Though Ibanez is known more for their electric guitars, the brand actually produces a lot of high quality and inventive acoustic instruments. The perfect example of this is Ibanez’s AW54, a member of their Artwood series, which features renewable tonewoods that allow for lower price tags.

The tonewood it uses is okoume, which is a lighter and more readily available wood compared to Mahogany. But it does have a similar “warm” tone, with stronger representation of low-end and low-mid frequencies. It’s great if you’re looking to play folk, blues, and country music. It’s also great for finger-style songs. An interesting feature of this instrument is that Ibanez sells it with “Ibanez Advantage” bridge pins. These pins are designed to make string changes easier. The “bulb” of the pin is wider, making it easier to grab. The end is also tapered, which helps hold the strings in the correct position.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Okoume
• Back and Sides: Laminate Okoume
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Neck: Nyatoh
• Neck Profile: Slim (21mm at 1st Fret)
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 400mm
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.629"
• Nut Width: 43mm

Pros

The ibanez AW54 continues to impress users with its earthy appeal and warm tone, thanks to its tonewood configuration. Many also feel that the guitar surpassed their expectations when it comes to build quality. Playability is also often commended, as expected from Ibanez.

Cons

As similar as it is to mahogany, it still is a different wood, and this is a deal breaker to some. There are a few who caution that okoume is a bit softer than mahogany, which means that the guitar requires a bit more TLC when handling to avoid scratches and dings.

Overall

If you're looking for a warm sounding solidtop acoustic guitar that's easy on the pocket, then check out the Ibanez AW54.

At the time of publication the Yamaha FS800 was the highest rated acoustic guitar under $200.

Yamaha's FG/FS series continue to get rave reviews, even more so with the addition of traditional x-bracing support on their solid top models. The FS800 brings their tried and tested formula into a concert profile acoustic, it is essentially a smaller bodied alternative to the FG800.

The FS800's compact profile also alters the tone with more emphasis on the mids and highs. Another important difference, although minor, is the shorter scale length which lessens the tension required for the strings to be in tune. This makes it a tad bit easier on the hands, while the curvy compact body makes it easier on the body and elbow to play.

Features:

• Body Shape: Concert
• Top: Solid Spruce
• Back and Sides: Nato/Okume
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Neck: Nato
• Neck Profile: Slim Tapered
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 400mm
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25”
• Nut Width: 43mm

Pros

While this is an entry-level guitar, even experienced players appreciate its overall quality and value for money. Most users are satisfied with its tone, while its playability also gets a lot of thumbs up, especially from guitarists who are into fingerstyle playing. It is also described as a comfortable instrument to learn on.

Cons

Like most guitars in this price range, some recommend replacing the strings to better appreciate its tone. There are a few who had some fret-buzz issues, but they were able to get it setup properly, and still have mostly good things to say about the FS800.

Overall

The Yamaha FS800 is easily one of the best value concert profile guitars in the market today, especially when considering that it gives it comes with a solid spruce top and x-bracing.

The Takamine GD20 is solid-cedar topped acoustic guitar, a type of wood commonly used in classical guitars, which results in warmer tones. Since Takamine guitars are known for their brighter voicing, the use of cedar balances out the overall tone.

Another interesting feature of this guitar is Takamine's split-saddle, which comes in two pieces. Because of this, the positions of the strings are better positioned for improved intonation. This is especially useful when your playing intricate passages on the upper frets of the guitar.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Cedar
• Back and Sides: Laminated Mahogany
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Neck: Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Slim
• Fingerboard: Ovangkol
• Fingerboard Radius: 12”
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.3”
• Nut Width: 42.8mm

Pros

Playability seems to be the strong suit of this guitar, as expressed by both novice and experienced players. Many are also impressed with its tone, including some who own more expensive guitars from well known brands. Many flatpickers and fingerstyle players gave their thumbs up for the way it handles their playing style.

Cons

There are a few who reported minor aesthetic issues, while some are not too happy with the quality of the default strings it came with.

Overall

With its high rating and good reputation, this should be high on your list if you're looking for a good solid cedar top dreadnought.

The Yamaha FG830 is a very similar instrument to the FG800, with the most important difference being that the FG830 comes with rosewood back and sides.

Rosewood is more “focused” than mahogany, so the guitar has a stronger mid-range and high-end punch. This lets you be heard better over other instruments. However, musicians who prefer Americana music (not including bluegrass) or solo arrangements may prefer a mahogany guitar because of their warmer voicing.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Spruce
• Back and Sides: Laminated Rosewood
• Finish: Natural, Tobacco Sunburst, Autumn Burst
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Neck: Nato
• Neck Profile: Slim Tapered
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 400mm
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25”
• Nut Width: 43mm

Pros

Some users report that they bought this guitar so that they won't have to risk carrying their more expensive acoustics too often - yet they ended up liking the FG830 more! Tone gets the most positive mention in reviews, specifically how full it sounded when strumming. This is seconded by commendations for its overall value.

Cons

There are some who comment that the extra cost compared to the FG800 is not justified, unless you’re looking for an affordable rosewood voiced instrument.

Overall

The Yamaha FG830 gives you a bit more quality for the money, well worth checking especially when you consider how expensive other similarly spec'ed guitars are.

The Taylor Big Baby line is a series of guitars aimed at students and musicians on the go, featuring smaller body profiles that's easier to carry around and play on. The Big Baby BBT in particular is based on the dreadnought, only this one is around 15/16th of its size.

It is crafted using sapele, which features many of the same characteristics found in mahogany, including the overall warm voicing as well as the strong mid-range presence. The main difference is that sapele is more renewable, and it has bit more high-end frequency response than mahogany, although the difference is not too big.

Note: Sapele is sometimes referred to as mahogany…because it is mahogany. However, it’s a separate species of the wood from the more widely used Honduran mahogany. That’s why in the video the guitar is referred to as having mahogany back and sides.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought (15/16 size)
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Back and Sides: Laminated Sapele
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: African Ebony
• Neck: Sapele
• Neck Profile: Taylor Big Baby Profile
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Fingerboard Radius: Not Stated
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25 ½”
• Nut Width: 42.8mm

Pros

One user rightly describes the Taylor BBT as "unexpectedly good", and his statement encapsulates what many users feel about the instrument. Beginners who are lucky enough to start with this guitar are all praises about its playability, while experienced guitarists are impressed with its tone.

Cons

There are some build quality concerns that were raised, from minor cosmetic issues to a loose pickguard. There are also a few who question its reliability, with some reports of the guitar having neck / action issues within a year of use.

Overall

If you're looking for a quality portable guitar from a premium brand, then this maybe a good match for you..

As the name itself implies, the Taylor Academy 10 is a dreadnought acoustic with student friendly playability. It sports a distinct slim profile neck and shorter 24 7/8" scale length, both of which make it easier to play. Another noteworthy feature is its armrest, which makes it more comfortable on your picking arm, especially for new players.

While many will consider this guitar as mid-priced, this is still entry-level for Taylor, thankfully, they still equipped the Academy 10 with solid spruce top and sapele back and sides. More importantly, this guitar is built to meet the quality standards of Taylor guitars, which many consider to be among the best in the market.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Spruce Top
• Back and Sides: Sapele
• Finish: Varnish
• Bridge: Not Specified
• Neck: Sapele
• Neck Profile: Taylor Slim
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 24.875"
• Nut Width: 1.6875"

Pros

Reviewers have mostly good things to say about the Taylor Academy 10, more specifically about its build quality, which many describe as up to par with other more expensive Taylor guitars. Extra brownie points are also often given for its playability, which some describe as "like a dream" thanks to its shorter scale length, light gauge string and slim neck profile.

Cons

Since it is a streamlined entry-level model, there's not a lot to expect cosmetically. At this price, you can get better spec'ed guitars from other manufacturers, but value for money is not the strong suit of Taylor guitars anyway. Interestingly, there are still some who feel that they got more than their moneys worth.

Overall

If you're looking for a premium quality student friendly guitar, then this should be high on your list.

Alvarez guitars know how to ruffle the feathers of big brands with their value packed mid-tier priced acoustics, a good example of which is the MFA66. This guitar gives you quite a lot for your money, starting with its all-solid wood design, down to its cosmetic appointments.

While it's not unusual to see solid mahogany top guitars in this price range, it won't be as easy to match the MFA66's solid mahogany back, sides and neck. It's even more impressive when you factor in other features like its forward shifted scalloped bracing, Paua Abalone Body purfling and inlays, acacia binding, real bone nut/saddle and ebony bridge pins.

Features:

• Body Shape: Folk
• Top: Solid African Mahogany
• Back and Sides: Solid African Mahogany
• Finish: Shadowburst Finish
• Bridge: Bi-Level Polished Rosewood Bridge
• Neck: Solid Mahogany Neck
• Neck Profile: Not Specified
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: Not Specified
• Number of Frets: 21
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 24.8"
• Nut Width: 1.75"

Pros

The Alvarez MFA66 continues to surpass the expectations of guitarists, many of whom are very happy with what they got for the money that they spent. Tone plays a big role in impressing users enough to write their reviews, while build quality and aesthetics come pretty close. One user describes it as an incredible guitar, and this simple description accurately summarizes what many guitar players feel about the MFA66.

Cons

There are a few reports of out-of-the-box shipping related issues, but outside of those, this guitar gets mostly positive reviews.

Overall

With its impressive specs and looks, it's not that hard to understand why the MFA66 secured a spot here for Alvarez guitars.

Blueridge’s BR-140 is a Martin-styled dreadnought, at a more affordable price point. The BR-140 is arguably the closest you’re going to get to that pre-War Martin tone while still keeping your budget under $1000. Because of this, it’s a great deal if you’re looking for a Bluegrass guitar especially. However, the BR-140 is also at home with singer-songwriter work and vintage finger-style arrangements as well.

The best thing about this guitar is that it’s actually made from all-solid woods. The tone you get from this instrument is going to be significantly better than the tone you’ll get from a laminated instrument, making the extra investment worth it if you’re serious about getting good acoustic tone.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Back and Sides: Solid Honduras Mahogany
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Neck: Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Slim
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: Not Stated
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.6”
• Nut Width: 43mm

Pros

As expected, there are plenty of favorable comparisons with Martin dreads, be it as a more affordable alternative, or as a backup/portable substitute for their expensive guitars. Some even report that it can stand its ground when paired with iconic guitars like the Martin D-18. Many describe the tone of this guitar as being bright with full bass much like traditional dreadnoughts.

Cons

There are a few who complain about the action being a bit higher than what they're used to, but this is a common issue among old school American made acoustics.

Overall

If your're looking for a reasonably priced all solid wood dreadnought based on classic designs, then do check out the Blueridge BR-140.

While C.F. Martin & Co is still the brand to beat when it comes premium acoustic steel string guitars, the company has been successfully extending their reach to relatively lower price ranges. The Custom D is a good example, described as one of their most affordable American-made all-solid wood dreadnought.

Solid Sitka spruce is used for the guitar's top, while solid mahogany is used for the back and sides, all of which are built to their strict quality standards in their Nazareth Pennsylvania facility. It also features a dovetail neck joint, which is preferred by many for its effect on overall resonance and sustain. More importantly, all these features are packaged in a guitar that's reasonably priced (relatively speaking).

Features:

• Body Shape:
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Back and Sides: Solid Mahogany
• Finish: Satin
• Bridge: Solid Indian Rosewood
• Neck: Solid Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Modified Low Oval
• Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 16"
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.4"
• Nut Width: 43mm"

Pros

Most, if not all owners of the Martin Custom D, are pleased with how well built the guitar is. There are many reports of its quality surpassing expectations, and many of those who bought the guitar online (without testing it beforehand) are impressed. Many are surprised at how playable it is out of the box. One user compared its playability to butter, a good one word representation of how most users feel about this guitar. As expected from a Martin, it also gets a lot of thumbs up for its bright yet punchy tone.

Cons

Lack of aesthetic appointments is a downer for a few, one user describes it as a very basic looking acoustic. But this is expected given that for the money you are getting a premium spec'ed US-made Martin guitar.

Overall

Considering its all solid wood construction, the Martin Custom D Classic Mahogany is a great bargain, highly recommended for those who aren't that into aesthetics.

At the time of publication, the Martin D-15M was the highest rated acoustic guitar between $1,000 and $1,500 and the first acoustic guitar to achieve a Gearank rating of 99!

Martin’s D-15M is a solid all-mahogany dreadnought. This guitar has a very strong rhythmic presence, thanks to the warmth and bold mid-range tone that you get with mahogany. Because of the dreadnought sized body, the guitar also has low-end response and volume to spare.

An interesting feature of this guitar is that it combines the standard Martin dreadnought voicing (think Bluegrass) with the warmth of mahogany. This gives the guitar a surprisingly balanced voice. Finally, it follows the minimalist design of Martin's Style 15 guitars, which they first introduced back in the 1940s.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Mahogany
• Back and Sides: Solid Mahogany
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Neck: Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Modified Low Oval, Standard Taper
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Saddle Radius: 16"
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.4”
• Nut Width: 43mm

Pros

Being a dreadnought, this guitar is expected to be a fantastic rhythm instrument, and reviewers agree. Being a dreadnought, it an handle picks and heavy strumming, but with its mahogany body, there are also plenty who report that it works just as great for more intricate fingerstyle play styles. Many reviewers say that it feels solid and is well built, down to minute details.

Cons

With its almost perfect score, there's not much negative to report on. Although there are some who wish that the guitar was not so bare looking.

Overall

When it comes to dreadnoughts, you're investment is safe with Martin, especially with their high reselling price. So if you're looking for a premium mahogany dreadnought, and you want to go for what the market actually rates the highest - then go for the Martin D-15M.

At the time of publication, this was the highest rated acoustic guitar between $1,500 and $2,000.

The Martin 000-15SM is a compact parlor style guitar that harkens back to the "blues box" guitars of the 1930s, complete with a 12-fret neck joint. Despite its smaller 000 body profile and 12-fret neck joint, Martin opted to give this guitar a standard scale length, which avoids the need for any technique adjustments when switching from a standard size acoustic.

Another important distinction of the Martin 000-15SM is its slotted headstock, which completes the guitar's old school appeal. The top, back and sides are all crafted from solid mahogany, while the fingerboard and bridge is crafted from East Indian rosewood.

Features:

• Body Shape: 000
• Top: Solid Mahogany
• Back and Sides: Solid Mahogany
• Finish: Satin
• Bridge: East Indian Rosewood
• Neck: Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Modified Low Oval
• Fingerboard: East Indian Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 16"
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 12
• Scale Length: 25.4"
• Nut Width: 44.45mm

Pros

There's just something special about 12-fret parlor guitars, especially if it has a slotted headstock to complete its classic look. This is exactly what the 000-15SM is, with Martin's brand of premium build quality backing it up. So it's not much of a surprise to find it being rated highly, almost perfect, at most retailers. It gets most of its commendations for its clear and detailed tone, followed by positive comments about its classic look and build quality.

Cons

We all wish that this guitar was priced a bit lower, but those who bought it are more than pleased with how their investment turned out.

Overall

With its premium specs and classic looks, the Martin 000-15SM is an easy recommend, even if you have to wait and save for it!