14 Best Acoustic Guitars Under $500

Martin LXK2 Little Martin

Martin’s portable LXK2 Little Martin is ready to board! From airline overheads to cramped band vans and even backpacking trips, this Little Martin is the stowaway no one minds sharing space with. We’ve seen the Little Martin used for everything: recording, relaxing in nature, and even gigging! The LXK2’s fingerboard is a few inches shorter than the average guitar — but not by much. At 23 inches, it captures the feel of a true acoustic without crossing into toy territory.

Travel guitars often face adverse weather and other conditions, but the LXK2 faces these challenges with an extra-durable build fit for the open road. The back, sides, and top are all made from strong HPL enriched with koa for Martin-approved tone. Similarly, the neck is constructed from natural Stratabond for assured playability that resists warping caused by humidity or swinging temps. For a trustworthy travel guitar made to last, these cutting-edge materials — from a name that players can trust — are some of the best in the business.

D’Angelico Premier Tammany OM Acoustic-electric Guitar

The D’Angelico Premier Tammany OM acoustic-electric guitar is a truly delightful instrument to play! Sweetwater Sales Engineers often usher customers to the Premier Tammany because it provides fluid comfort, upscale looks, and gig-ready tone at a great price. The strings are supple, responsive, and perfect for fingerpicking. A solid spruce top paired with a sapele back and sides fuels strong, professional tone that’s smooth and packed with ripples of sparkling treble. A built-in Fishman Sonitone system lets you instantly plug in and enjoy a soulful, amplified sound. Last but not least, this Sweetwater Exclusive arrives dolled up in D’Angelico’s bevy of art deco hardware and appointments, including eye-catching tuners, a rosewood bridge, and a bespoke Scalini pickguard. What’s not to love?!

Ibanez AAM70CETBN Advanced Acoustic Auditorium Acoustic-electric Guitar

The Ibanez AAM70CETBN Advanced Acoustic Auditorium brings an ultra-modern playing experience to one of today’s most popular acoustic body styles. The top is made from solid, high-quality Sitka spruce — the gold standard for any acoustic guitar. You’ll also find Macassar ebony, okoume, and purpleheart tonewoods throughout. The okoume neck is a real highlight; a supportive, low-oval shape and practically flat fingerboard radius leave room for advanced techniques and tempos that traditional acoustic guitars might struggle to match. Sweetwater guitarists are also big fans of the Advanced Acoustic Auditorium’s body shape. The contoured waist and shapely cutaway fuel limitless comfort, and you hear more of yourself due to a built-in sound port that sends extra decibels to your ears! When plugging in, AEQ-TP2 preamp electronics supply heartfelt amplification, along with a 2-band EQ and a digital tuner.

Washburn R310K Victorian Acoustic Guitar

The Washburn R310K Victorian intelligently blends an yesteryear aesthetic with modern sensibilities. This parlor-style acoustic packs a balanced and authoritative sound courtesy of the unique pairing of a spruce top with trembesi sides and back, further enhanced by spruce X-bracing supports. Then the pairing of a rich soft-V, mahogany neck and a classic ebony 18-fret fingerboard makes the R310K as smooth to the touch as it is to the ears. Add to that a bone nut, and Victorian-style inlays, and the R310K Victorian is an acoustic guitar you will not want to put down.

Yamaha FG830 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

It’s an open secret with guitarists that Yamaha’s affordable FG Series sounds and plays better than you’d expect. For instance, this Yamaha FG830 dreadnought has a solid spruce top, scalloped bracing for visceral sound onstage, a sleek tapered neck, and rounded fingerboard edges that play comfortably like a broken-in guitar. Moreover, a rosewood back and sides provide a rich, mature tone with intense harmonic depth that passionate players readily admire.

Alvarez AF30CE Artist 30 Folk Acoustic-electric Guitar

Busy performers on a budget will find the Alvarez Artist 30 Folk acoustic-electric guitar a worthy addition to their collection. The Artist 30’s folk-style body is exceptionally portable and keeps those long gigs and studio sessions comfortable (the shapely body cutaway reduces weight while also improving access to the highest frets). The AF30CE’s solid spruce top vibrates and infuses tone with depth while a sapele back and sides provide a flexible sound that can easily change styles on the fly. The Artist 30’s built-in SYS250 preamp also packs extremely competitive tools for tweaking amplified tones. There’s a built-in tuner, 3-band EQ, and Presence and Volume controls.

Gretsch Jim Dandy Concert Acoustic Guitar

The Gretsch Jim Dandy Concert Acoustic Guitar is a trip back into designs from the 1930s and ’40s. But don’t read too much into those dates — the Jim Dandy is small and portable not because Depression-era guitars were smaller but because parlor guitars like this one were surefire ways to liven up social events and get-togethers. The Jim Dandy’s 14-fret neck joint makes the strings and frets so easy to navigate, and the body’s minuscule footprint means you’ll likely spend many an evening strumming your Jim Dandy on the couch. Resonant laminate construction and familiar Gretsch quality are sure to provide plenty of sculpted definition, especially when it comes to fingerpicking.

Epiphone J-45 Express Acoustic Guitar

An excellent travel-friendly choice for acoustic veterans or an effortlessly manageable starting point for first-timers, Epiphone’s J-45 Express is a 7/8-size compact companion guitar. Its 22.68-inch scale length will save space on road trips in cramped quarters. With its 19-fret laurel fingerboard, solid spruce top and layered mahogany body, the J-45 Express promotes a wonderful natural tone, with bright and balanced highs backed by a low end that’s rich in resonance. Rounded out with classic body binding, the J-45 Express from Sweetwater proves itself to be a charming downsized champ that punches above its weight. Comes in Vintage Sunburst or Ebony.

Yamaha C40II Full-scale Classical

Geared toward students and first-time classical players, the Yamaha C40II is packed with full-scale classical features that deliver a mind-boggling performance for the price. The C40II’s 2-inch nut width is ideal for transitioning to an “authentic” classical guitar, especially for children who have outgrown a smaller instrument. Educators cite the C40II’s sound and feel as huge assets to any student. A high-quality spruce top adds dynamic power that’s sensitive to the player’s energy and emotions. A true rosewood fingerboard helps you navigate the frets with glassy playability that helps with feeling immersed in the music. Moreover, Yamaha bundles the C40II with instant access to the Player Port app, which is packed with tips, articles, videos, and a tuner.

Ibanez FRH10NIBF Thinline Nylon Acoustic-electric Guitar

Electric players rarely flock to classical guitars, but Ibanez has changed that with contemporary masterpieces like the nylon-string Ibanez FRH10NIBF thinline acoustic-electric guitar. The FRH10N sounds rich and sophisticated. The top is carved from solid Sitka spruce. The back and sides, carved from sapele, infuse tones with bold sustain and midrange power that brings motifs to life. Players feel strongly about the FRH10N’s body depth, which makes for a classical guitar that’s easy to pick up and play onstage — or even on the couch! On a related note, electric players feel right at home playing the FRH10N’s nyatoh neck and walnut fingerboard, which are carefully modified with a thinner nut and a familiar radius to ensure instant playability with practically no learning curve whatsoever!

Alhambra 1 OP Nylon-string Classical Guitar

Our hopes for the Alhambra 1 OP nylon-string classical were high — mostly because the Alhambra brand’s headquarters is in Spain! Thankfully, the 1 OP delivers proof that Spanish nylon-string craftsmanship is vibrant, alive, and well. Beginners find the 1 OP’s modest price approachable, while the feature set demonstrates unflinching authenticity and stellar sonic qualities. The 1 OP comes equipped with a high-quality solid cedar top fitted to a mahogany back and sides. Professional classical guitarists love Alhambra’s use of a cedar top, as cedar not only provides unbridled power and warmth but is also the preferred top wood of many pros. Explore our product page to learn more about Alhambra’s passionate design legacy and meticulous authenticity!

Cordoba C5 Nylon-string Acoustic Guitar

Cordoba is one of the world’s most esteemed purveyors of classical guitars, and the Cordoba C5 lets players explore a legendary sound at a great price. The C5’s large, compelling sound is characterized by brooding sustain and crisp clarity. Spanish-style fan bracing serves up booming presence channeled by a mahogany back and sides, and this fan bracing also lets the C5’s solid cedar top vibrate unimpeded. Sweetwater guitarists were also quick to note that the C5’s solid mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard make for a wonderful playing experience. Good looks seal this invaluable deal: rosewood binding, a stately soundhole rosette, and a gloss finish make the C5 feel destined for great things.

D’Angelico Premier Fulton LS 12-string Acoustic-electric Guitar

What do rock epics like “Stairway to Heaven” and contemporary hits from Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey have in common? They all use 12-string guitars for textures that put meat on the bones of any mix! Players can easily find a quality 12-string on a budget, and the D’Angelico Premier Fulton LS acoustic-electric guitar is one of the best!

Some 12-string guitars juggle compromises between playability and tone — not the Premier Fulton LS! D’Angelico’s comfortable, grand-auditorium body and slim, C-shaped neck offer hands down one of the most playable 12-string experiences at this price. The C-shaped profile is balanced up and down the neck. Therefore, exploring cowboy chords down low is easy and fun, and players won’t feel strained venturing beyond for progressive sounds and unusual textures higher on the neck.

The Premier Fulton LS’s mahogany top, back, and sides match its inherent richness and power while keeping its grand-concert body loud and resonant. Moreover, we think D’Angelico’s standard, large headstock looks especially formidable with a 12-string’s additional tuners. Regarding 12-string guitars, we say go big or go home!