bracing adds a lot of stability as well as volume.

The fingerboard and the bridge are both made of the ever-reliable rosewood, and there are 20 frets on the fretboard. This instrument also has a very aesthetically-pleasing headstock; it’s made of the same rosewood but has a beautiful shaping that rises to two rounded points from the middle.

Durable die-cast metal forms the tuning pegs. This instrument will seldom need tuning, which is a significant bonus for people just learning to play guitar.

In conclusion, the Yamaha FG800 is a good value for beginners or advanced players. It has delicate, crisp tones that don’t cost a lot, and it’ll fit most adults.

If you’re a fan of Yamaha, you might want to check their newly released series that looks and sounds majestic,Story Series.

You can read the full review of Yamaha FG800 here.

The Taylor GS Mini is what we affectionately call a “baby” acoustic. These baby guitars are great for those who travel a lot. They’re small, but they don’t lack value for those trying to learn.

These can be great for beginners that need a smaller guitar to take with them as they go on trips. Despite its smaller size, this guitar has a dreadnought styling and can produce substantial sound output.

When it comes to the used materials, this guitar has three main tonewoods: Sapele, mahogany, and Sitka spruce. Each of these looks is very attractive, and Taylor provided an engaging, smooth, and satin finish.

Insofar as the sound profile that these materials produce, you won’t be disappointed. You can expect an almost on par sound like a full-sized dreadnought when played with medium to soft strumming.

When it comes to the action of the guitar, it’s relatively low, which means that most beginners looking for a ¾ size dreadnought will find this reasonably easy to fret.

When it comes to the aesthetic features of this baby acoustic, I love the look, and the reddish pickguard stuck out for me as very attractive. Additionally, the saddle highlights a synthetic NuBone material, and it also has a cool-looking curvature that adds to the design of the mini dreadnought.

One of the most significant drawbacks of a dreadnought acoustic is the sometimes bulky size, but this mini acoustic melds a smaller scale with some truly premium materials.

You can read the full review of Taylor GS Mini here.

This particular model of Fender acoustic guitar has recently undergone a redesign that has changed out some of the previously used materials. Now, this dreadnought has a material construction that includes mahogany back and sides and spruce top that delivers some clean midrange tones.

One of my favorite aspects of this guitar is the beautiful finish – mahogany shapes the whole guitar, and as a result, it stands out in a collection.

When it comes to design, the acoustic has a scalloped “X”-bracing that at once boosts the volume output of the acoustic as well as provides a very durable and well-supported exterior.

The materials used also tend to age well, which means that the already full-bodied sound will improve over the years. Nothing is more annoying than having fingerboard edges that snag, which is why I appreciate the rolled edges that the CD-60S uses. Fender calls their neck the “Easy-to-Play” neck, and with the fingerboards so polished, I can see why.

The Fender CD-60s is a 20-fret guitar, and each of its notes rings out with genuine resonance due to the hollow dreadnought body used in the redesign. Additionally, durable tonewoods form the body, and the action on the fretboard is shallow, which makes this an excellent beginner instrument.

Overall, I consider this to be one of the easiest to play instruments in the guide. It has good sound output, can quickly help you build good finger habits, and doesn’t require constant adjustment and tuning.

You can read the full review of Fender CD-60S here.

With a lot of instruments made overseas, it’s good to see that North America (Canada) also creates a model of a guitar with such versatility. This S6 is another dreadnought guitar with a relatively large body that doesn’t taper much in the middle.

The S6 may be one of the sturdiest guitars on the list. Seagull build firm guitars because they ought to pressure test each instrument. Due to the quality of their guitars, you shouldn’t see much in the way of warping or bowing as you play this instrument with steel strings.

If you like vibrant sounds, this is an instrument that’s garnered a reputation for producing these types of tones, and a high level of clarity is one of this instrument’s hallmarks.

This instrument isn’t something that I’d use in a live performance (without augmentation at least). Although, it’s an excellent choice for a player that wants to learn using a particularly resonant instrument.

Cedar is pressure-tested, which is a tonewood known for its unique resonance that tends to change slightly as the wood matures. As time goes by, you can expect the brightness of this instrument to increase thanks to this material construction.

Insofar as the headstock, this instrument has a smaller head with a thick neck, which can improve the tuning experience. I particularly liked the tapering shape of this headstock – it gives it a somewhat unique look.

You can read the full review of Seagull S6 here.

Another mini dreadnought, the Big Baby Taylor acoustic guitar is a 15/16-size acoustic with a Sitka spruce top. Sapele wood makes the back and sides of this baby. This specific combination of the tonewoods makes for a very resonant mini instrument.

As you might expect, this is a guitar that’s great to travel. Along with the construction, it is rather durable to withstand a few dings. Thanks to its layered-wood construction, it even has some resistance against humidity.

The Big Baby Taylor is something of a bigger sibling to the company’s Baby Taylor. As a result, this is a slightly larger instrument. It uses “X”-bracing to provide a loud volume despite having a body depth of just four inches.

The headstock on this instrument is also reasonably attractive. It also uses die-cast tuners that will resist most of the damage that can happen on the road.

This guitar doesn’t quickly lose its tuning. Hence, this is an excellent option for less advanced players that aren’t skillful with other adjustments other than E standard.

You can read the full review of Taylor Big Baby (BBTe) Acoustic Guitar here.

This specific model of acoustic/electric travel guitar was made somewhat famous by pop singer, Ed Sheeran. Like the previous baby acoustic, this guitar is designed to have a smaller form factor so that you can take it with you more easily.

Despite this portability, you can expect a reasonably deep sound out of the baby guitars. It won’t replace an advanced player’s more significant acoustic, but it is an excellent style of starter acoustic to consider.

This model of Little Martin acoustic guitar has a Sitka spruce top that provides a reasonably resonant, if somewhat bright sound.

The body and the sides feature a mahogany laminate; the laminates use high-pressure techniques which add a lot of durability to the instrument.

The travel guitar also has 20 total frets, and it uses Richlite as the fingerboard material; the rounded fret pins improve the guitar’s playability.

Finally, this product is also an acoustic-electric. So, when you want a more massive sound, you can plug the guitar into an amplifier.

You can read the full review of LX1E Little Martin Acoustic Guitar here.

This steel-string dreadnought guitar has a robust construction that is also relatively light for beginners. It also has a beautiful design that’s very attractive for those that are in the intermediate and advanced stages of learning.

Here’s why it’s one of the best guitars under $1000:

The body of this guitar features a light-colored spruce top. Spruce is a tonewood that has a bright and resonant tonality. Also, the internal chamber of this guitar helps bring out this sound quality by adding resonance and volume.

With a rosewood fretboard, this is a 20-fret instrument will provide you with a fair amount of tone options.

The back and sides of this instrument are made of meranti, which is a unique tonewood that has a similar sound profile to poplar. Meranti is more pronounced in the midrange, and there’s some brightness in the highs. This material is also very durable. Beginners can even put it through the paces, which I find very helpful for those that are new to the instrument.

Finally, the headstock has a fairly standard design, and it’s capped with chrome tuning pegs and hardware. The slightly concave top of the headstock looks beautiful in conjunction with these tuners. Altogether, these components add to the overall aesthetic of the guitar.

Overall, this instrument provides a tremendous ground-floor experience for a new musician.

You can read the full review of Yamaha F325D Acoustic Guitar here.

UPDATE:The Fender FA-100 is currently unavailable, but the closest alternativeFender FA-115is.

Not only does this guitar have a fairly beginner-friendly shaping, but it also comes with a gig bag that you can use to take your show on the road.

The durable nylon makes the gig bag, and it has a strap and pockets where you can store things like tuners, picks, or a string changing winder/clipper.

This 20-fret instrument has relatively wide frets near the headstock, which can be advantageous for a newbie looking to learn fingerstyle.

When it comes to materials, the top is made of basswood – this material, as the name indicates – is a tonewood that’s known to help produce earthier, bassy tones. This top also has a high level of gloss, which is natural and adds a bit of aesthetic charm to the instrument.

This acoustic features a synthetic bone nut, which is a high-quality material. The fretboard and bridge using rosewood. With the combination of these tonewoods, it generates a reasonably distinctive sound. Most adults should have little to no issue holding this instrument comfortably.

This Fender instrument is a great place to start for a beginner, and itslow actionis a great place to start for anyone looking to learn how to bend, slide, and fret.

In the Fender Alternative Series, there’s also theFA-125 with an acoustic-electric versionwhich you might find interesting.

You can read the full review of Fender FA-100 Acoustic Guitar here.