How to Buy a Guitar, Part 4: Starter Acoustics

Much of the electric-focused advice in previous installments also applies to shopping for an acoustic: You still want a quality guitar that represents an investment in yourself. It should be comfortable enough to inspire you to play every day without breaking your personal bank.

Most tops of acoustic guitars are crafted from spruce; it's stiff and resonant, and the vibration of the spruce top helps create the traditional acoustic guitar sound. While laminated wood is commonly used for the back and sides of starter acoustics, we're only recommending guitars here with spruce tops because we feel that's an important element to the sound you'd expect to hear. The good news: You have ample choice, even within our low budget of $200 USD.

Epiphone DR-100
It's amazing that a guitar this easy to play comes in at a $150 USD price point. Epiphone's most affordable full-size acoustic features a spruce top and three finishes, including a rock-friendly Ebony. The broad-shouldered "dreadnought" shape makes it a great choice for singer/songwriters who want a guitar that can project as strongly as their voices. If you're looking for a simple strummer with a big sound on a tight budget, this is it.

Ibanez PC15
Ibanez built the PC15 with what's called a "grand concert" shape -- a little smaller overall and narrower at the waist compared to dreadnought. It's still great for strumming, but this body shape is often favored by players who like to play with their fingers as often as a pick. It's a great all-rounder and a comfortable choice for a new player -- and you still get a spruce top here even with a very affordable street price of $180 USD.

Yamaha FG800
This dreadnought-shaped acoustic offers a traditional, natural look that appeals to many folk and country players. Unadorned, the focus here was clearly on making a great-sounding and comfortable first guitar; Yamaha's acoustics have a reputation for delivering higher quality than their prices might suggest. For $200 USD, the smooth-playing and well-engineered FG800 won't break the bank.

You'll probably find a few other options around this price range; if you can increase your budget to $300 USD, you'll find even more. But keep in mind these are all "pure" acoustics -- no electronics on board, just wood and strings and the music you choose to make. If you'd like an acoustic guitar you can also plug in on stage -- or one you can easily connect directly to Rocksmith+  -- we've got some ideas about that in the next installment.

Dan Amrich started his music journalism career at Guitar World and Country Guitar magazines and is the co-creator of Princess Leia's Stolen Death Star Plans. He joined the Rocksmith team in 2014.

DR-100 photos by Epiphone
PC15 photo by Ibanez*
FG800 photo by* Yamaha

How to Buy a Guitar: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

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