Currently, most acoustic guitars on the market use different synthetic body components like high pressure laminate for increased durability and to cut costs. For this reason, people tend to ask about guitars that are made of solid wood entirely.
Thankfully, there are many acoustic guitars made of solid wood available on the market while others are being made. This means that there’s something to fit every budget. In this article, we have highlighted our recommendations of some of the best solid wood acoustic guitars for money. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Best Solid Wood Acoustic Guitars for Money
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Taylor GS Mini Mahogany
Taylor GS Mini Mahogany is an excellent choice for those looking for a budget-friendly travel-size acoustic guitar with sound profile and Taylor’s build quality. It has all the features that you can find in other high-end models in Taylor’s line of guitars even though its relatively cheap.
Just as the name suggests, the GS Mini features a solid mahogany top and traces of Sapele for the back and sides of the body. The manufacturer used X-bracing architecture in its construction for increased durability, resonance and higher volume level. The design of the body is a small version of the company’s Grand Symphony variants.
The guitar’s neck is made of Sapele while the fretboard is crafted from the famous Crelicam Ebony from West Africa. It has a shorter scale length albeit with 20 frets. It additionally features classic dot design inlays for ideal fret identification. It comes with a three-ring plastic rosette, a tortoise-pattern pickguard along with a natural finish that tends to accentuate the wood color used in making it. This means that it’s aesthetically pleasing.
The guitar’s bridge matches the fretboard as its also crafted from the famous West African Crelicam Ebony. It additionally features a micarta saddle and bridge pins that are made of plastic. The headstock, on the other hand, features a NuBone nut and die-cast chrome tuners.
However, the GS Mini lacks electronics but its specially designed with an ES-Go pickup. You can install the pickup with ease in record time using a screwdriver. What’s more, it comes with a well-padded gig bag for ease of carrying around especially when travelling.
Generally, Taylor GS Mini Mahogany has the same features that you can find in other high-end models especially in terms of the hardware used. This acoustic guitar provides an iconic sound and playability that most Taylor guitars are well known for despite the affordable price tag.
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Taylor 412ce -R
If you’re looking for the best solid wood acoustic guitar and money is no object then Taylor 412ce-R is your best bet. Taylor guitars are nice sounding and play remarkably well and this particular model is proof enough. It has a compact body and a cutaway design that is relatively smaller than the company’s traditional Grand Concert variants.
The sides and back of this acoustic guitar are crafted from Rosewood with a Sitka spruce top. The designer employed V architecture in the body construction to provide more volume, deeper resonance and a more secure build.
The tropical mahogany neck is connected to the guitar’s body with a scarf joint. The West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard has 20 frets that you can access with ease since the body features a cutaway design. The neck has a short scale length with a 15” radius. The company’s unique renaissance inlays on the fretboard makes identifying the fret a lot easier.
This acoustic guitar uses premium quality components everywhere else in its build featuring a micarta saddle. West African Crelicam ebony bridge and bridge pins which is a step up from the normal plastic pins on most acoustic guitars. The guitar’s headstock has a Tusq nut and a nickel tuner. As earlier mentioned, Taylor 412ce-R is not only aesthetically pleasing but also extremely comfortable to play.
Taylor 412ce-R additionally features a three-plastic ring rosette positioned around the sound hole along with a tortoise-patterned pickup in red. The body has a beautiful gloss finish that tends to accentuate the color combinations of the wood used in its construction naturally. Most live performers will appreciate the addition of the Expression System 2 electronics.
Taylor’s Expression System 2 electronics uses the pickup positioned behind the guitar’s saddle and provides a rather pristine amplified representation of the natural sound of the guitar. This acoustic guitar also comes with control knobs for volume and tone adjustments. What’s more, the guitar is usually shipped in a well-padded deluxe gig bag for ease of transportation especially when moving around.
Generally, Taylor 412ce-R is one of the most luxurious solid wood acoustic guitars for money available on the market. It has playability and impressive features that you can only find on high-end models that fall on the higher side of the pricing spectrum. It’s relatively expensive but live performers can attest that nothing else compares to this model.
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Fender FA-15
If you’re working on a tight budget, then Fender FA-15 would be an excellent choice for you whether you’re a professional or a beginner. It’s relatively small and features an all solid wood construction with a decent resonate profile. Plus, it’s available in many different colors for versatility best suited for players who prefer being adventurous when it comes to the look of the guitar.
The back and sides are crafted from Sapele to provide warm resonance. The guitar’s neck, on the other hand, is made of Nato with 18 frets made from Walnut. The C-shape neck design is typically congruent with almost all Fender’s acoustic guitars. The guitar has a shorter scale length with a classic radius that measures 11.81 inches with dot inlays around the neck for fret identification purposes.
The bridge of this acoustic guitar is made of Walnut while the saddle and plastic bridge pins are crafted from synthetic bone. You’ll also find a nut on the headstock made of the synthetic bone along with die-cast chrome tuners.
In addition, Fender FA-15 is available in a range of color finishes to allow users to customize the guitar as opposed to settling for the traditional look. There are more than five color finishes including:
- Moonlight burst
- Green
- Natural
- Black
- Blue
- Red
The best thing about this acoustic guitar is that it comes with a well-padded gig bag for convenience of carrying around.
Generally, Fender FA-15 comes highly recommended for beginners and younger children. This is because it has a smaller scale length, to accommodate small hands and its extremely easy to play. It’s equally lightweight owing to the ¾ size form factor. It’s an all-fun acoustic guitar regardless of the price point and provides incredible playability.
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Takamine GF30CE FXC
Takamine GF30CE FXC is one of the best solid wood acoustic guitars for money available on the market. This is because you get to enjoy all the benefits for an acoustic guitar with this model without breaking the bank. It has a cutaway body design that is relatively small than other variants from the same company.
The back and sides are made from mahogany wood with a Sitka spruce top to provide a responsive resonate sound. The body, on the other hand, is made using the famous quarter sawm X-bracing construction. The neck is also made of solid mahogany with a slimmer design to provide a comfortable and smooth playing experience.
The fretboard is made of Ovangkol with 20 frets and dot inlays for fret identification. Takamine GF30CE has a relatively shorter scale length with a 12-inch radius. It additionally features an Ovangkol bridge, a synthetic bone saddle along with typical plastic bridge pins. You’ll find a synthetic bone nut and die-cast chrome tuners on the headstock.
In addition, this acoustic guitar is aesthetically pleasing as it comes with a black pickguard and a pearloid rosette on the sound hole. What’s more, it’s available in a range of color finishes including natural, sunburst and black among others. The inclusion the preamp system and electric pickup is a great addition to the guitar as they provide great acoustic electric performances.
The preamp uses TP-4TD system with three different controls for volume and EQ tonal adjustments and an in-built tuner for ease of tuning when playing. Generally, Takamine GF30CE is the best solid wood guitar for money with different capabilities. It’s highly valuable as compared to other models from the same company especially those that are a bit expensive.
The small size form factor and cutaway designs means that this acoustic guitar is best suited for all players regardless of their musical style.
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Ibanez AW54CE
Ibanez AW54CE is another great option for those working on a tight budget but are looking for the best solid wood acoustic guitars for money. This dreadnought features a cutaway design with a well-balanced sound profile and natural look that suits almost all guitarists. The body of the guitar is entirely made of Okoume with X-bracing architecture. Plus, it features an open-pore finish that tends to accentuate the wood’s natural color.
The neck, on the other hand, is made from Nyatoh while the fretboard is crafted from Ovangkol with dot inlays for fret identification of the 20 frets. The scale length of the neck measures 25.62 inches with a 15.7-inch radius. It has an Ovangkol bridge that matches the fretboard along with plastic bridge pins and saddle. The headstock features a die-cast chrome tuner and a plastic nut.
Most live performers prefer using Ibanez AW54CE for acoustic electric performance since it comes with the company’s under saddle Sonicore pickup that’s crafted by Fishman. The AEQ-TPR preamp offers controls for EQ tonal and volume adjustment with an in-built tuner.
Generally, the Ibanez AW54CE is a pretty decent solid wood acoustic guitar that’s best suited for all players regardless of their skill level. Nothing compares to this guitar especially for the price.
Factors to Consider When Looking for the Best Solid Wood Acoustic Guitars for Money
Just like any other musical instrument, there are a few things you need to put into consideration when looking for the best solid wood acoustic guitars. Most of this criteria heavily depends on personal preference that’s why you need to do research and play test the guitar in question to check its playability.
Here are some of the things you need to factor in when shopping around for solid wood acoustic guitars;
Guitar Build
If you are going for an acoustic guitar made of entirely of solid wood, then you need to check its build to ensure the body doesn’t have any synthetic materials like high pressure laminate. Most solid wood acoustic guitars are crafted from different materials including Okoume, Spruce, Rosewood, Sapele, Mahogany and Koa among others. All these woods usually have their own tonal profile which plays a significant role in sound of the acoustic guitar.
Budget
The amount of money you’re willing to spend on an acoustic guitar of your choice will determine the quality. However, those made of solid wood are relatively affordable. Save for looking at your bank account balance, you can also look into your budget by assessing your skill level and the situation in which you plan on playing the guitar.
If you’re a seasoned guitarist, then a greater expense is justifiable.
Best Brands that make Solid Wood Acoustic Guitars
Shopping around for the best solid acoustic guitars for money can be a bit overwhelming especially with the growing number of manufacturers producing musical instruments. However, there are brands that have stood the test of time and are quite reputable when it comes to making premium quality solid wood acoustic guitars.
Here’s a highlight of some of the best brands for solid wood acoustic guitars:
Takamine
This is a Japanese company that has been making high-quality acoustic guitars since 1958 but it was officially launched in 1962. It’s a renowned company known for its range of premium quality instruments for different skill levels.
Taylor
Taylor was established in 1974. It’s an American based company that has taken the market by storm since its inception owing to their high-quality guitars. Taylor guitars are the most sought-after models since they are not only nice sounding but also have an exceptional build.
Fender
Fender is another popular company that’s known to make high-quality instruments since its inception into the industry in 1946. Their amplifiers and instruments are quite reputable in terms of playing a crucial role in some of the most important recorded music.
Ibanez
Ibanez is a Japanese based company that was established in 1930. Initially, it was a guitar importer but they started manufacturing their own guitars after a while. They eventually branched off to electric instruments in 1970 or thereabout.
Final Thoughts – Best Solid Wood Acoustic Guitars for Money
For the most part, acoustic guitar enthusiasts always go for solid wood models owing to their tonal resonance which a number of all-wood variations provide. From the above recommendations, you can already tell that acoustic guitars are quite expensive but there are other variants that are relatively affordable.
To get the most out of the guitar, it would be best to do research and also try testing it out to see how it sounds and ascertain whether or not it suits your musical needs.
