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Best acoustic guitar for beginners: top picks on Amazon

Acoustic guitar body size, tonewoods, scale length, nut width, action height and whether it includes a tuner and picks determine which guitar is easiest to learn on.

By Pickspry EditorialUpdated 4 picks

The short answer

Yamaha FG800 at $200 is the best acoustic guitar for most beginners: the solid spruce top resonates better than laminate tops as the wood opens up over years of playing, the scalloped bracing produces an open midrange tone appropriate for strumming and fingerpicking and Yamaha's factory setup keeps the action low enough for a beginner to form chords without excessive finger pain.

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Quick picks

How we chose

Acoustic guitars are evaluated by body style, top material (solid vs laminate), tonewoods, scale length, nut width, factory action, intonation and price. Specs from manufacturer product pages. We did not test these products.

The picks, in detail

4 picks reviewed
01
Best acoustic guitar for most beginners
Yamaha Yamaha FG800 Acoustic Guitar

Yamaha FG800 Acoustic Guitar

Brand: Yamaha

Best for

Beginning guitarists who want a dreadnought-body acoustic guitar with a solid spruce top at an entry price, where Yamaha FG800 uses a solid Sitka spruce top on a nato back and sides that provides better resonance than all-laminate guitars and improves tonally as the wood is played in over months and years.

Skip if

A smaller body is needed. Yamaha FG800 uses a full-size dreadnought body that can be physically large for younger players or those with smaller frames. For players who need a smaller body size (3/4 scale or concert body), Yamaha makes the APXT2 (3/4 scale) for more comfortable reach on a smaller frame.

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Yamaha FG800 uses a solid Sitka spruce top with Yamaha's scalloped bracing pattern. Scalloped bracing removes material from the brace edges to allow the spruce top to vibrate more freely, producing a fuller, more resonant tone than unscalloped bracing at the same price point.

The nato back and sides (a tonewood acoustically similar to mahogany) produce a warm, balanced tone appropriate for strumming chord progressions. Factory action is set low enough for beginner playability.

At $200, Yamaha FG800 provides solid top construction at the entry-level price range, which is unusual and makes it the standard recommendation in its category.

Specifications

Specifications for Yamaha FG800 Acoustic Guitar
Body styleDreadnought
TopSolid Sitka spruce
Back and sidesNato
Scale length25.6 inches
Price$200

Specs from Yamaha FG800 acoustic guitar, beginner dreadnought Amazon search

02
Best acoustic guitar starter pack
Fender Fender CD-60S Acoustic Guitar with Accessories

Fender CD-60S Acoustic Guitar with Accessories

Brand: Fender

Best for

Beginning guitarists who want a complete starter bundle that includes a gig bag, strap, tuner and picks alongside a solid-top guitar, where Fender CD-60S bundle provides all the accessories needed to begin playing without separate purchases.

Skip if

Accessories are already owned. If a tuner, strap, picks and a bag are already available, the Yamaha FG800 provides comparable construction at a similar price as a guitar-only purchase without paying for duplicate accessories.

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Fender CD-60S uses a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides in a dreadnought body. The rolled fretboard edges are finished to reduce the sharp-edge feeling that causes discomfort on new guitarists' fingertips during the first weeks of playing.

The bundle version includes a Fender guitar bag, strap, picks, extra string set and a clip-on tuner. The tuner clip-on attaches to the headstock for in-tune practice from the first session.

At $200 for the bundle, Fender CD-60S provides solid top construction plus accessories in one package.

Specifications

Specifications for Fender CD-60S Acoustic Guitar with Accessories
Body styleDreadnought
TopSolid spruce
Back and sidesMahogany
Nut width1.69 inches
Price$200

Specs from Fender CD-60S acoustic guitar, solid spruce beginner pack Amazon search

03
Best mid-range acoustic guitar
Taylor Taylor Academy 10 Acoustic Guitar

Taylor Academy 10 Acoustic Guitar

Brand: Taylor

Best for

Players who have outgrown entry-level guitars and want a Taylor-built instrument at a mid-range price, where Taylor Academy 10 uses Taylor's factory setup standards that produce the lowest action-height-to-intonation ratio in this price tier, significantly reducing the force required to fret notes cleanly.

Skip if

Budget is the primary constraint. Taylor Academy 10 at $300 costs $100 more than Yamaha FG800 and Fender CD-60S. The premium is for Taylor's factory setup quality and the Taylor building experience. For a beginner who is not yet committed to continuing, the Yamaha or Fender at $200 is a lower-risk first guitar.

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Taylor Academy 10 uses layered spruce top construction (not solid) but benefits from Taylor's precise factory setup that includes nut slot height, saddle height and neck angle adjustment that typically adds $50 to $100 in setup labor at an independent guitar shop.

The Taylor Action Guide neck adjustment system allows truss rod adjustment without tools for seasonal neck relief changes. The Academy body design narrows the upper bout for a slightly more comfortable seated playing position compared to full dreadnought bodies.

At $300, Taylor Academy 10 is appropriate for players who want a significant playability improvement over entry-level options.

Specifications

Specifications for Taylor Academy 10 Acoustic Guitar
Body styleDreadnought
TopLayered spruce
Back and sidesLayered maple
Factory setupTaylor standard setup
Price$300

Specs from Taylor Academy 10 acoustic guitar, mid-range beginner acoustic Amazon search

04
Best premium beginner acoustic guitar
Seagull Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar

Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar

Brand: Seagull

Best for

Serious beginners who want an all-solid wood acoustic guitar at a price below most premium brands, where Seagull S6 uses a solid cedar top with solid wild cherry back and sides, which is unusual at $400 and typically costs $600 to $800 at competing brands, due to Seagull's Canadian manufacturing efficiency.

Skip if

A large dreadnought sound profile is the specific preference. Seagull S6 uses a cedar top that produces a warmer, darker tone with faster attack response compared to spruce tops on Yamaha FG800 and Fender CD-60S. Cedar-top guitars are preferred by many fingerstyle players but can sound less bright than spruce for aggressive strumming styles.

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Seagull S6 uses a solid cedar top and solid wild cherry back and sides manufactured in La Patrie, Quebec. The wider nut (1.8 inches versus the 1.69-inch standard) provides more string spacing that benefits fingerstyle players and those with wider fingers.

The cedar top responds more quickly to light touch than spruce, producing a fuller tone at lower playing dynamics. This characteristic benefits players who want clear note articulation without aggressive strumming force.

At $400, Seagull S6 provides all-solid construction at a price where most competing brands use laminate back and sides.

Specifications

Specifications for Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar
Body styleSeagull dreadnought (slightly wider waist)
TopSolid cedar
Back and sidesSolid wild cherry
Made inCanada
Price$400

Specs from Seagull S6 Original acoustic guitar, solid cedar all-solid wood Amazon search

Acoustic guitar comparison

Model Top Body All-solid Price
Fender CD-60S Solid spruce Dreadnought No $200
Yamaha FG800 Solid spruce Dreadnought No $200
Taylor Academy 10 Layered spruce Dreadnought No $300
Seagull S6 Original Solid cedar Dreadnought Yes $400

Compare the picks

Side by side comparison of every pick
Specification
Yamaha Yamaha FG800 Acoustic Guitar
Yamaha FG800 Acoustic Guitar
Fender Fender CD-60S Acoustic Guitar with Accessories
Fender CD-60S Acoustic Guitar with Accessories
Taylor Taylor Academy 10 Acoustic Guitar
Taylor Academy 10 Acoustic Guitar
Seagull Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar
Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar
Our verdictBest acoustic guitar for most beginnersBest acoustic guitar starter packBest mid-range acoustic guitarBest premium beginner acoustic guitar
Body styleDreadnoughtDreadnoughtDreadnoughtSeagull dreadnought (slightly wider waist)
TopSolid Sitka spruceSolid spruceLayered spruceSolid cedar
Back and sidesNatoMahoganyLayered mapleSolid wild cherry
Scale length25.6 inchesNot listedNot listedNot listed
Price$200$200$300$400
Nut widthNot listed1.69 inchesNot listedNot listed
Factory setupNot listedNot listedTaylor standard setupNot listed
Made inNot listedNot listedNot listedCanada
BuyCheck priceCheck priceCheck priceCheck price

Questions people ask

How long does it take to learn acoustic guitar?

Learning to play recognizable songs on acoustic guitar takes 2 to 4 weeks of daily 15 to 30-minute practice. Basic chord shapes (G, C, D, Em, Am) are achievable within the first 2 to 4 weeks. Transitioning between chords smoothly in time takes 1 to 3 months of regular practice. Playing simple songs well enough to perform for others typically requires 3 to 6 months of consistent practice. Fingertip soreness is universal in the first 2 to 3 weeks as calluses form on the fingertips; this pain reduces significantly once calluses develop. The most important variable is daily practice consistency: 15 minutes daily produces faster progress than 90-minute weekly sessions of the same total time.

What acoustic guitar accessories do I need?

Essential accessories for a beginning acoustic guitarist: a clip-on chromatic tuner (or a free tuner app on a smartphone) for playing in tune from the first day; a set of picks in medium thickness for strumming and thin for single-note picking; an extra set of strings (light gauge, .012 to .053 for beginners) for when a string breaks; a guitar strap with strap buttons installed for playing while standing. Useful but not required accessories: a capo for changing keys without learning new chord shapes; a guitar bag or case for transport protection; a guitar stand for display and access at home. A metronome (physical or app) for developing consistent rhythm timing is more important for long-term progress than most other accessories.

What is the difference between acoustic and classical guitar?

Acoustic guitars use steel strings, a dreadnought or concert body shape and a truss rod in the neck. Classical guitars use nylon strings, a smaller body with no truss rod and a wider neck (typically 2 inches versus 1.69 to 1.8 inches on steel string guitars). Steel string acoustic guitars are appropriate for folk, country, pop, bluegrass and rock. Classical guitars are designed for classical music, flamenco and fingerstyle technique. Nylon strings are softer on fingertips than steel strings but the wider neck makes chord shapes more of a stretch. Beginning guitarists should start on whichever style matches the music they want to play; switching between them later is possible but requires adjusting to different string feel and neck width.

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