The Best Acoustic Guitar Under 500 – Our Top 10 Picks
It can be tough being a musician and needing to purchase a new guitar. We all want the best deal that we can possibly get, but we all also want the best quality. It feels as if it’s only ever by a very thin margin that we find a guitar which meets both expectations, right in the sweet spot of our Venn diagram. Our set price limit is a reasonable one, and we want all of our readers to find the best acoustic guitar under 500 dollars.
What we’ve done here is gone ahead and gotten all of that comparing and browsing and reading out of the way first. We searched for the absolute best acoustic guitar under 500 dollars, and came up with this comprehensive list that should present any curious guitarist with a variety of different options for their next instrument.
Epiphone Hummingbird PRO
This little beauty is maybe the best acoustic guitar for beginners, and it more or less has it all. Solid spruce top, mahogany body and neck, and a 12″ rosewood fingerboard. On top of that, this guitar is decked out with a classic sunburst finish with traditional hummingbird artwork on the pick guard. Epiphone has a great reputation for crafting gorgeous guitars with great sound. Coming in at just over 300 dollars, this guitar is both affordable and beautiful.
Martin X Series 2015 LX Little Martin
Don’t let the name fool you. Although this acoustic guitar is small in size, it delivers with a full bodied sound that is hard to match at the same price range. The body is Stitka spruce with a Micarta fret board. Some may shy away at the mention of the brand, thinking it will be too expensive for the,. This couldn’t be further from the truth. All things considered, the Little Martin is one of the best budget acoustic guitars for musicians looking to save money and still get a great deal from a well known brand. Like the Hummingbird, this guitar is a steal for only 330 dollars.
Yamaha FS830 Solid Top Small Body
Yamaha has always been a trusted brand when it comes to musical instruments and accessories, and they don’t get anything wrong here. The FS830 is a good guitar to get before taking beginner acoustic guitar lessons. We think it works great for players with a smaller frame, or those wishing to learn or play more acoustic finger style. And, as another guitar in the 300 range, the FS830 is easy on the wallet.
Seagull S6 Original
The Seagull S6 Original is not a cheap acoustic guitar, something blindingly apparent upon hearing its tone. Any guitarists out there looking to learn how to play acoustic guitar in style have come to the right place. The S6 has a cedar body with a wild cherry backing, and falls just in our price range at 450 dollars.
Art & Lutherie Dreadnought Spruce
This beautiful, Canadian-made guitar ties with the Epiphone Hummingbird as best acoustic guitar for beginners. Its full sized body delivers clear and bright high tones, and warm, mellow lows. Its body is spruce with a rosewood fret board. Coming in at 350 dollars, this is by no means a cheap acoustic guitar, but it definitely makes the cut for best budget acoustic.
Suzuki SCG-36CE
Built with the classical concert guitarist in mind, this affordable semi acoustic guitar brings the trusted name of Suzuki with it, which had our stamp of approval almost immediately. Another guitar great for beginner acoustic guitar lessons, the SCG-36CE has a clean tone and pristine finish. Coming in just under 300 dollars, it’s our cheapest choice by far.
Cigano GJ-0 Petite Bouche Gypsy Jazz Guitar
For those interested in something different to add to their growing collection, look no further. The Cigano GJ-0 design may look a bit goofy, but the large, sitka spruce body and small sound hole are some of the defining characteristics of guitars for that gypsy jazz style. Expect robust volume and a clear, expressive tone from this beauty, and at 450 dollars, the price of novelty has never been so low.
Morgan Monroe M-00-TBV
Some prefer jazz, while others would rather have an acoustic guitar that presents a more bluesy presence. The Morgan Monroe delivers faithfully in that regard with its tobacco sunburst finish on a solid wood body. Indeed, at seeing this pretty instrument, it’s understandable why some male guitarists name their guitars after women. The M-00-TBV earns its spot on this list through its ease in simplicity and elegance. The price tag looks good, too, at just under 450 dollars.
Takamine GF30CE-BLK FXC Cutaway
Another semi acoustic guitar to add to the list, great for those who love acoustic, but also occasionally want to creep their fingers up past the twelfth fret. The Takamine preamp system comes with a built in tuner so notes will always ring out true and clear. The solid spruce top has mahogany back and sides, and a glossy black finish that catches the light. It goes for just over 400 dollars, and is a solid first choice for any aspiring guitarist wanting to learn how to play acoustic guitar.
Ibanez Performance Series PC15 Grand Concert
The last acoustic guitar on our list, but certainly not the least in price or quality. At 475 dollars, it’s the most expensive of acoustic guitars listed, but also one of the better in terms of tone and quality. Ibanez is a well trusted brand, and the PC15 Grand Concert acoustic does not disappoint.
That about does it for the our search for the best acoustic guitar under 500 dollars. There are others left unmentioned, to be sure, but the gems that stand out to the majority of the guitar community are all to be found here. We understand that it can be frustrating not to be able to afford the top of the line products we all want, but short of getting lucky at the pawn shop, our options are limited.
These ten acoustic guitars will make any guitar aficionado swoon and drool. We sit back and stare and listen, and curse our luck for not being able to just buy them all.
