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Beginner Acoustic Guitar Buyer's Guide
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Acoustic guitars are the backbone of countless musical styles, offering warm tones and unmatched versatility. At American Musical Supply, we carry a wide variety of models to suit beginners and experienced players alike. Whether you’re drawn to the full-bodied sound of a dreadnought or the portability of a parlor guitar, you’ll find options from top brands like Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, Takamine, and Ibanez. With AMS, finding the right acoustic guitar for your needs is simple and hassle-free.
Every acoustic guitar has its own character, and finding one that matches your style is key. At American Musical Supply, we make it easy to explore models built for everything from crisp fingerpicking to full-bodied strumming. Whether you’re drawn to the mellow warmth of mahogany or the bright resonance of spruce, AMS offers a range of choices to fit your sound and preferences. Our collection also includes guitars with cutaway designs and built-in electronics for players who want versatility on stage or in the studio.
Choosing the right acoustic guitar starts with understanding its core features. From body shape to tonewood, each detail contributes to the sound and feel of the instrument. At American Musical Supply, we’re here to guide you through what makes an acoustic guitar stand out.
Acoustic guitars come in a variety of body shapes, each offering a unique sound and feel. Dreadnoughts provide powerful projection with plenty of bass and treble, making them a popular choice for strummers. Concert and auditorium shapes offer a more balanced sound with enhanced clarity, ideal for fingerpickers. For players seeking portability, smaller parlor models deliver big tone in a compact, travel-friendly size.
The type of wood used in an acoustic guitar shapes its tone. Spruce tops are known for their bright, clear sound, while mahogany delivers warmth and depth. Rosewood back and sides provides rich overtones, making it a favorite for more expressive playing. AMS offers guitars crafted from a range of tonewoods to suit your style.
Many acoustic guitars now include built-in electronics, giving players the ability to amplify their sound without sacrificing tone. Features like cutaways provide easier access to higher frets, making them a favorite for lead players. AMS’s selection includes acoustic-electric models and innovative designs to match the demands of modern musicians.
Understanding acoustic guitar sizes is the fastest way to narrow your search, since body size affects sound and comfort more than price or brand. Here's how the most common acoustic guitar body styles compare.
The dreadnought is the most common acoustic guitar body size. Its large body produces strong bass and loud, even projection, which makes it a great starting point for most beginners and gift buyers. Shop Dreadnought Acoustic Guitars.
A concert body is smaller than a dreadnought, with a tighter waist and a more focused midrange. It suits players who fingerpick more than they strum, along with players who have a smaller frame. Shop Concert Acoustic Guitars.
A grand concert body is close in size to a concert body but slightly deeper, which adds a bit more low end without losing clarity. It's a comfortable pick for fingerstyle players who still want some added volume. Shop Grand Concert Acoustic Guitars.
A grand auditorium splits the difference between a dreadnought and a concert, balancing volume with comfort. Because it handles strumming and fingerpicking equally well, it works for players who play more than one style. Shop Grand Auditorium Acoustic Guitars.
An orchestra body, sometimes labeled OM, pairs a longer scale length with a body depth built for fingerstyle players who want a strong midrange without a boomy low end. It is a common pick for players upgrading past their first guitar. Shop Orchestra Acoustic Guitars.
A jumbo is the largest common body size, producing the deepest bass and the most overall volume of any shape on this page. Country and bluegrass players who strum hard tend to prefer the bigger body. Shop Jumbo Acoustic Guitars.
A parlor guitar is the smallest common size, with a light, intimate tone and a body that's easy to hold and carry. It suits blues players, players with smaller hands, and anyone who wants a guitar for practicing at home. Shop Parlor Acoustic Guitars.
A travel guitar uses a smaller, often three-quarter scale body built for portability rather than volume. It's the right choice for a guitar that needs to fit in a car trunk, an overhead bin, or a kid's arms. Shop Travel Acoustic Guitars.
What if they did build 'em like they used to...? Well, you'd end up with the Gibson Century Series. Built on the same principles that took Gibson acoustics to new levels a century ago, these guitars are ready to do it again. By connecting the body and neck at the 12th fret (as opposed to the 14th like typical modern acoustics), Gibson moved the bridge and soundhole farther down the body to hit the smack in the center of the tonal sweet spot. The result is a warmer tone and more comfortable playability than you've ever heard and felt before. They're definitely worth a try — and you won't even need to pay a museum entry fee.
A dreadnought acoustic guitar between $200 and $400 is the best starting point for most beginners. It has the loudest, most even projection of any body size, which makes basic chords and strumming easier to hear and judge. Fender, Yamaha, and Epiphone all build reliable beginner dreadnoughts in this range.
Acoustic guitars at AMS range from about $200 for a beginner model to $5,000 or more for a professional, USA-made instrument. Most players find a guitar built to last between $400 and $1,500. Price mainly reflects materials and construction quality, not how loud the guitar sounds.
Acoustic guitars come in several body styles, including dreadnought, concert, grand concert, grand auditorium, orchestra, jumbo, parlor, and travel. Each size changes the volume, bass response, and comfort of the guitar. Larger bodies like dreadnought and jumbo project more sound, while smaller bodies like parlor and travel favor comfort and portability.
Start with body size, since it affects sound and comfort more than any other spec. A dreadnought or jumbo gives you the most volume for strumming, while a concert or orchestra body gives more clarity for fingerpicking. Set your budget last, based on how often you plan to play.
Standard tuning for a six-string acoustic guitar is E A D G B E, from the lowest string to the highest. A clip-on tuner or a tuning app shows whether to tighten or loosen each string to reach the right pitch. New strings stretch at first, so expect to retune more often during the first few days.
An acoustic guitar produces sound on its own through its hollow body, while an electric guitar needs an amplifier to be heard at a normal volume. Acoustic guitars are ready to play anywhere with no extra gear, which makes them a common first instrument. Electric guitars often have lighter strings, which can be easier on the fingers.
No, a steel string acoustic guitar is not built to hold nylon strings at proper tension. Steel string guitars use bracing designed for higher tension, so nylon strings sit too loose and will not stay in tune. If you want a nylon-string sound, choose a guitar built for nylon strings from the start.
Martin, Taylor, Gibson, and Breedlove are the names most associated with premium, professional-level acoustic guitars. Fender, Yamaha, Epiphone, and Takamine build well-regarded guitars across the beginner and mid-range price tiers. The right brand for you depends on your budget and how the guitar feels, not just the name on the headstock.
American Musical Supply carries acoustic guitars for every player and budget, from your first dreadnought to a professional Martin or Taylor. VERY fast and free shipping. Easy returns. 0% interest payment plans available. There's an acoustic for everyone right here at AMS.
