Top 9 Acoustic Guitars

By Dan Cross, About.com

 
Buying a guitar can be an intimidating process, especially if you've never purchased one before. There are so many factors to consider, and so many guitars available, novices will surely feel overwhelmed. Fear not - help is available. The following ten lower priced acoustic guitars all offer great value for their respective price tags.
 

1. Seagull S6

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These Canadian-made instruments are terrific guitars - very highly regarded, both for their beautiful sound, and their excellent value. The S6 features a solid cedar top, and mahogany back and sides. Although the price may be slightly above what some might be willing to pay for a first guitar, it should be considered an investment.
 
Seagull S6
Perhaps not in the same league as the Seagull, the FG700S is still a solid beginner instrument, and for the price (significantly cheaper than the S6), it's a good value. Guitar features a solid sitka spruce top, with nato back and sides.
 

3. Takamine G-340

This beginner model Takamine guitar features a laminated spruce top. Although it clearly isn't on par with some of the higher end Takamine guitars, the general consensus is the G-340 offers a pretty good bang for the buck.
 

4. Fender CD-140S

This lower cost Fender acoustic boasts a solid spruce top, with laminated mahogany back and sides. Cheaper Fender products tend to be occasionally guilty of lackluster workmanship, but, considering the solid spruce top, this guitar could be attractive to newbies.
 

5. Epiphone DR-100

The DR-100 features a spruce top, with mahogany back and sides. This guitar can usually be found at a rather cheap price, which makes it attractive to beginners. Most consider this a strictly beginner instrument, however, so it may not be long before you'll want to trade up.
 

6. Fender DG-8S

This is a low-priced acoustic guitar is bundled in a beginner's package by Fender. The top of the guitar is solid Sitka spruce, with mahogany back and sides. Not a guitar you'll keep around forever, but should serve the beginner guitarist well.
 

7. Ibanez AC30NT

The Ibanez AC30NT is another well-constructed instrument with solid Engelmann spruce top, and mahogany back and sides. This combination creates a warm, bottom-end tone with bright highs.
 

8. Taylor Baby Taylor

This is a 3/4 size dreadnought guitar, making it a good choice for younger guitarists with smaller hands. Taylor has a reputation for being one of America's greatest guitar makers, and although they've cut a few corners here to meet a low-price point, this is still a solid instrument.
 

9. Martin LX1

One of the most highly esteemed guitar makers has provided this 3/4 size guitar, designed for guitarists with small hands and small pocketbooks. The LXI features a solid sapele top, back and sides.

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