Best Acoustic Guitar Under 1000: Great Tone & Value

Most people buying guitars in this price range already have a pretty good understanding of the topics below so we’ll keep this relatively short and sweet. If you’d like further information then please refer to our Tips for Acoustic Guitar Buyers.

Guitar Tonewoods

This is a topic where a myriad of opinions abound, but the consensus is that great acoustic guitars have solid wood construction. Solid wood results in better tone and projection – particularly when at least used for the top wood.

The vast majority of good guitars in the $500 to $1000 price range have solid tops, and many also have the rest of the body made from solids, although this drives up the instrument’s cost.

Here are some of the most commonly used tonewoods in this price range:

• SpruceIt is one of the most popular tonewoods for the top of an acoustic guitar and is generally considered to have an ‘all-round’ tone without being overly bright tone, warm, or bassy. Generally speaking, a spruce top guitar sounds clear and has good resonance. Spruce goes well with most other types of wood that may be used on the rest of the guitar.
• MahoganyMahogany is a dense wood that lends itself to a warm tone that projects very well. It was traditionally used mainly on the back and sides of a guitar; however, in the last few years, it has become a very popular wood used to build an entire guitar – in fact, many all-mahogany guitars are now rated more highly than their traditional counterparts.
• RosewoodRosewood offers a lot of warmth and complex overtones. It’s usually found on the back and sides or fingerboard and is said to round out the overall tone of Spruce-topped guitars. It’s also an expensive tonewood used sparingly on less costly models, so don’t expect inexpensive guitars to have this feature. You won’t even find solid rosewood among the best acoustic guitars under 1000 dollars. Still, many consider solid rosewood back and sides to be a great option for getting a great sound – more natural and alive.

Shape and Size

Generally, smaller bodies such as Concert guitars will emphasize the mids and higher frequencies and are often preferred by fingerstyle players. At the other end of the spectrum Jumbo body guitars resonate the lower bass frequencies much better and are preferred by those who play a loud strumming style.

In between, you have the Grand Auditorium, which combines the tonal characteristics of small and large-bodied guitars. The most popular shape is still the Dreadnought, which is nice and loud and produces a good balance of high and low frequencies with enough note definition for playing melodies with a pick. For those who want a compact acoustic guitar, you can look into parlor guitar models, with their small bodies.

When choosing the shape of your new acoustic guitar, you have to consider your playing style, tone preference, and playing comfort.

Action / String Height

Guitars with a low action allow for easier barre chords and faster runs, which include the use of playing techniques such as tapping on the fretboard and hammering on/off. Beginners and those transitioning from electric guitars generally find a lower action easier to play. A higher Guitar Action on the other hand lends itself a bit better to loud strumming styles of play where fret buzz would be a concern if the action was too low.

Unfortunately, guitar manufacturers typically don’t provide string height as one of their specifications, and the actual height tends to vary between individual guitars and batches, so if you don’t like the setup your guitar has when it arrives, you either have to get a guitar technician to adjust it for you, or do it yourself. For advice on setting up your guitar see this guide from Guitar Player. Having good string action out-of-the-box requires more hands-on quality checking, so don’t expect this from a cheap guitar.

Nut Width

The nut width determines the spacing between the stings at the head end of the neck. Larger nut widths will suit players who are used to it, for example, anyone transitioning from classical-style guitars or those who have larger fingers. Players with small fingers or those transitioning from electric guitar will find smaller nut widths easier to play.

Scale Length

This is essentially the distance measured between the saddle and the nut, or more accurately described as double the distance from the nut to the 12th fret plus some “compensation” added by the position of the saddle. A longer scale length requires higher tension in the strings and results in a brighter tone. A more detailed explanation with examples is presented quite well by Stewart MacDonald and a good description of the implications of different scale lengths can be found at Guitar Player.

Strap Buttons

Some guitars don’t come with a strap button on the neck side, or they don’t come with any at all. There are special types of guitar straps and strap adapters made specifically for this purpose and we detail those in our guide to guitar straps. You also have the option of buying strap buttons and installing them yourself, but you might not want to alter your guitar if you’re not confident in doing it properly – you also don’t want to drop a $1000 guitar because you incorrectly installed a $1 strap button.

How to Take Care of Your Acoustic Guitars

Once you start spending larger amounts buying a quality acoustic guitar, it becomes very important to look after your instrument properly. Here are some of the things you ought to consider to prolong the life and tone of your investment.

Protect The Woods: If you live in a place where you have extremes of weather, temperature, or humidity, then you run the risk of the woods cracking as they expand and contract with environmental changes. You can prevent this by using guitar humidifiers and/or guitar case hygrometers.

Cleaning: Always wipe down your strings after playing, as this will help to preserve their tone and make them last longer. Sweat from your fingers will also eventually gunk up the frets, so from time to time, you’ll need to take the strings off and give the fretboard a good clean.

Secure Your Guitar: When not in use either store your guitar in a case or gig bag or on a guitar stand or rack to prevent it from being knocked over accidentally. Also, consider using a guitar strap, even when playing seated, to reduce the risk of dropping.