So, you're looking for a new guitar under $300, huh?
You've come to the right place.
We've compiled this list to help you select the best acoustic guitar under $300 based on feedback from guitar players.
Previously, we've interviewed guitar teachers about what the best beginner guitar is, but this post is more focused on guitars specifically under the $300 budget.
How we compiled this list
Rather than using our own opinions as a main source for this article, we compiled a list of every guitar mentioned on forums that are crowded with experienced guitar players, such as gear sluts, reddit, and Quora where people are asking for help in their search for the best acoustic guitar with a budget of $300. After that, we tally up how many times each guitar was recommended by an owner of that guitar.
This list of guitars under $300 is organized by those that are most recommended by users of these forums who actually play the guitar, in order of most to least mentioned.
So instead of relying on our opinions, you're putting your trust in experience guitar players who have spent their time online helping beginner guitar players find the best gear for them.
For each guitar, we looked at a number of text and video reviews online to compile the best information available for each one to help you make a more informed selection.
Before we jump into the list, let's go over a few things you should keep in mind when looking for a new guitar.
What to look for in your first acoustic guitar
Learning on a poorly constructed guitar may take the fun out of the learning to play, and may quickly convince you that guitar is harder than it really has to be.
When buying your first guitar, you want to make sure you get the best for the money, and pick a guitar that is going to help you develop good practice habits. To do that, here are some things you should look at when purchasing a new guitar at any price point.
Low Action - Action is how high or low the strings are away from the guitar. If the action is high, that means the strings are farther away from the guitar's fretboard, while low action means the strings are closer to the fretboard. For beginner guitarists, low action is probably the most important part of a new guitar. If the action is too high, it makes the guitar very difficult to play, and can make learning to play the guitar appear much more difficult than it really is, which can discourage a new guitarists from continuing play and improve.
Light Strings - The different gauges of guitar strings (which is how big around the guitar strings are) determine how "light" or "heavy" the strings are. While these strings do have different sounds to them, newer guitarists probably won't be able to tell the difference, and thicker gauge strings can cause new guitarists to develop bad habits, like gripping the guitar too tightly or pressing too hard to fret a string. Because of this, it's best to start learning on small, light strings until you develop good playing habits, then move up in size later to change your sound if you wish. It's not necessarily important that the guitar comes with light strings - you can simply buy new strings and put them on the guitar of your choosing. You'll likely be changing the strings multiple times during the life of the guitar anyway.
Comfort and Feel - The size of the guitar is important for beginner guitarists. Many new guitar players start on a smaller guitar because it makes things easier to reach. If you have small hands, a smaller guitar will be much easier to play than a larger one. For your first guitar, it's probably best to start small unless you really prefer the sound of a bigger guitar.
Tuning - One common problem with cheaper guitars is they have problems staying in tune. If you're trying out a new guitar, check on the tuning frequently to be sure it's not going out of tune too quickly as you play. Keep in mind, though, that if you change the strings, the strings will need to adjust to the level of tension once you tune them up. Until they adjust to this tension, they may go out of tune more easily. You can easily speed up this process by stretching your new strings immediately after putting them on.
Sound - While many newer guitar players don't notice the difference in sound on different acoustic guitars, many will. Its important to get a guitar that you're happy with, and that includes buying one that you think sounds good. So if possible, check out demos on YouTube or go play some guitars at your local guitar shop.
Setup - Often times, budget guitars aren't set up the greatest, so whatever guitar you guys, take it to a local guitar shop and see if they can set it up for you. It should cost between $35-75 and can make the guitar more playable.
Is there a clear winner?
Not only was Yamaha the most recommended guitar brand for beginners, but they also have one guitar in particular that was the most recommended among guitars in this price range - and that's the Yamaha FG800.
This guitar was far and away the most discussed guitar on all of the forums we looked at. It makes sense when you look into it - this guitar features a solid wood Sitka Spruce top, Nato back and sides, and an adjustable neck - making it easy to adjust the action during setup.
This guitar is available in 2 sizes - Dreadnaught for those who want to get a bigger guitar, and concert size for those with smaller hands who are simply looking for a guitar to learn on.
This guitar stays in tune long enough for a good practice session, but for just a little bit extra money, you can get the model that contains electronics and a built in tuner. This will allow you to quickly and easily monitor the tuning of the guitar without the need for an external guitar tuner.
If you want the most recommended guitar for a budget of $300 among guitarists online, this is the one.
Top 10 Acoustic Guitars Under $300
Yamaha FG800
This guitar was by far the most recommended among guitarists online for beginner guitar players looking for something under $300.
This guitar features a hard wood, Sitka Spruce top, which means it'll last quite a while and have a great tone for guitars in this price range. The back and sides are made of Nato, and the neck has an adjustable trust rod inside it for ease of setup.
This guitar is available in the larger Dreadnaught body size for those with a go-big-or-go-home attitude, or the smaller concert body size for new guitarists looking for something that's easy to learn on.
As far as tuning, the electric version of this guitar (available for just a bit more money) features a built in tuner, which will allow you to check the tuning of the guitar quickly and easily during a practice session.
Fender CD-140SCE
Another great option among budget guitars under $300 is the Fender CD-140SCE.
This guitar features a solid wood Sitka Spruce top, which means it's built to last. Along with that, it has Rosewood back and sides. These woods together will produce a great tone for guitars at this level of budget.
The standard version of this guitar is built with a Dreadnaught single-cutaway body style that gives it a fantastically less common classic look. You can also get this guitar in a smaller concert body, and the even smaller travel and parlor sizes. This guitar is also available in a 12 string version for more advanced players.
Along with the multiple body styles of this guitar, it's also available in multiple finishes. You can get this guitar in the natural finish, or go for the sunburst, mahogany, or black versions.
As far as playability goes, this guitar was built specifically with the beginner in mind. The neck is built with rolled fingerboard edges to make it easier to reach notes all the way up the fretboard.
Some users of this guitar mentioned that it has some buzzing frets, which can be frustrating. This is easily fixable though - just bring the guitar to a local repair shop and they can level the frets out and set up the guitar for you if this is a problem.
Yamaha F325D
Another commonly recommended guitar is the Yamaha F325D.
Available for a slightly lower price than the FG800 mentioned previously, this guitar features a smaller dreadnaught size body. However, while the FG800 has a solid wood top, this one has a laminated spruce top, so it may not last as long as the FG800 would.
With Yamaha being the most recommended brand for beginner guitarists, this guitar is a great entry level option.
Ibanez AEG12II-NT
Not only does this guitar look great, but Ibanez has an intense focus on the playability of their guitars. They often construct their guitars with smaller necks, making it easier to stretch your fingers across the fretboard for bigger chords.
This guitar has the tuning stability to make it through a practice session, but incase it doesn't, you can use the built in tuner to check the guitars tuning as often as needed.
This guitar features Mahogany top, back, and sides, and has built in electronics that allow for plug-and-play functionality.
Great action, comfortable to play, and beautiful tone. If you want a guitar designed for comfort and playability with the beginner guitarist in mind, this is the one.
Samick Greg Bennett GD-60
The Samick Greg Bennett DG-60 is a great guitar if you're looking for a full sized Dreadnaught acoustic guitar that's well suited for all styles of music.
This guitar features a Spruce top with Mahogany back and sides. The neck is made of Mahogany, with a Rosewood fretboard.
If you want a good budget guitar that's built for beginner guitar players right out of the box with none of the electronic extras, this is a good option for you.
Takamine GD10-NS
Takamine is a brand of guitar that gets recommended often for acoustic guitars of all budget levels. That's no exception when it comes to acoustic guitars under $300.
This guitar was built with the beginner seeking quality in mind. It features a Spruce top with Mahogany back and sides - providing a full and balanced tone for both chords and lead parts. The neck is built with Mahogany and features a Ovangkol fingerboard.
The guitar has a dreadnaught body style, and is constructed with a thin neck, making it easy to play big chords that require stretching.
The guitar has decent action, but like with most (if not all) guitars in this price range, it should be taken to a guitar shop for setup to have it lowered.
Yamaha FG720S 12 String Acoustic Guitar
The difference in tone of a 12 string verses a 6 string acoustic guitar is that a 12 string is strung in doubles. What this means is that, for every standard tuning string you have, there's another, higher string just under it tuned an octave higher. The extra strings are placed close enough to the standard strings that you can press them both down with one finger. This produces a full, rich tone that can sound like multiple guitars are being played.
If that's what you're looking for, and you have a budget of $300, then the Yamaha FG720S is the guitar for you.
This guitar features a Mora body with a Rosewood fingerboard, and a Dreadnaught body style that gives it a very standard look.
Once tuned, this guitar will stay in tune for a while without the need for constant retuning. Additionally, once tuned, this guitar stays in tune all the way up the neck.
This guitar is not be the best option for complete beginners, as there's a lot of differences between standard 6 string guitars and 12 string guitar (other than the fact that is has more strings) that may make learning to play the guitar more complicated, but if you're an intermediate guitarist looking for a 12 string on a budget, this is the guitar for you.
Alvarez Artist Series AD60
The Alvarez AD60 is a great option for beginner and mid-level guitarists. This guitar features A grade, solid Sitka Spruce on the top, meaning it's built to last. For the back and sides, this guitar contains Mahogany. Along with these woods, the Dreadnaught body style gives this guitar a very classic look.
Like most other guitars on this list, this one will need some adjustment when it comes to the action. So be sure take it to a local guitar repair shop so you can play it at it's best.
All things considered, this is a great guitar in this price range, according to online reviewers.
Epiphone DR-100
Another great option for beginners is the Epiphone DR-100.
As far as wood goes, this guitar has a select spruce top and a mahogany body. The fretboard is constructed with rosewood.
This guitar features a dreadnaught style body, and is a smaller guitar - sized for the comfort of beginner guitar players. This guitar is available in ebony, natural, and vintage sunburst finishes.
Many guitarists have mentioned that the guitar sounded and played great right out of the box, so you may not need to take this one to the store if it feels good initially. However, if you're looking to play barre chords, you may need to take it to the shop for a setup.
All things considered, this guitar is great for the money.
Jasmine S34C
Jasmine was among the most recommended brand of guitars for beginner guitar players, and within that brand, the Jasmine S34C was the most recommended guitar in this price range.
Like many guitars in this price range, this one is built with a laminate top, which can have a slightly negative affect on the lifetime and tone of the guitar. Even when considering this, the guitar should last multiple years until you're looking to buy your next guitar.
This isn't to say that this is a low quality guitar - quite the opposite. Online reviewers have praised it's build quality, saying they got much more than expected for this guitar. This is one of few guitars that were said to have perfect action and intonation out of the box, so as far as playability is concerned, this is a great option.
Conclusion
There you have it - the best acoustic guitars under $300 according to online reviewers.
Hopefully this list gave you some information that is helpful in your search for your next guitar.
If you do end up purchasing a guitar for under $300, it's possible that the strings will feel very high, or that the frets might buzz a bit. If this is the case, take it to a local guitar repair shop before you decide to return the instrument, because in most cases they can fix this kind of thing for a price somewhere between $35-70.