If you want to buy an inexpensive acoustic guitar, you’ve come to the right webpage.  When it comes to budget guitars, I’m an expert.  Well, I am.  Just ask me.

Before reading this post, check out my video on how to evaluate an acoustic guitar’s tone!  Then read on…

Let’s start by defining “inexpensive.”  If you go to your local music store like Guitar Center or Sam Ash, inexpensive likely means somewhere between $100 and $200.  What kind of instrument can you get in that price range?  A decent one.  There are offerings from Epiphone, Ibanez, Fender, and of course Yamaha.  Yamaha has been the biggest name in budget acoustic guitars for a long time, and for good reason – they’re good at making them. But let’s get to the content.  I have four suggestions for you.

  1. Fender 097 1110 121 FA100.  What a product name.  This sells for around $120 and is the least expensive acoustic of the bunch.  It’s also the one I like the least.  This guitar sounds decent, but the action can be pretty high, making it difficult to play.  If you are on a really tight budget, it’s a good inexpensive guitar, but you’re better off paying a little more.
  2. Yamaha Gigmaker.  At $170, it’s $50 more than the Fender, but it’s a better instrument – it sounds better and it plays better.  A good general rule of thumb is that you can’t go wrong with Yamaha.  It comes with a bunch of stuff like a cheap tuner and a cheap bag.
  3. Yamaha Gigmaker Deluxe.  This package is $200 and it’s supposed to be a little better than the Gigmaker.  I didn’t find it to be worth the extra $30.  It’s good for the money, but I’d play both and see which one you like better.  Both models are better than the Fender.  They all sound pretty similar.
  4. Ibanez V70CE.  This guitar is $200 and it’s the best of the bunch.  It plays the best, it sounds as good as the others, and it comes with a built-in pickup system.  This is the one I’d recommend and buy.

There are many others out there, but these are the four most popular.  But let’s get down to some finer points, so that when you’re talking to the sales dude at Guitar Center you’ll know what you’re doing.  Here are some considerations:

  1. Looks.  If you don’t like the looks of an acoustic, you might be less likely to play it.  This sounds silly, but it’s true.  But in reality it’s the least important item on this list.
  2. Tuners.  The tuners in the guitar’s headstock are going to be fairly cheap in any instrument in this price range.  This is an area where you can later upgrade your guitar, though, so don’t sweat it too much.
  3. Sound.  What is the best way to judge how an acoustic guitar sounds?  If you know any chord that uses all 6 strings, strum it.  Can you hear each note clearly?  Is the sound balanced, or is it boomy?  Some of the low end Martin guitars sell for around $500 and they’re boomy.  Look for an instrument where all the strings can be heard.
  4. Action.  How close are the strings to the neck?  The closer they are, the easier the guitar will be to play.  Here’s an easy way to check the action of an acoustic – the two penny trick.  At the 12th fret, put two stacked pennies between the metal fret and the low E string.  If the pennies are pushing the string up a little bit, that’s reasonably good, low action.  But if the two stacked pennies don’t touch the string, the action is higher than it should be.
  5. Intonation.  If a guitar has good intonation, it means the guitar will play all of its notes and chords relatively in tune.  Here’s how to check intonation: play the low E string while holding down the string on the 12th fret..  Then barely touch the string directly above the 12th fret and pick the string again.  This is called a harmonic.  The two tones should be the same note.  If the harmonic sounds a little higher or lower in pitch, do not buy the guitar.  On an electric, you can make adjustments for this, but not on an acoustic.  If the intonation is off, some of the notes and chords will never be in tune.
  6. Electronics.  Do you need a pickup built into the guitar?  If you’re going to ever perform at an open mic or on an actual stage, you’ll need one.  It is possible to add a pickup to any acoustic guitar, but to get a good pickup system you’ll be spending anywhere from $125 to $200.  So having a guitar that already has a pickup is a pretty good thing.

Acoustic guitars are like any other instruments – you get what you pay for.  If you spend $120 on an acoustic, you’ll likely outgrow it.  A $200 guitar is just good enough that you might not need to buy another one.