Learning guitar as an adult is a bit different than starting to play as a kid.
One of the big differences, besides not a starting off in a method book clearly written for third graders, is adults get to pick out their first guitar.
Kids and teens quite often start playing on whatever instrument is available to them.
Buying your first ax is a huge advantage, one that gives you an idea of what's important in a guitar right from your first shopping excursion.
Today, we’re going to be chatting about some of the best picks in acoustic guitars for grown-up newbies who want to get their guitar thing going the right way.
Any of these guitars will work wonderfully as a starter guitar and, in truth, are a lot better than what many of us played at first.
Are you ready to take a look at the best acoustic guitar for beginner adults?
Quick Top Acoustic Guitars for Beginner Adults:
Rank | Product | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | |||
2 | |||
3 | |||
4 | |||
5 |
Keep reading for the full reviews!
The Best Acoustic Guitar for Beginner Adults
- Solid sitka spruce top
- Nato back & sides
- Rosewood fingerboard
Yamaha has been making guitars that deliver a lot of performance at a reasonable cost for a long time.
It's not just the price tag that makes this the best acoustic guitar for beginner adults.
The FG830 is in the more affordable range of the company's line, but it's an excellent value in an acoustic guitar and has quite a long tradition behind it.
Yamaha has been making the FG series of acoustics since 1966, demonstrating that a quality acoustic guitar doesn’t have to carry an unwieldy price tag.
In fact, there have been over 200 FG models made since then, and the current FG830 is a fine representative of all that history.
The 830 is a Dreadnought built with a solid Sitka Spruce top and Rosewood back and sides.
This is a proven tonewood combination that provides a sound defined by warmth and clarity.
Scalloped bracing is used to support that solid top, which adds both bass and volume to the FG830’s tone.
The neck is made from Nato and has a hand-pleasing slim carve to it with a satin finish on it that feels fast.
The bridge and fingerboard are both Rosewood.
The FG830 is a basic-but-solid acoustic that will deliver no-frills quality and performance to any new guitarist who chooses one.
Sound and playability are what matter when beginning this journey and the 830 has plenty of both to go around.
It makes an excellent pick for new adult players because it does everything they need it to do without any distractions to get in the way.
Dig this short video to hear how great the FG830 is!
- Protective Fender black nylon gig bag included.
- Keep this acoustic in proper playing position with the...
- Under the natural glossy Basswood top, the time tested...
Fender is always one of the first brands mentioned when shopping for guitars.
Though known for electrics, Fender makes many fine and affordable acoustic guitars that will get any adult beginner off to a proper start.
The Fender FA-100 is a cool entry-level instrument that gives new players a budget-friendly good time and does so at an extremely low-pressure price point.
The 100 is a traditional Dreadnought made from a Basswood top and laminated Agathis back and sides.
Quarter-sawn x-bracing is used to add volume to the 100’s sound.
The neck is also Agathis but is topped with a Rosewood fingerboard.
This is another straight-up basic instrument designed for playing and learning, not performance and touring.
It jumps new players into the game in a simple way that keeps the focus on practicing and not gadgets, which is where it belongs for the first couple of years.
One cool feature of the FA-100 is the placement of the strap button on the upper bout of the body, just where it is on Fender’s electric guitars.
This means no tying your strap’s shoelace around the headstock like a singing cowboy and a much more comfortable playing position when standing up does occur.
Plus, for many people, Fender is just another way of saying “guitar” and getting one of these is an easy way to keep a beginner’s inspiration dialed up by standing in the shadow of Fender’s long history and many famous users.
Is the FA-100 the best acoustic guitar for beginners out there? Watch this and decide for yourself!
- Classic go-to Dreadnought Shape
- Select Spruce top
- Mahogany Body
Epiphone is always one of the top guitar brands when it comes to affordable quality, and a whole slew of beginners have made their bones playing one.
The Epiphone DR-100 is a cool choice for any adult beginner inspired by the classic Gibson acoustics of the 20th Century and packs much Golden Era mojo.
It’s a classic Dreadnaught constructed from a Select Spruce top and Mahogany sides and back.
The bridge and fingerboard are both made of Rosewood.
The neck, itself, is made from Okoume and features a slim shape that will be friendly to most any guitar student.
The DR-100 is the best-selling acoustic Epiphone makes, and it's easy to see why.
Playability is super high, and the tone is nothing to be sneezed at, either.
It’s a guitar that will serve anyone well past their beginner phase and could, technically, never be outgrown.
It will easily handle country, bluegrass, rock, folk, and anything else you might ask it to do, and it'll do it with a bold and commanding sound.
After all, that's what a great Dreadnought is all about.
That’s why Dreads have been the dominant acoustic guitar style for the last century.
Their versatility and balanced tone are tough to beat.
The Epiphone DR-100 makes a great adult beginner instrument and is one that you’ll probably want to keep around even after moving up to a better guitar down the road.
It’s an exceptional guitar with a horde of fans all around the world.
Every new adult player would be wise to give one of these some serious thought.
Here’s just a small sample of the Epi’s coolness. Doesn’t sound like a beginner guitar to me!
- Distinctive headstock bridge and pick guard designs...
- Dreadnought guitar with a Spalted Maple top, Catalpa...
- Fully adjustable truss rod and Chrome die Cast tuners
Oscar Schmidt is known for making excellent starter guitars that get new pickers off and playing with a minimum of fuss and expense.
The Oscar Schmidt OG2SM-R-U is a terrific example of what the company does best.
The OG2SM is another Dreadnaught made here with a Spalted Maple top using standard x bracing and Catalpa wood back and sides.
The Spalted Maple top makes it one of the most visually distinctive guitars in its class, as do the unique Oscar Schmidt headstock, bridge, and pickguard designs.
This guitar is a perfect storm of value for any beginner and will let them start down the road to becoming a player with a quality instrument that’s modestly priced.
The tone produced is deep and resonant and will reward your hours of practice.
The Oscar Schmidt OG2SM-R-U is everything a novice guitarist needs and nothing more.
It sounds great and looks cool.
What more do you need?
This short video will clue you in as to just how amazing these things are!
- Play it acoustically or plugged in!
- Includes a free gig bag case & guitar picks
- Diecast Tuners and Built In EQ
The Jameson Thinline Acoustic/Electric is a flat-out amazing value in an entry-level guitar.
It delivers features that are usually only found on much more expensive instruments.
It’s a thinline Dreadnaught that sports a more shallow body that will feel much easier to hold for most beginners than a full-depth acoustic would.
It has a cutaway on the body’s treble side for easy access to the higher frets and an onboard pickup and preamp system for plugging yourself in when you finally get brave enough for an Open Mic set.
Typically, starter guitars don’t come loaded with factory electronics and that this one does truly make this an instrument any student can grow with and keep.
It also has a high-gloss finish, diecast tuners, and comes with a gig bag for those rainy day lessons.
The body is Rosewood, and the top is Nato, which sounds quite good.
It also features a neck made from Spruce, and the fretboard is Rosewood.
This a is a guitar that will appeal to new players as well as intermediates looking to get electrified for the first time.
Plus, it comes in a variety of colors from mild to wild, which makes it easy to fine-tune the guitar to the taste of the student.
All things being considered, the Jameson Thinline Acoustic/Electric, though not a famous brand, is a way for anyone to start playing with a decent first ax they can afford.
It’s even available for lefties!
Best Guitar Brands For Beginners
There are no right or wrong brands for anyone to use when learning to play.
Most of the major guitar companies make a full line of instruments that include several models made just for those starting.
Common choices when looking for a solid entry-level acoustic guitar include Fender, Epiphone, Washburn, Oscar Schmidt, Takamine and Yamaha.
As always, the brand of guitar you play is less important than making sure its set up properly and that you get in your practice time each day.
Be sure to do some comparison shopping and always buy from a reputable seller and you’ll wind up with a great guitar.
Types of Acoustic Guitars
There are many different types of acoustic guitars out there, but we usually see only a few of them.
These are the ones that have proven most useful and versatile for a variety of players and situations and have come to dominate the marketplace.
The single most popular style of acoustic is the Dreadnaught.
It’s so widely used that, to many folks, it’s simply what an acoustic guitar looks like.
Think Johnny Cash.
It’s fairly big and loud with a good response in the low frequencies and a pleasant overall balance in tone.
The other popular acoustic body style is called a Jumbo, and that's exactly what it is.
It’s a bigger, wider and more heavily curved body than a Dreadnaught that’s designed to give players increased bass and volume.
The Gibson J-200 is an example of an iconic Jumbo.
Jumbos are an armload, to be sure, but the payoff to adapting to one is having the most volume and power of any acoustic guitar at your disposal.
There are also smaller Grand Auditorium, Concert and Parlor-sized instruments that have gained in popularity.
They have less bass and volume to them but can still be a wonderful experience to play and own, especially for the fingerstyle players among us.
The Taylor 414ce is a popular example.
How To Start Learning Guitar
There as many ways to learn to play as students are willing to try.
The traditional path is finding a teacher of some kind, either formal or friendly, and being directly mentored by someone with many years of experience.
You don’t necessarily have to start with an old-school method book teacher but having a real live person before you to emulate can speed up your learning curve considerably.
These days, many people self-teach by using YouTube videos and other resources found online.
A lot can be accomplished this way, and the advent of YouTube fundamentally changed the way the world learns music.
The ideal situation would be a combination of in-person instruction and online material.
Conclusion
I hope this article on the best acoustic guitar for beginner adults has been fun and beneficial for you.
Your desire to play is the most important piece of equipment you will need, and it will help you turn any guitar into a winner.
See you again soon with another informative post to help you become a better guitarist!
