Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2024: easy acoustic strummers for new players – reviewed & rated by experts

Seagull S6 on wooden floor
(Image credit: Future)

Buying your first acoustic guitar is a fantastic moment and one you'll never forget. That's why it's critical to do your research to ensure you get the right instrument for your needs. Luckily, you've come to the right place. We've tested a range of the best acoustic guitars for beginners to craft this guide, help set you on the right path with your guitar playing and assist you in getting the ideal instrument in your hands. 

Armed with an exemplary acoustic guitar, you'll be unstoppable. Not only will you find playing far easier and much more enjoyable, but if you have a guitar you love, you'll be more likely to stick with it and develop your technique. But what are the most important factors to consider when choosing a great beginner acoustic? Well, you'll want a guitar that stays in tune throughout your practice sessions and it will need to be built to last. 

Recent updates

06/06/24: In addition to auditing the products, we've also gone into more depth with our buying advice and testing methodology.

04/03/24: To simplify things further we've narrowed our choices to only six products. These are the six models that we truly believe are the best beginner acoustic guitars on the market right now, and most worthy of your cash.

02/01/24: We audited the product list to ensure our selections were up-to-date and added new labels to help you better understand our choices.

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Epiphone Hummingbird Studio | Type: Dreadnought | Top: Solid Spruce| Back & Sides: Mahogany |
Based on its big brother from parent company Gibson, the ‘real’ Hummingbird would set you back closer to $3,000, so this one is a bargain - and easily one of the best acoustic guitars under $500. We found the sound to be well-balanced and ideal for various styles, though the action, straight from the box, could be slightly lower to make it easier for beginners to play.

For electrified sessions, Epiphone’s built-in Eperformer preamp is versatile enough to dish out a wide range of tones. Elsewhere, for us, the Grover tuners maintained reliable tension. 

Read our full Epiphone Hummingbird Studio review 

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Martin LX1E Little Martin | Type: Travel Guitar | Top: Spruce| Back & Sides: HPL |
Don’t let the size fool you, though. Along with a brightness, in our test the guitar provided surprising volume from the Sitka spruce top and mahogany laminate sides. The high pressure laminate also helps deal with heat and humidity changes, which is useful for frequent travel.

Fishman Sonitone electric controls enable a relatively broad range of volume and tonal variety with a phase control to emphasize bass, which is useful when playing at lower volumes.

Read our full Martin LX1E Little Martin review 

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Seagull S6 Original | Type: Dreadnought | Top: Solid Cedar| Back & Sides: Wild Cherry |
Canadian-made Seagull guitars are renowned for their high build quality, and the S6 is no different. It’s a grown-up guitar in the sense that it’s far from flashy, but it has everything you need to last beyond your beginner days.

Its refined construction is complemented with a bright tone, but especially useful for the more gentle fingerpicking style, the Seagull S6 enables beautiful warmth with a low volume and light touch. As you’d expect from this level of build quality, this beginner’s acoustic stays in tune and is so easy and enjoyable to play.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

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Daryl Robertson
Senior Deals Writer

Daryl is a Senior Deals Writer at Guitar World, where he creates and maintains our 200+ buyer's guides, finds the best deals on guitar products, and tests the latest gear. His reviews have been featured in prominent publications like Total Guitar, Future Music magazine, and MusicRadar.com.

During his career, he has been lucky enough to talk to many of his musical heroes, having interviewed Slash and members of Sum 41, Foo Fighters, Feeder, Thrice, and more. In a past life, Daryl worked in music retail. For a little under a decade, he advised everyone from absolute beginners to seasoned pros on the right gear for their needs. 

Daryl is also a fully qualified sound engineer, holding a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay. 

With contributions from