Acoustic Guitar Buying Guide

As a general rule, an acoustic model will be the best choice for beginners and would be what we'd recommend as a first guitar.

It will allow you to learn how to play chords and develop all the skills you'll need to play an electric guitar later on, should you decide to buy one.

One of the best accessible and affordable brands in the UK right now is Ferndale, which makes great value-for-money instruments, of outstanding quality.

If you don't want to know anything else about acoustic guitars, just keep Ferndale in mind and you'll be alright. 

Children have smaller hands than adults, so if you're buying an acoustic guitar for a ten-year-old child, for instance, the best option is to choose a smaller, 1/2 size guitar, which will make playing easier.

It's usually better to buy a smaller, cheaper guitar for a kid than a more expensive model meant for adults - which they might find too hard to play, and this could even put them off playing the instrument altogether.

Another good option for children is to buy them a Ukulele instead if you just want to give your kids a taste of how fun music can be. Ukes are also very easy to play!

Ed Sheeran is a champion of the 3/4 sized travel guitars, crafting a career in music utilizing a Martin LX1.

Now a household name, Ed Sheeran would eventually create a line of signature travel guitars with the team at Martin, culminating in a special edition model for each album that was released.

His latest, the Martin Ed Sheeran Divide Signature Edition 3 Acoustic Guitar has been met with acclaim from guitar magazines and players alike.

The main differences between classical and acoustic guitars are:

• Classical guitars have nylon strings instead of steel strings: Nylon strings are softer and therefore easier to play because they are less demanding on the fingertips of the beginner - and for this reason, classical models are usually a good choice as a first guitar and for children.
• They are smaller: together with nylon strings, this means they sound mellower and quieter than the bigger, steel-strung acoustic guitars.
• Classical options also have wider necks: wider and chunkier can make it harder for players with smaller hands to play chords if you buy a full-sized model.

These guitars are suitable for playing classical music, hence their name.

Unlike steel-strung instruments, which are often played with a plectrum classical guitars are meant to be played by finger-picking the strings.

Andrés Segovia was considered one of the masters of the instrument, and this video shows a classical guitar being put to good use:

And because all guitars listed on our Acoustic Guitars section are steel-strung anyway, this fact is not usually mentioned on their names or description - it's simply taken as a given.

However, this is one of the crucial differences between the standard acoustic models and classical ones: steel strings sound crisper and brighter than nylon strings, but are also harder to play.

For this reason, some beginners might not find them easy to play with, especially children, and this is one of the main reasons a classical, nylon string guitar is usually the best choice for beginners and children in particular.

Most forms of popular music from the past and present have used steel-strung acoustic guitars: from old, obscure blues records, to some of the biggest hits by acts such as The Beatles or Oasis, to most pop acts in the charts today.

When you see someone playing an acoustic guitar on stage or on TV, hear it on the radio or on records, or someone busking on the street, it is usually this kind of acoustic guitar, not a classical guitar.

One particular type that may stand out is the super jumbo shaped guitar, such as the Gibson J200. It has a body that's slightly larger and curvier than a dreadnought shape.

This produces a sound that's louder and richer. Super Jumbo guitars are definitely too big as a first guitar for a younger player, and the shape is not as popular as dreadnought but it found favour with many players over the years including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Sheryl Crow, Oasis and many others.

There are also Electro-Acoustic Guitars available.

They are basically just like the usual acoustic guitars but come fitted with a built-in preamp, which means they can also be plugged into an amp or directly to the PA.

This is a useful feature if the player performs live, or plans to do so. If you're just a beginner who just wants to play at home, getting an electro-acoustic is not really necessary.

Many electro-acoustics have a cutaway design, which makes them slightly easier to play if the guitarist wants access to the upper frets.

The Taylor 114ce Grand Auditorium Electro-Acoustic is one of the best models available right now. 

While it's true you can play an acoustic straight out of the box, in reality, things are just a little bit less simple than that.

You are advised to buy a guitar tuner, a few guitar picks and a pack of extra acoustic guitar strings.

If you choose to buy an Acoustic Guitar Starter Pack, it'll come with all the extra bits you'll need.

If you want a quality acoustic guitar, you don't have to spend a great deal. In fact, we have a huge selection of cheap acoustic guitars that don't suck.

Those who play electro-acoustic guitars, though, will benefit from other accessories, such as Acoustic Guitar Amps and FX pedals.

We'd really recommend picking up the Boss RC-1 Looper Pedal - a great industry standard option that helps you build and sculpt your sound in the live environment. 

 Another of the best pedals right now is the new Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer, which is perfect for those who play and sing, because it features inputs for your electro-acoustic and also your microphone.

This helpful tool figures out what key you're playing in, and it then creates natural vocal harmonies to bolster your sound. 

You can also pick up the Boss Acoustic Pro Amp which combines this functionality with an amplifier - an immensely helpful tool.

We'd also recommend the Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive Pedal - something that was designed with acoustic players in mind.

This is a bright solution to the classic issue of feedback, adding overdrive to your acoustic signal, without the tone-destroying feedback that usually ensues.