Have you ever wanted to upgrade your ordinary acoustic to a high-end acoustic guitar this year? If you have, then you’ll love our list of the latest high-end pieces available online. We have reviewed only the best brands for you: Yamaha, Martin, Ibanez, Taylor, Washburn, and Fender. All of these names are known for their amazing quality, precision, and popularity; no wonder these are the brands of the best musicians in the world! And without further ado, here are ten of the best high-end acoustic guitars of 2020.
What are the best high-end acoustic guitars?
1. Fender CD-60S Solid Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Best Fender Acoustic Guitar in a Bundle
The Fender name stands out, and many who are looking for their first guitar or a high-end guitar trust only Fender. This is the CD-60S, a solid top acoustic with a dreadnought design. It is a left-handed guitar, and this model also comes with a right-handed version.
The top is very warm, solid spruce with a scalloped X-brace to strengthen the instrument’s body. Meanwhile, the sides and the back is made from mahogany, making it resistant to warps and cracks. The neck is easy to play while the fingerboard has rolled edges. This is one of the basic Fender acoustic guitars, and this might be the model you’re looking for.
Tech Specs
- Design – dreadnought
- Material – solid spruce top, mahogany sides and back
- Special neck and fingerboard features – rolled fingerboard, brass tuners
- Other great features – easy to play, comes with the natural bundle, cross bracing
- Bundle – YES
- Accessories – gig bag, guitar strings, guitar strap, tuner, picks, polishing/cleaning cloth, and instructional DVD
2. Yamaha APXT2 Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Best Acoustic-Electric Guitar from Yamaha
Another trusted name in the industry is Yamaha. This is the APXT2 ¾-size acoustic-electric available in six exciting colors (black, natural, tobacco sunburst, dark red sunburst, figured natural, and light amber burst).
Not only is this Yamaha acoustic-electric instrument lovely but it’s also one of the most durable with a spruce top, and rosewood bridge and fingerboard. This guitar also comes with a gig bag, but there are no straps, strings, or picks. You must buy these separately. This Yamaha acoustic-electric comes with a System 68 pick-up one of the efficient yet standard pickups in the market.
Tech Specs
- Design – Grand Auditorium
- Material – spruce top, rosewood bridge, and fingerboard
- Special neck and fingerboard features – made from a very durable and lightweight material
- Other great features – acrylic bridge pins, with System 68 pickup
- Bundle – NO
- Accessories – Gigbag
3. Yamaha FS830 Acoustic Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Best Small Body Yamaha Acoustic Guitar
Small but powerful, the Yamaha FS850 Acoustic Guitar is one of the most popular acoustic instruments from Yamaha. It’s also available in acoustic-electric models as well as in dreadnought models. This concert acoustic has a solid spruce Sitka top, which is one of the loveliest natural woods. The sides and back are made from rosewood, while the fingerboard and the bridge are also made from the same durable material.
The tuners are high-quality die-cast models. What’s unique about this concert guitar is it comes with an adjustable truss rod, perfect for beginners. The Yamaha FS850 is also available in six different colors (dusk sun red, natural, tobacco sunburst, brown sunburst, autumn burst, and black). And if you wish, you can also order this Yamaha guitar in a value pack complete with accessories like a guitar case, pick, extra strings, straps, guitar mount, tuner, and instruction manuals.
Tech Specs
- Design – concert (also available in dreadnaught)
- Material – solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides
- Special neck and fingerboard features – rosewood fingerboard and bridge
- Other great features – diecast tuners, with an adjustable truss rod
- Bundle – YES
- Accessories – guitar case, pick extra strings, straps, guitar mount, tuner, and instruction manuals.
4. Fender CC-60S Concert Acoustic Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Best Black Bundle Concert Acoustic Guitar from Fender
The Fender CC-60S is a basic acoustic guitar that comes in a beginner’s bundle. Everything you need to start learning or playing an acoustic guitar is here. This guitar has a very lovely design with a top made from solid spruce. Meanwhile, the fingerboard is made from walnut and comes with rolled edges.
The neck is easy to play with a shape ideal for beginners. Also, the sides and back are made from very resilient mahogany. This guitar set comes with a gig bag, spare strings, a guitar strap, and instructional material. The Fender CC-60S is one of the easiest to play and will surely help you become a concert performer in no time. Also, having a complete beginner set saves you a lot of money and time and puts value in your purchase.
Tech Specs
- Design – concert
- Material – spruce top, walnut fingerboard, mahogany back and sides
- Special neck and fingerboard features – easy to play neck shape, rolled fingerboards
- Other great features – with very warm color, available in three colors (black, natural and sunburst)
- Bundle – YES
- Accessories – gig bag, extra strings, picks, guitar straps, and many more.
5. Ibanez AEG181211 12-String Acoustic Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Best 12-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar from Ibanez
The Ibanez AEG181211 is a 12-string acoustic-electric guitar in violin sunburst finish. This is a high-quality musical instrument with a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and abalone rosette. The guitar body is well crafted and bound in Ivory. The tuners are luxurious chrome diecast while pickups are none other than the popular Fishman Sonicore pre-amp with a tuner.
This is a performance-ready acoustic-electric guitar. The body is thinner and shorter, and thus it’s easier to play and will sound and feel more like an electric instrument than an acoustic. It is comfortable to use, and you can play faster. The combination of natural materials used to build this guitar enhance the instrument’s sonic response. You don’t even need to amplify the sound because it will sound pure and full.
Tech Specs
- Design – AEG Body
- Material – spruce top, mahogany sides and back, rosettes abalone, binding ivory, tuners chrome diecast
- Other great features – 12-string acoustic, Fishman Sonicore pickup, preamp, DVS finish, thinner profile and body
- Bundle – NO
- Accessories – NONE
6. Fender CD-60SCE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Best Fender Acoustic-Electric Mahogany Guitar
The Fender CD-60SCE is an acoustic-electric guitar that comes in a bundle. This dreadnought comes with a lovely Venetian cut-away shape for easy use. The top is lovely made from solid spruce. The body is enhanced with a scalloped x-bracing feature.
Meanwhile, the back and sides are made from very durable, rich mahogany. The neck is light, easy to play, and the fingerboard has milled edges. The tuners are made of brass and go well with this guitar’s mahogany body. The CD-60SCE is meant for beginners who would like to learn to play but have difficulty strumming the strings because of a large body. The shape allows small users to hold and play them comfortably.
Tech Specs
- Design – dreadnought, Venetian cut-away guitar body
- Material – spruce top, mahogany sides and back, chrome die-cast tuners
- Special neck and fingerboard features – easy to play neck, rolled fingerboard edges
- Other great features – with a scalloped x-shaped brace
- Bundle – YES
- Accessories – hard guitar gig case, guitar straps, extra strings, guitar picks, tuner, instructional DVD, and a cleaning cloth.
7. Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Best Acoustic Guitar from Martin
A list of the best acoustic guitars won’t be the same without Martin. And probably the most popular of all Martin brands is the LX1 or the Little Martin Acoustic. This guitar was made using HPL or high-pressure laminate that makes the wood stronger and retain their natural beauty and finish.
The top is made from solid Sitka spruce, one of the loveliest natural wood materials. The neck is shortened to keep with the Little Martin size and design. You’ll get rust strata bound neck in a ¾ scale short. The tuners will always shine like new because these are chrome finished.
Meanwhile, the fingerboard is made from a rare wood called solid Morado or the East Indian Rosewood, and this means that this is very strong and resilient. Just check out the Little Martin’s size: 23-inch scale size, 1 11/16 – inch fingerboard width at the nut, 5/16-inch brace size, 2 /16-inch fingerboard width at the 12th fret. It does not come with a set, but you’ll get a free gig bag with padded interiors FREE with your purchase.
Tech Specs
- Design – modified 0.14 fret
- Material – mahogany, solid Sitka spruce, strata board, die-cast chrome, and solid Morado (East Indian Rosewood).
- Special neck and fingerboard features – neck shortened scale ¾ scale
- Other great features – a body made from high-pressure laminate
- Bundle – NO
- Accessories – padded bag
8. Washburn 6 String Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Best 6-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar from Washburn
The Washburn 6-String Acoustic-Electric is one of the loveliest thanks to its high-quality materials and excellent design. It comes with a spruce top making it one of the most durable. The sides and back are made of walnut and quarter-sawn spruce bracing. It also comes with a Barcus Berry LX4 preamp.
The neck is Okoume, one of the rarest natural wood at a 25.5-inch scale. The fingerboard has a lovely hand-painted wood vine inlay like the design. The tuners are diecast black chrome. This Washburn acoustic-electric is fitted with a D’ Addario EXP bronze phosphor guitar strings.
And to give you more value for your money, this Washburn 6-String comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Tech Specs
- Design – studio
- Material – spruce, walnut, Okoume wood, chrome die-cast, phosphor bronze strings
- Special neck and fingerboard features – neck with two-way truss rod, vine inlay design in the fingerboard
- Other great features – with Barcus Berry LX4 pre-amp
- Bundle – NO
- Accessories – none
9. Yamaha Gigmaker Standard Acoustic Guitar
Editor’s Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Best Standard Acoustic Guitar Set from Yamaha
The Yamaha Gigmaker is a set that comes with a standard acoustic guitar. This bundle comes with everything you need to learn how to play the guitar or polish your talent right away. You will get a carrying bag where you can keep your guitar safely as you travel or commute. You will also receive a free tuner so you can tune your instrument wherever you are before and after a performance.
Also included in the bundle are extra strings, picks, and a guitar strap. A convenient instructional DVD is also included, and you can use this to learn more about special tricks in playing your Yamaha guitar for the first time.
Tech Specs
- Design – standard acoustic
- Material – spruce top, chrome die-cast tuners
- Special neck and fingerboard features – light, easy to play
- Bundle – YES
- Accessories – gig bag, tuner, picks, strings, strap, cleaning cloth and instructional DVD and guide
10. Taylor GS Mini-e Solid Koa
Editor’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Best Solid Koa Top Acoustic Guitar from Taylor
The Taylor GS may be the last on our list, but it’s a favorite among acoustic players. It has a prominent cutaway shape, and the top is made from beautiful solid Koa. Meanwhile, the back and the sides are also made from Koa and are layered to enhance the guitar’s strength and resilience to temperature changes. The body received a warm varnish to protect this lovely hardwood.
The fingerboard is an ebony, very rare wood, and further supported by tropical mahogany. It is an acoustic-electric guitar with a Piezo Preamp EQ with 2 bands. The tuners are die-cast black chrome, so these are very durable and strong. The guitar body surface varies in design and color depending on the Koa wood color and natural markings. All-in-all, this acoustic guitar may be the one you’re looking for.
Tech Specs
- Design – cutaway design
- Material – Koa wood, ebony wood, tropical mahogany, die-cast chrome
- Special neck and fingerboard features – right-handed neck
- Other great features – Piezo Preamp EQ, layered-bracing pattern
- Bundle – NO
- Accessories – gig bag and case
Value Section
How to buy an acoustic guitar?
Consider the following before you purchase a high-end acoustic guitar.
Your purpose for buying a guitar and your budget
Before you even consider the brand or the different acoustic guitar styles, consider first why you want to buy a guitar and how much money you’re willing to spend on an acoustic guitar.
If you are just starting to play guitar or learning how to play one, you may consider a cheaper instrument rather than a high-end guitar. You can find affordable beginner quality mid-range guitar models online or from a local guitar shop. But if you already know how to play, you may be looking for an upgrade. If this is so, you should understand the difference between the many types of acoustic guitars and the different materials (tonewoods) used.
If you’re planning to buy a guitar to play with a band or if you’re traveling to play in different events, then you must consider looking for an acoustic-electric model. This is a hybrid acoustic and electric guitar that comes with a pick-up and a pre-amp. These are built inside the guitar body so you can plug your instrument into a sound system to start playing. If you don’t plug this hybrid guitar to an amplifier, this will sound just like any other acoustic. You can also buy an acoustic-electric from a local store or online store.
Guitar styles and overall sound
Despite having similar construction and parts, acoustic guitars vary in styles, and these affect their sound and overall playability. Consider the following variables when buying an acoustic guitar according to their style and sound.
- The guitar’s body style
The body style dramatically affects the sound and your ability to play the instrument. The most common body styles are a concert and grand concert, auditorium and grand auditorium, dreadnought, jumbo and travel, and mini acoustics. Some guitar brands like Ibanez have unique guitar body styles, check these as well.
- The guitar top
The guitar top affects the sound and tone. The size alone is a huge deal as the larger the soundboard, the larger the sound that the instrument makes. The top can be made from laminate or wood, and a solid top has both materials. Laminate tops do not produce a rich sound because this does not vibrate like wood. However, this is a good option for beginner players.
- Guitar neck (width and length)
The neck width and thickness varies, and this complements the size and the style of the body. Although this does not affect the sound of the guitar, it will affect how it is played. If you have large hands, a guitar with a larger neck diameter is a must and the opposite for smaller hands.
- Guitar strings (nylon or metal/steel strings)
Nylon strings create a mellow or a softer tone and are mostly for classical or a flamenco-style playing and folk music. Meanwhile, guitars with a wider neck should have more space between each string, and this is where steel strings are used. Steel is for country, rock, and pop players. Steel strings are louder and will produce a solid tone.
- Types of wood or tonewoods
To properly find the guitar that’s best for you, you must learn about the different tonewoods used for constructing acoustic guitars. The most commonly used for guitar tops sis spruce. It is a lightweight tonewood that’s also strong and will give you good resonance. A few pieces of spruce make a good top, and this includes the Sitka, Adirondack, Engelmann, and the famed European spruce.
Rosewood, on the other hand, is used for constructing fingerboards and guitar bridges. Rosewood has a rich and complex tone that can be heard distinctly. Maple is used for the acoustic guitar side and back due to its low response rate and low damping. It does not add any color to the natural tone of the instrument’s top wood, and it creates a dry sound that boosts high tones.
Another popular tonewood is mahogany. It is dense and has a low response rate. When this is used for the top, it creates a loud sound for high-end tones. Most guitars used for blues or country songs have mahogany tops. Meanwhile, mahogany is used to make the back and sides as well as the neck and bridge.
Other types of tonewoods include cedar, cocobolo, ebony, granadillo, koa, orangkol, Sapele, and walnut.
FAQs
- What is the best sounding acoustic guitar?
It is hard to pick one best-sounding acoustic guitar because to select if a guitar sounds well, you need to consider some factors:
- The overall guitar construction
- The material used to construct the guitar
- If the guitar is well-tuned or out of tune
- The guitar player’s talent and skill
- The song that the player is performing
- The listener’s ability to judge for sound quality
- What is the best sounding acoustic guitar for the money?
When you pick the best sounding acoustic guitar for the money, you need to consider the factors mentioned in the first question and add the cost of the instrument. How much is the guitar sold online? Or from actual music instrument shops?
You also need to include if there are special deals, discounts, or special promos included with your purchase. Only when you have considered all these factors will you truly select the best sounding acoustic guitar for the money.
- Who makes the best acoustic-electric guitars?
Still another tricky question. Yes, the brands for best acoustic-electric guitars are among the popular instrument makers in the world. Here are the most popular names with corresponding best acoustic-electric models voted online.
- Fender – Fender T-Bucket 300CE
- Ibanez – Ibanez AVC9CE-OPN
- Martin – Martin D-16E Rosewood Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Taylor – Taylor 310CE Dreadnought
- Yamaha – Yamaha 6-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar LS-TA
Conclusion
The Fender CD-60S is our best high-end acoustic guitar. It has the best qualities that you must look for in a good quality acoustic guitar. Being a Fender, it has the following amazing qualities: a solid top with a dreadnought design, with a left and right-handed version and a well-designed body and neck.
The CD-60S has a solid spruce top with a scalloped X-brace to provide strength on the instrument’s body. The sides and the back is made from mahogany while the neck is easy to play as the fingerboard has rolled edges. This may just be a classic Fender acoustic guitar, but many laud it for its basic and easy to play features. We recommend the Fender CD-60S, and this might be the high-end model acoustic guitar you’re looking for. If you think that the Fender CD-60S is the high-end guitar for you, check out this link.
