Best Acoustic Guitar Under $300 2017 Roundup: Find your new acoustic guitar here!

What is the best acoustic guitar under 300 dollars in 2017? On this page we list 10 awesome acoustics that are well worth checking out in this price range.

In our attempt to find the best acoustic guitar under $300 we’ve compared best-selling lists and online reviews. The result of our research is the ultimate shopping list of sub $300 guitars to investigate.

Although it's possible to spend a whole lot more on a new acoustic guitar, 300 dollars (or even less) can pick you up a decent instrument that will last for years. We hope this this list will inspire you to get playing in 2017!

Best Acoustic Guitar Under $300 2017: Our Top 3 Quick Picks

These guitars are our top three suggestions in this price range. Check out reviews and prices, or scroll down for more info on these and other awesome acoustic guitars.
Yamaha FG830Takamine GD20Martin LX Little Martin
Yamaha FG830 Acoustic Guitar
Yamaha FG830 Acoustic Guitar
Takamine GD20 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
Takamine GD20 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
Martin LX Little Martin
Martin LX Little Martin
Solid spruce top. Nice-looking traditional acoustic guitar.Solid cedar top. Good looking guitar from respected brand.A Martin for under $300! Smaller size makes it great for players who aren't keen on larger dreadnought guitars.
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Best Acoustic Guitar Under 300 Dollars 2017

A round up of the top ten acoustic guitars under $300 in 2017.

1. Yamaha FG830

Yamaha FG830 Acoustic Guitar
Yamaha FG830 Acoustic Guitar. Click image to check reviews & price at Amazon.com

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Yamaha are well-known for producing well-made acoustic guitars whose quality belies their price tag.

Despite not having the kudos of brands such as Martin and Taylor, Yamaha boasts many years of guitar-making experience and consistently produce playable and great-sounding instruments. The FG range was introduced in 1966!

With a Yamaha you know you’re not paying for the name; the same can’t be said for some under-$300 guitars made by other manufacturers!

The FG830 has the understated look of most Yamaha acoustics. We like the natural finish, but it’s available in several other colors too. All have a solid Sitka spruce top and rosewood back & sides.

If you want a traditional looking acoustic guitar that will provide you with many years of playing pleasure, then this is one you should try.

View reviews and current price at Amazon.com

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2. Takamine GD20

Takamine GD20 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
Takamine GD20 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

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If you prefer the warmer sound of an acoustic guitar with a cedar top and have $300 to spend, then the Takamine GD20 should be high on your list.

As well as a solid cedar top, the GD20 has mahogany back and sides, a pin-less rosewood bridge and bone nut and bridge saddle.

The Japanese company is well-known for producing quality acoustic guitars and, judging by the online reviews we’ve come across, the GD20 is no exception.

The best acoustic guitar under 300 dollars? If we were looking for a new guitar in this price range, the Yamaha FG380 and the Takamine GD20 are two of the first guitars we'd try.

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3. Epiphone AJ-220S

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Epiphone say that the unique bell shape of the AJ-220S is what gives it its unique voice. That may well be marketing spiel but this guitar does look nice either in natural or in traditional sunburst.

The Epiphone AJ-220S has a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany body, so there doesn’t seem to have been any scrimping in the materials used. Good reviews suggest a lot of guitarists are happy with their Epi’s.

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4. Epiphone Hummingbird Artist

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Epiphone are owned by Gibson Guitars, and although they do make several models of their own, most of their guitars are ‘value’ versions of Gibson models.

This guitar is Epiphone’s take on the acclaimed (and expensive) Gibson Hummingbird. It’s a very nice-looking guitar in traditional faded cherry sunburst.

It’s a shame that the acoustic version doesn’t have the fancy pickguard of the acoustic-electric Hummingbird Pro, which looks more like the Gibson original. If you can stretch to just over $300, the Pro might be the one to go for.

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5. Ibanez AC240 Artwood

Acoustic Guitar Ibanez AC240 Artwood
Ibanez AC240 Artwood

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The Ibanez AC240 has a solid mahogany top, back and sides, and a dovetail neck joint for maximum resonance and a warm tone. The impressive materials are matched by some decent hardware: Grover tuners come fitted as standard.

Although Ibanez are best known for their electric guitars, the AC240 has found favor with many acoustic guitarists. Online reviews praise its sound, construction and value.

If you like your acoustic tone to be a little warmer then this is one to put on your list.

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6. Martin LX Little Martin

Martin LX Little Martin
Martin LX Little Martin

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A Martin for under $300?!? Okay, the Martin LX is ¾ sized, but according to the reviews we’ve read the Martin pedigree is still apparent in this little whippersnapper.

The Martin LX has a solid spruce top. Its back and sides are, unsurprisingly at this price, HPL (high-pressure laminate).

Although the tone of this three-quarter scale guitar may not be quite that of a full sized Martin, the practicality of a slightly smaller guitar can’t be denied.

Kids, and players who are slightly smaller in stature, may prefer the little Martin to the other guitars in this list. It also makes a great travel guitar.

The LX is also available in black, and as an acoustic-electric.

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7. Taylor TS-BT2, Taylor Swift Baby Taylor

Taylor Swift Baby Taylor
Taylor Swift Baby Taylor

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The Taylor Swift Baby Taylor is another ¾ size guitar. This is a guitar that is only going to appeal to a certain demographic, and–let’s be honest–to them only.

It would have been easy to dress up any old piece of junk with the Taylor Swift name and watch it fly out of the showrooms.

However, Taylor seem to have come up with a very nice little guitar with the TS-BT. It’s got a solid Sitka spruce top, which, by all accounts produces a very pleasing tone.

The guitar’s smaller size is more manageable for young players, and there are plenty of reports of the Baby Taylor’s playability and ‘fun’ factor.

If you’re looking for a decent guitar for your Taylor Swift-obsessed daughter then this is probably already at the top of your list. You may find yourself playing it when she’s gone to bed.

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8. Alvarez AD60

Alvarez AD60 Acoustic Guitar
Alvarez AD60

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You won’t get much change from your $300 with the Alvarez AD30, but if you want a traditional-looking acoustic guitar from a respected manufacturer then it’s a guitar you should have on your ‘to try’ list.

With solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides and mother of pearl inlays, the ingredients are all there. It seems to have been well put together too, judging by the customer reviews on Amazon.

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9. Fender CD-60

Acoustic Guitar Fender CD-60
Fender CD-60

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The CD-60 is available in a number of different finishes, from solid black to a more traditional natural look.

Although it doesn’t have the solid top and sides of other guitars on this list, it’s also not quite as expensive. You’ll still have change from $300 to spend on a tuner, some tuition books, and a music stand. Plus, you get the Fender name on the headstock, which may swing it for some!

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10. Ibanez AW400

Ibanez AW400
Ibanez AW400

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The Ibanez AW400 is a traditional dreadnought shape, and features solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany neck, back and sides, rosewood fretboard and tortoiseshell body binding.

The brown sunburst finish caught our eye and it’s a guitar we’d love to pick up for some good ol’ country picking.

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Best Acoustic Guitar under $300 2017: Conclusion

There is no shortage of guitars coming in at under $300; hopefully this list has helped you to pick out some instruments to try.

In compiling this list we began by looking at several best-seller lists for guitars in the under 300 dollar price range. We didn’t know what we’d find, but were half expecting to find guitars that were barely playable by brands we’d never heard of.

However, it’s clear that today it’s quite possible to get a decent guitar for a (relatively) small amount of money.

Will an acoustic guitar under $300 ever be able to compete with a guitar costing several times as much? That’s a question that seems to get harder to answer every year.

The guitars in this 2017 line-up could all be classed as ‘beginner’s guitars’ (given their relatively cheap prices), but in actual fact could potentially provide years of service, outliving that ‘beginner’ tag quite easily.

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