How to buy a great acoustic guitar for beginners - a guide for first-time buyers

Three acoustic guitars on wood
(Image credit: Future)

You've got the bug - you’ve decided to buy an acoustic guitar - and nothing will stop you. But how do you find the best acoustic guitar for beginners?

You navigate your way through the racks of gear and gaggle of fools trying to play the solo to Stairway to Heaven to find the acoustic guitar room in the far reaches of the building.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Chris Gill

Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.