If you’re on a budget, you don’t have to compromise on your dream of learning the guitar. But there are options beyond the budget basement models that go in and out of tune or don’t hold up to scaling with your skills. Instead, you can still get good-quality acoustic guitars for under $1,000.
Here’s a round-up of where to start and how to pick the best guitar for you.
Best for Quality and a Lifetime Warranty: Zager Guitar ZAD20E
Denny Zager’s 60 years of playing, including in the hit 1960s band Zager and Evans, uniquely positioned Zager Guitars as the industry standard. As a premier luthier, founder Denny constantly innovates and meets the demands of the professional player because he is one himself. He created the renowned ZAD20 Series with solid wood construction, high-quality hardware, a custom neck design, and meticulous string spacing to make it easier to move quickly along the fretboard.
Despite its fast and comfortable playability, Zager’s unique, handcrafted construction prevents buzzing and rattling, combined with a special bracing system back and side and a cutaway for comfortable playability. It’s crafted from solid spruce and mahogany that produces a rich, full, and sustainable sound, no matter what you’re playing.
As one of their least expensive guitars on the market, the ZAD20E still features the same stunning craftsmanship as Zager’s priciest models. It’s well worth the investment and comes with a lifetime warranty.
The ZAD20E retails for $1,000 directly through Zager Guitars with free, two-way shipping.
Best Acoustic Guitar for Fast Neck and Playability: Taylor Academy Series 10E
The Taylor Academy 10e is an acoustic-electric guitar that serves as a good entry-level model if you want something high-quality. It’s still a good pick if you’re an intermediate or even advanced player on a budget.
With a dreadnought body shape and comfortable feel, the Academy Series 10E is crafted with solid Sitka spruce and ebony tonewood that features a comfortable, fast-playing neck profile. Its bracing patterns also help with the guitar’s natural tone or voice and sustain a great sound. But if made in the USA, guitars are important to you, and this isn’t the right acoustic guitar for under $1,000 for you. It’s made in Tecate, Mexico, which largely keeps costs down.
The Taylor Academy Series 10E retails for $849.
Best Acoustic Guitar for Versatility: Guild OM-140CE
The Guild OM-140CE is a good pick for versatile musicians looking for an instrument that holds up to different styles. It features a solid Sitka spruce top, solid African mahogany sides, and a cutaway for comfort when gigging out or practicing at home. Its mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard make it ideal for flatpicking and fingerpicking that is sustained.
If you want more amplification on stage, the Guild OM-140CE also features a Guild/Fishman GT3 with Sonicore pickup. Regardless of whether you want to play on stage or at home, you can strum or finger pick your way to the perfect sound
The Guild OM-140CE retails for $869.
Best for Fingerpicking: Yamaha FS-TA TransAcoustic
The Yamaha LS-TA TransAcoustic is a great choice if you love fingerpicking your way through a song. Its concert body features a solid spruce top, mahogany back, and sides for a rich, warm resonance. This acoustic-electric guitar recreates the feeling of playing live without external amplification. In other words, it sounds great on a quiet stage where you want to show off your skills.
As an acoustic guitar under $1,000, it also offers eye-popping performances on stage. Choose a traditional brown or vintage option or bright red to get seen and heard.
The Yamaha FS-TA TransAcoustic retails for $679.99.
Best Acoustic Guitar for Volume: D’Angelico Excel Bowery
This single-cutaway dreadnought guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. The D’Angelico Excel Bowery also comes with a satin-finished slim C neck, a fast fingerboard radius, and a Fishman Sonitone preamp system. You get your money’s worth with fantastic intonation and volume, even without the preamp.
There are also some high-end embellishments on this budget-friendly guitar. Its small mother-of-pearl diamond inlays and an ebony fingerboard make it look elegant on stage compared to other guitars in its price category.
The D’Angelico Excel Bowery retails for $999.99.
Best Grand Auditorium Style Guitar: Washburn Comfort G25SCE
The Grand Atrium-style Washburn Comfort G25SCE is an acoustic/electric guitar featuring a comfortable Venetian cutaway. Players are quick to praise it for its easy upper fret access. With a Sitka spruce top and mahogany/maple-bound body and headstock, the G25SCE also features an Ovangkol fingerboard.
When the G25SCE is unplugged, you get fuller and richer sound. But when plugged in, it offers the crisp top end you want with a balanced, solid bottom. Overall, it’s a great-sounding guitar, but all it takes is its built-in Fishman electronics to take the stage for amplification that doesn’t compromise its tonality.
The Washburn Comfort G25SCE retails for $744.45.
The Best Acoustic Guitar Under $1,000 for the Basics at a Budget Price: Ibanez Artwood AC340
The Ibanez Artwood AC340 is available for both right- and left-handed players and offers a mid-range richness to its voice. With a nyatoh/maple neck and Ovangkol fretboard, the sides and back are constructed with Okume for affordability and a great sound. On the downside, there’s no electronics, so if you’re going to gig out, this may not have the amplification you want for an acoustic guitar under $1,000.
Despite its low price point, it still offers a real bone nut and saddle, plus a thermo-aged bridge and bridge plate. It sounds pretty good and has some complexity that sits well with just about any style of music.
The Ibanez Artwood AC340 retails for $449.99.
Breedlove ECO Pursuit Exotic S Concert CE
The acoustic-electric Breedlove ECO Pursuit Exotic S Concert CE is part of the ECO collection and made with sustainably sourced exotic and native tonewoods. It takes a unique approach to tonewood selection with a solid myrtlewood top, back, and sides for a balanced tone. It looks sleek and is easy to play with a smooth, satiny neck texture.
Depending on your preferences, you may not like that the Breedlove ECO Pursuit Exotic S Concert CE is made in China. The quality seems to hold up, but it may not be a good option if you want the expertise of a local luthier and on-site manufacturer.
Pursuit Exotic Concert Tiger’s Eye CE retails for $749.
Is an Acoustic Guitar Under $1,000 Worth it?
An acoustic guitar under $1,000 is well worth the price, provided you choose quality. Make sure you’re getting a handcrafted guitar from a reputable brand with quality hardware, strings, and a good lifetime warranty. Guitars that look great on stage but don’t offer much in the way of durability and sound aren’t going to do you much good.
However, finding the best acoustic guitar under $1,000 is also a personal preference. You may not care that much about how well an acoustic guitar amplifies on stage if you’re primarily concerned about learning the craft and playing small gigs. Or you may not care about the stain and finish of an acoustic if what you really want is amplified sound quality.
What to Look for in an Acoustic Guitar
If you’re new to the world of acoustic guitars or have only had cheap brands that don’t sound that great, here’s what to look for in your next purchase:
Tonewoods: Spruce and mahogany are among the best tonewoods for acoustic guitars for their rich, full sound. However, some people love maple tonewoods for their bright sound.
Handcrafted quality: Renowned guitar brands employ experienced luthiers with handcrafted skills instead of using overseas manufacturers to save money. Be aware that some high-end brands will create their top-of-the-line instruments in the U.S. but outsource to overseas factors to produce acoustic guitars under $1,000. You can learn more about guitars made in the USA here.
Neck: Depending on who you ask, C-shaped guitar necks are usually the most comfortable to play. If you have large hands, you may prefer a U-shaped neck. However, some brands have their own unique guitar necks, like Zager Guitars. They add innovative details, like guitar strings placed slightly closer together and carbon-coated, pillow-touch strings for a more comfortable way to play.
Warranty: A good guitar warranty offers a lifetime replacement for everything except neglect and damage. Many brands only offer limited warranties and are slow to fix or replace your instrument without jumping through hoops. Read more about the guitar brands with the best warranties here.
Customer Service: Does the guitar brand answer the phone when you call? Can you talk to the luthiers? Do they have a good return policy and warranty? If you can’t make headway with a guitar company’s customer service, you shouldn’t buy an instrument from them, or you’ll run into headaches with slow resolutions.
Budget: You can get a dirt cheap guitar, but they don’t hold up to the same standards of handcrafted style, quality, and sound. They’re usually made from synthetic materials and partial tonewoods that can impact the way they sound and stay in tune.
Online reviews: Online reviews matter, but they aren’t everything. Make sure the guitar brand has a good reputation and is focused on customer service and making their products better. Most acoustic guitar brands produce a range of options, so someone with small hands and a small stature may feel more comfortable playing a travel or parlor guitar than a jumbo guitar.
Remember that buying an acoustic guitar for under $1,000 is largely about preference. You can spend months figuring out what everyone else recommends or go with your gut. If you just want a great-sounding guitar that’s well-crafted and affordable, go with Zager. If you want something really cheap that sounds decent, try a Yamaha. If you want something of super high quality, try a D’Angelico Excel bowery.
The goal is to get started instead of succumbing to analytical paralysis. Yes, you want to make a good investment in your next guitar. But focus on quality and a great warranty, and you can’t go wrong.
Get Help Choosing the Best Acoustic Guitars Under $1,000
Still not sure how to choose the best acoustic guitars under $2,000? Here are some more resources on how to find the best acoustic guitar for you:
Final Thoughts
Finding the best acoustic guitars under $1,000 requires a little diligence to weigh the pros and cons of each instrument, how it performs for your needs, and its overall craftsmanship and longevity. Above all else, make sure to buy from a brand with a solid warranty and reputation for quality to put you on the right track for success.