5 Best Acoustic Guitar Brands for Great Sound: Ultimate Picks

The sound quality of an acoustic guitar speaks for itself. 

The mixing of tone with your song makes the blend that reaches the listener’s ear. The sound variations can be thin, warm, hard, or rough. 

You can have high-end sound variations with the best acoustic guitar brands in the market. 

Besides sound the built quality of the guitar is important for long-term service and playing. Make sure the guitar you’re buying is comfortable to play. The top guitar brands come with this public assurance and brand validity. 

Also, don’t forget the budget here.

Quick Look At Best Acoustic Guitar Brands for Great Sound

• Zager 
• Taylor
• Gibson
• Yamaha
• Guild

Top Acoustic Guitar Brands For Great Sound – A Detailed Look

1. Zager Guitars

Denny Zager began his revolution in playing guitar in 1949. Listening to the radio and learning the playing in its way became his regular thing. Things prevailed and he started doing music with his partner Rick Evans. Their work became an instant hit on the top charts. 

After touring the world, Denny returned to Nebraska and decided to focus on guitars. He realized that he was never that comfortable with the spotlights, rather his passion for guitar has been consistent throughout. 

Thus, he retired from playing guitar and decided to focus on his passion, the guitar. 

The Zager guitar lines are full of user-friendly high-standard features. Denny did well to build it from scratch. 

• Denny assured that his guitars have 50% improved playability. 
• A constant upgrade was made to the flow, which resulted in a clearer, richer, and more robust sound from the guitars. 
• An ergonomic design for a streamless guitar experience is on track. 
• According to Zager, you can play 3 to 5 times longer without any hassle. 
• Low string heights on frets 1-10 enable a great and comfortable playing experience. As you increase the action over the sound hole, the tone and picking become easier and more convenient. 

 Popular models 

1. ZAD900CE Solid Spruce/Rosewood Acoustic Electric Guitar
2. ZAD80CE “AURA” Black Lacquer Special Edition Solid Cedar/Rosewood Acoustic Electric Pro Series
3. ZAD50CE Solid Spruce/Mahogany Acoustic Electric Vintage Sunburst
4. ZAD900 Solid Spruce/Rosewood Acoustic Pro Series Smaller “OM” Size

Notable artists who use Zager guitars

1. Johnny Cash guitarist Dave Roe
2. Celine Dion’s Lead Guitarist Andre Coutu
3. Blood Sweat & Tears Tom Bowes
4. Hank Williams’ and Loretta Lynn’s Daughters
5. Chet Atkins guitarist Pat Bergeson

2. Taylor Guitars

Taylor has been producing high-quality guitars since 1974. Their design and advanced manufacturing made them stand out in their position, which is among the very best. 

Founded by  Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug in the 70s, the company’s priority has always been to produce the best quality. They did fulfill their aim and vow and certainly went on being a good manufacturing company out there.

• If you look for bold and punchy chords, the Taylor guitars will live up to your expectations. You can go for power-driving rhythms with these guitars. 
• You are also getting the finessed fingerpicking with articulated note separation. The flexibility of the Taylor guitar makes the grand auditorium the most popular shape in the collection. 
• You will find the highest level of consistency due to its efficient and groundbreaking manufacturing process. Remember, they’re the first to use computer-aided milling and laser cutting to provide the best of the unique sound profile for playing.
• Taylor guitars are well aware and concerned about the sustainability and nurture of the surroundings. Their inclusion in using modern technology for manufacturing the guitar has reduced a lot of wastage. 
• Their computer-aided technology for cutting and trimming assures the most utilization of the material they’re using to make the guitar. 
• Besides, the company has been investing in forestry projects and alternative sources of tonewoods. 

Famous guitarists who use Taylor

1. Taylor Swift
2. Jason Mraz
3. Ed Sheeran

Popular models

1. Taylor 214ce
2. Taylor 814ce
3. Baby Taylor

3. Gibson Acoustic

Gibson used to be one of the most dominant guitar brands in the world for a very long time. Founded around the turn of the 20th century by Orville Gibson, they’ve been focused on one thing solely, i.e., to make the best guitar in the world. 

• They are typically popular for their bold and powerful tones, having drops of the vintage class, and comfortable guitar shapes.
• Warm sound is the most unique characteristic of Gibson Guitars. Besides that, the guitar goes well on to bring a reputation for the modern players on the field. 
• They come with classic design and enhanced features like cutting-edge electronics, a clever sound hole called the player port, and further upgrades for modern styles. 

Famous guitarists who use(d) Gibson

1. Jimmy Page
2. Bob Dylan
3. John Lennon

Our Gibson guitar recommendations

1. Gibson J-45
2. Gibson Hummingbird
3. Gibson J-200

4. Yamaha

Yamaha is very renowned for producing top-notch guitars.  Their highly advanced technology and advancement features in their guitar keep them alive in the guitar market amid their so many product diversification. 

Founded in 1887, Yamaha is one of the oldest piano and reed organ manufacturing brands. Being in the music industry, they expanded their chain in the field of guitar. They have spread themselves by being affordable and well-reachable among the people. 

Their innovative A.R.E (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement) is the most unique feature of their guitars. The feature utilizes heat, humidity, and other natural factors during the play to make the guitar more mature and produce natural sounds. You don’t have to wait years to get the best of the sound from the guitar; rather you’re getting it right from the box. 

Famous guitarists who use Yamaha

1. James Blake
2. Joe Bonamassa
3. Lee Ritenour

Popular models 

1. Yamaha FG-800
2. Yamaha LL16
3. Yamaha A3R

5. Guild Guitars

Guild is one of the most promising and well-renowned guitars in the world. Starting its journey from Manhattan in 1945, the company has attained a good reputation and earned recognition all around the US. 

Guild’s guitars are comparatively heavier than others, especially the ones mentioned above. They offer a wide range of playing options with different styles across all sorts of musical categories. 

There are guitars suitable for different levels and purposes. OM-240E is for beginners who are trying to learn the guitar. You’ll find the D-140 for fingerstyle and strumming, whereas the D-55 is a premium model that can compete with the likes of Gibson and Martin. 

A bright and balanced tone is what you seek from the guild guitars. Mixing the guitar tone as per your modification can also give a piano-esque sound to the guitar. You can use the thinner sound for your purpose to get the best out of it. 

In short, you’re getting guitars for all levels of playing from Guild. The money and affordability ratio add the cherry on top there. It still stands as one of the most affordable and end premium acoustic guitar segments out there. 

Famous guitarists who use Guild

1. Buddy Guy 
2. Sheryl Crow
3. Barry Gibb

Popular models 

1. A-20 Marley Natural
2. P-240 Memoir Natural
3. DS-240 Memoir Vintage Sunburst

5 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Brand

1. Sound Quality

The tonewood plays a huge role in settling the sound of your guitar. It shapes up the resulting sound as per your desire in jamming an acoustic guitar. The variation arises in rigidity, looks, resonance, placements, and whatnot. 

The top board known as the soundboard is the most important part. To make your sound feasible, light and vibrant wood should be your main priority there. 

The back of the guitar is the support that impacts the resulting tone. Solid hardwood should make the build-up to keep the guitar durable as well as well reflectance of the sound. 

You’ll find various woods like rosewood, mahogany, maple, cedar, basswood, koa, and many more. Determine the one that goes with your music. 

2. Tuning

While you buy your guitar, make sure your guitar stays in tune. Keeping the guitar in tune is very important, otherwise, you’d be losing the preset tunes now and then. 

Check the sound quality and guitar tuning while buying. Play a few chords. If the guitar sounds terrible, then it’s the guitar at stake. It’ll be tough to handle and cope with that guitar tuning there.

You can spend minutes completing a one-octave scale, finding difficulty in tuning the guitar by ears. A guitar tuner can be of great help there. It’ll save you time from tuning your guitar. It enables you to focus on your music only there. 

3. Playability

For the best playability, the neck of your guitar should be straight. There shouldn’t be any sort of curve or other bendings on the neck. Make sure the strings of your guitars are refrained from hitting the frets while you’re playing the guitar. 

A guitar with a curved neck will be difficult to play, especially if you’re a newbie.

4. Durability and Craftsmanship

Your guitar is an investment, so you better get the one that sustains and serves you for the longest time. It depends on the built quality of your guitar. 

• Mahogany is said to be the best wood for guitars. They are tough and durable and have no impact on them over a long period. 
• Rosewood is very popular, mainly because of its design, tone, and looks. They’re sustainable as well. 
• You’ll have options like maple, cedar, basswood, koa, and others on the list. They’re suitable for the purpose and budget you set to buy the guitar. 

No matter what the build quality assures there, you have to maintain. There shouldn’t be any cracks on the guitar. Feel the sideboards of the guitar and identify if there are any issues with them. 

5. Price Range

With a set and fixed budget, you’ll be able to go for the best of the guitars as per your choice for sure. You can easily narrow down the options from the market and focus on a fixed and designated one. 

With a budget of $800-1000$, you’ll have the most competitive and demanding options in the market. This is the range that most guitar comes in to grab the entry-level users. 

For the best and most premium ones, $1,500 to $2,500 is the most feasible one in the market. This is the budget for stage-ready acoustics with premium tonewood, built-in quality, sound enhancement, and whatnot. 

You can go above the budget as well with a similar intent. 

Wrapping Up: Guitar Brand With Great Sound

You already have the best acoustic guitar brands known. These brands have been ruling the guitar industry for a long time.

However, for an effective purchase, you should go for Zager guitars. They are a good blend of budget and playability. Also, the features are quite amazing. 

Frequently Asked Questions