Though Ibanez is known more for their electric guitars, the brand actually produces a lot of high quality and inventive acoustic instruments. A 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 the mid frequencies. It’s great if you’re looking to play folk, blues, country music, and other finger-style songs. Note that it has a solid okoume top, which adds to the guitar's projection and responsiveness.

Another 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 as seen in the image below.

Note that Okoume is also a bit softer than mahogany, so it can be prone to scratches and dings. The sonic difference can also be a deal breaker for those who prefer the brighter sound of traditional spruce plus mahogany tonewood combinations.

But if you're looking for a warm sounding solid-top acoustic guitar that's easy to play and easy on the pocket, then check out the Ibanez AW54.

[Click to Expand]

Specs

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Okoume
• Back and Sides: Okoume
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: Ovangkol
• Neck: Nyatoh
• Neck Profile: Slim (21mm at 1st Fret)
• Fingerboard: Ovangkol
• Fingerboard Radius: 15.75"
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.629"
• Nut Width: 1.6875"

Demo

The Yamaha FG830 is a dreadnought profile guitar with a solid spruce top paired with laminate rosewood back and sides.

Rosewood has a more “focused” sound than mahogany, so the guitar has a stronger high-end punch. This is the reason why some experienced musicians go for pricier rosewood over mahogany if the budget permits.

Since it uses laminate rosewood, the sound difference is not too big, but the extra high-frequency zing is definitely noticeable. Because of the emphasis on the highs, the mids are slightly scooped, resulting in crisp pick attacks and a detailed bright sound overall. Musicians that prefer Americana music (not including bluegrass) or solo arrangements may prefer a mahogany guitar because of their warmer voicing.

The FG830 comes packed with cosmetic appointments, and as expected from Yamaha, craftsmanship is top notch. Even when closely inspected, this guitar looks way more expensive than it actually is.

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

Specs

• 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: 15.7"
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Nut Width: 1.6875"

Demo

The D Jr-10 represents C.F. Martin & Co.'s successful foray into the mid-tier market, a "junior" size version of their popular dreadnought shape guitar. Being the company that developed the dreadnought, Martin is certainly the authority when it comes to its design, so it's not surprising that their miniature version is well received.

Martin didn't pull their punches with the D Jr-10, giving it an all solid wood body - solid sitka spruce for the top, and solid sapele for the back and sides. This is a big deal because Martin usually reserves all solid wood body construction for more expensive models. It even comes with scalloped X bracing. And since it is built to meet the quality standards of Martin, you can expect good quality playability and tone from it, albeit different from its regular sized dreadnought siblings.

What surprised me about the D Jr-10 is its detailed lows, not as deep as regular dreads, but low enough to make the guitar sound fuller. It has more bass than any junior or parlor size guitars that I have tried. It also retains the warmer woody signature sound of Martin, which I personally prefer over the brighter sound of other junior style acoustic guitars.

While having an all solid wood body helps improve volume, its small body size limits its projection, it won't be as loud as regular sized acoustics.

Everything else about it is also scaled down, including the neck which has a shorter 24" scale length and a narrower 1.75" nutwidth. The neck follows Martin's "High Performance Taper" profile, which is their own modified low oval shape. All these modifications make the D Jr easier and more comfortable to play. But it also means that it feels and plays very differently from regular sized acoustics.

Another unique feature of the D Jr-10 is it has a thinner body depth similar to 000 Martins, and it has beveled back edges to improve playing comfort.

Since Martin makes such high-spec'ed "Junior" guitars at a relatively reasonable price, I really hope they expand this line with a similarly spec'ed and priced parlor guitar, preferably with slotted headstock.

The Martin D Jr-10 is a great entry-way into the world of premium acoustics. Highly recommended for those who want an easy to play guitar while bearing the classic Martin tone.

The Martin D Jr-10's smooth back edges

Specs

• Body Shape: Dreadnought Jr
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Back and Sides: Solid Sapele
• Finish: Satin
• Bridge: Walnut
• Neck: Richlite
• Neck Profile: High Performance Taper (Modified Low Oval)
• Fingerboard: Richlite
• Fingerboard Radius: 16"
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 24”
• Nut Width: 1.75"

Demo

The Taylor Academy 10 is a dreadnought acoustic with student friendly specs and playability. It sports a distinct slim profile neck and shorter 24 7/8" scale length, both of which make it easier to play.

One noteworthy feature of this guitar is its beveled armrest, which makes it more comfortable on your picking arm, especially for new players. And it also adds to the cosmetic appeal of the guitar. This type of feature is usually reserved for more expensive Taylor models, so having this feature on an entry-level model is a good deal.

Speaking of entry-level, Taylor's higher price tier means that the Academy 10 goes beyond the usual budget of students. But those who can save up for it will enjoy a well-built starter guitar with solid spruce top.

As expected from Taylor, the Academy 10 has a brighter sound with good treble definition. But it's not overly bright, so bass notes still sound clear and have good depth. It is a bit lacking in the mids, but this is normal for bright sounding acoustics. For its size, it has good projection, and responds really well to how hard or how soft you hit the strings.

Since it is a streamlined entry-level model, there's not a lot to expect cosmetically. At this price, you can probably get better spec'ed guitars from other manufacturers, but quality will probably be hit or miss. At least with the Academy 10, you can be sure that you're getting a premium quality instrument that translates to good playing experience.

[Beveled Arm Rest at the Top - Click to Expand]

So if you're looking for a premium quality crisp sounding student friendly guitar, then the Taylor Academy 10 is definitely worth considering.

Specs

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Spruce Top
• Back and Sides: Sapele
• Finish: Varnish
• Bridge: Ebony
• Neck: Sapele
• Neck Profile: Taylor Slim
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 24.875"
• Nut Width: 1.6875"

Demo

Seagull has some of the most highest rated acoustics in the mid-tier market, and rightly so given the quality that they are putting out there. The S6 Original 046386 is a great example of why they are doing well.

Instead of merely cloning familiar designs, the S6 Original tweaks it a bit to achieve a distinctive sound and appearance. It has a modified dreadnought shape with a slightly narrower upper bout, and it has a solid cedar top instead of the usual spruce or mahogany. Cedar is an interesting choice because it is more commonly used in classical guitars. The cedar tops are pressure tested before being used, this ensures durability and stability of structure.

Another noteworthy feature of this guitar is the use of wild cherry for the back and sides. This wood is chosen mostly because of its wider availability in Canada, which is where Seagull guitars are made. Being a hardwood, wild cherry has similar properties to maple, which ups the brightness of the guitar. Thankfully, the warmer voicing of the solid cedar top balances out some of the excess highs. The slightly different body shape, together its tonewood configuration, results in a bright yet focused tone, with emphasis on the high mid frequencies and overtones. This gives the S6 Original good clarity and acoustic projection, but with less of the lows. Pick attack is also emphasized, although not too much that it makes the sound scratchy.

It features a silver leaf maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. Being made in Canada means that neck and fretwork are up to par, so there's no worry of big inconsistencies on the frets and neck shape. My main gripe about this guitar is its 1.8" wide nutwidth, which makes it a bit more difficult for students to play.

Other features include having compensated saddle and nut that are crafted from composite TUSQ material. It also comes with Seagull's distinct narrow headstock, which aligns the strings better with the tuners for more stable tuning. I'm not a fan of how odd it looks though, but it is functional.

If you're looking for a well built acoustic guitar that's made in North America, then this is for you.

Specs

• Body Shape: Modified Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Cedar
• Back and Sides: Wild Cherry
• Finish: Semi-Gloss Natural
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Neck: Silver Leaf Maple
• Neck Profile: Not Specified
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Number of Frets: 21
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Nut Width: 1.8"

Demo