Best Acoustic Electric Guitar – Under $300 $500 $750 & $1000

In this section, we clarify essential factors that you should consider when buying acoustic-electric guitars. The main goal is to help you find one that lets you enjoy playing guitar while plugged in, while fitting your budget and performance requirements.

Are Acoustic Electric Guitars Better than Acoustic Guitars with No Built-in Pickups?

Aside from the extra components that are fitted into them, acoustic-electric guitars are not much different from traditional acoustic guitars. So you’re still getting everything that you can get from a non-pickup equipped acoustic guitar – the same playability, tone, and looks.

The main advantage of an electric acoustic guitar vs acoustic guitar is the convenience of getting amplified without the need for external hardware or mics. And this ability has changed live performances – making it much easier to get good amplified acoustic guitar sounds even in small venues.

Note that recording through mics is still the professional choice, but acoustic-electric guitars give us more convenient options. These advantages are enough reasons for me to recommend acoustic-electric guitars to my students.

Types of Acoustic Pickups

The main thing to remember about different types of acoustic guitar pickups is that none of them is inferior to the other. They just have different strengths and weaknesses. They’re also available at different price points and levels of quality, so don’t discount any acoustic guitar pickup out of hand.

There are three main types of acoustic guitar pickup, the first of which is the piezo pickup, and this is the most common type in production acoustic-electrics today. The other two main types include magnetic and transducer. For ease of reading, they’re laid out below.

Piezo

The term piezo refers to piezoelectric crystals that convert vibrations into an electric current. Piezo pickups are inexpensive to produce and as such, are the most commonly found pickup in electro-acoustic models. Piezo pickups generally have a bright tone and strong mid-range response, thankfully they are bundled with preamps that help make the sound more like an unplugged acoustic guitar. While there’s nothing better than a true miked acoustic tone, the sound quality of piezo preamp systems has steadily been improving. This makes it easier for an acoustic guitar player to play on stage. And it also made it easier for manufacturers to produce value-added instruments.

Magnetic

Contrary to popular belief, magnetic pickups are used on both acoustic and electric instruments. These pickups usually sit in the sound hole of a guitar, so they don’t require drilling or permanent modification. They’re also commonly an aftermarket addition, with a few exceptions.

These pickups have a more metallic sound than either a piezo or a transducer pickup. This is why most don’t consider this type to be a great guitar pickup. However, there are high-end magnetic pickups that produce a better approximation of an acoustic instrument tone.

Transducer

Transducer pickups are considered to be the best option available if you’re looking for authentic acoustic tones. They have a very rich and complex tone and retain the general flavor of your guitar’s voice. The only flaw with this pickup type is that it produces more feedback than either piezo or magnetic pickups.

Active vs. Passive Pickups

Something to keep in mind when looking for pickups is that you’re going to have to choose between an active or passive pickup system. A passive system simply transfers the signal from your strings to whatever you’re using to amplify it, while an active pickup boosts your signal through the use of a battery.

A passive pickup doesn’t produce a very strong signal, which can result in a small amount of volume and an anemic tone. However, the signal can either be boosted at the p.a., your amp, or the most versatile option’ via an Acoustic Preamp. Active pickups don’t require any external technology to boost, though they do require a battery, but some people still use acoustic preamps for the tone shaping and DI benefits. Note that most acoustic-electric guitars that are available on the market today come with active preamps.

Tonewoods

There’s a lot of debate surrounding tonewoods, so we’re just going to list the basic qualities of the main ones used by the guitars in this guide.

Basswood

Although technically a hardwood species, it’s actually reasonably light and soft. These properties tend to reduce the high-end projection, which is probably why Gretsch have chosen it for some of their parlor guitars to help emphasize their mid-range.

Spruce

Spruce is the most commonly found top wood on a guitar (the side that faces out while you play). It has a bright tone that suits strumming or fingerpicking, especially when paired with mahogany. The most popular configuration combines a solid spruce top, mahogany back, and sides.

Nato

This is sometimes referred to as “eastern mahogany” because it has a similar appearance. Tone-wise, guitarists compare it with mahogany, with many saying it’s a little brighter. It is often used by guitar manufacturers because it is somewhat similar to mahogany but cheaper.

Maple

A very hard and dense wood and is most often used on the back and sides but you will occasionally find it used as a top wood. It has great projection but tends to emphasize the mid frequencies too much for many people’s taste as a top wood.

Mahogany

Mahogany emphasizes bass and mid-range frequencies and as a general rule, has a fairly dark tone. Koa, another commonly found tonewood, is very similar to mahogany.

Sapele

Sapele is a bit denser than Mahogany and produces a slightly brighter sound. Taylor says it adds “top-end shimmer” to the guitars they use it on.

Rosewood

Rosewood is brighter than mahogany, though not as bright as spruce. When paired with spruce, the resulting tone is very bright and focused, making it well-suited to lead and fingerpicking.

Koa

It is also known as Hawaiian Koa because it’s a native Hawaiian species. It’s a dense hardwood that emphasizes the mid to high overtones, and as it ages, it tends to ‘open up,’ adding warmth to the mid-range. It’s mainly found on high-end guitars due to its high cost.

Laminated vs. Solid Top

The difference between laminate and solid wood is that laminate is several thin sheets of wood glued together, while solid wood is a solid piece of wood. The glue that binds the pieces of laminate together reduces the amount that your guitar vibrates, lessening your volume and frequency production (tone). Solid wood resonates more efficiently, so instruments that use it are louder and sound better. Conversely, laminated woods are more cost-effective, reliable, and resilient to weather changes.

Generally, if the specifications don’t say the top wood is solid, then it’s laminate.