2022’s Best Acoustic Guitars Under $1,000
Updated at: 2 years ago
Total Votes: 0
The best acoustic guitars of 2022 have one major thing in common — value. Each guitar on this list has the appointments to fit the needs of a serious guitarist without feeling like a guitar for beginners. Value-priced instruments aren’t limited to beginner guitars and travel guitars. There are a host of options to choose from. Oftentimes, guitars in the $1,000 price range will feature solid-wood construction and provide you with a lively, memorable tone and a better overall quality. These acoustics have premium features and pump out heavyweight tone at a lightweight price.
1
Gretsch G9520E Gin Ricke
Whether bluesy porch pickin’ or speakeasy swingin’, the G9520E Gin Rickey Acoustic/Electric with Deltoluxe Soundhole Pickup is a real gone finger-zinger classic.
Inspired by the Gretsch® Rex parlor guitars of old, the G. Rickey whisks you back to the halcyon days when the earliest Gretsch guitars fueled many a barrelhouse barn burner.
Fun, flip and finely crafted, it features an X-braced basswood body with a powerfully resonant voice, a “C”-profile nato neck that joins the body at the 12th fret, a smooth walnut fingerboard with 18 vintage-style frets and pearloid dot inlays, a top-load walnut bridge with compensated synthetic bone saddle for even intonation all along the neck, and more. And coolest of the cool, the Gretsch Deltoluxe acoustic magnetic soundhole pickup reproduces a crisp yet throaty voice.
What else? You’ve got aged white body binding and an aged white “G”-graphic pickguard, gold-and-white soundhole rosette with gold double-line top striping, nickel hardware, vintage-style end-pin strap buttons and open-gear die-cast tuners, and a hot Smokestack Black finish.
Features :
- Basswood body with X-bracing
- 12th fret, 24”-scale nato set neck
- 12” radius walnut fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays and vintage-style 18 frets
- Synthetic bone nut
- Gretsch® Deltoluxe soundhole pickup with gold/white rosette rings
- Top-load walnut bridge with compensated synthetic bone saddle
- Single-ply aged white pickguard with “G” graphic
- 1950s-style vintage open-gear die-cast tuning machines and vintage end-pin strap buttons
2
Ibanez Artwood AC34
The AC340 is an Artwood series acoustic guitar model introduced by Ibanez for 2017. It is made in China.
The AC340 features a grand concert body shape with a solid mahogany top on mahogany back and sides with an open pore finish. The soundhole is round with a simple black and white acrylic rosette and a red tortoise pickguard. It has a satin finished mahogany neck with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with binding and small white dot position markers. Components include a compensated bone saddle in a Thermo Aged rosewood bridge with black Ibanez Advantage bridge pins, a bone nut, and chrome Ibanez die-cast tuning machines.
For 2018 the rosewood fretboard was replaced with ovangkol and the Thermo Aged rosewood bridge was replaced with Thermo Aged ovangkol. For 2019 the mahogany top, back and sides were replaced with okoume and the mahogany neck was replaced with nyatoh. For 2021 the body was very slightly enlarged.
The AC340L is a left-handed version. The AC340CE is a similar acoustic/electric model with a cutaway body. The AC320 is a similar model with a solid Sitka spruce top. The AC388 is a related model with a rosewood body. The AC240 is a related model with a non-Thermo Aged bridge, abalone rosette and Grover tuners.
Features :
- 6-string all-okoume acoustic guitar with solid top.
- Satin-finished neck provides excellent playability.
- Thermo Aged bridge and real bone nut and saddle offer subtle sweetening.
- Grand Concert body provides extreme comfort and excellent tonal balance.
- Chrome die-cast tuners ensure stable intonation.
3
D'Angelico Premier Lexington LS Acoustic-electric Guitar - Satin Vintage Sunburst
Featured Deal
$363.99
D'Angelico Premier Lexington LS
The Premier Lexington LS is a classic dreadnought model in D'Angelico's popular entry-level range. With a square shouldered, non-cutaway body shape, the Lexington LS is designed for maximum projection, while boasting a full-bodied, natural sound. The laminated Mahogany body produces a broad tone with plenty of mid-range and a C-Shape satin Mahogany neck feels incredibly smooth, even in hot environments.
Despite its stripped back appearance, the Lexington LS is undeniably D'Angelico! Featuring Stairstep Wave tuners, an aluminium skyscraper truss rod cover and the iconic oversized headstock, the Lexington LS looks every bit as good as it sounds! The onboard D'Angelico MG-30 Preamp allows you to amplify the Lexington LS and shape your sound with controls for volume and EQ, making it a valuable asset on stage or in your recording environment.
Features :
- An all-mahogany dreadnought that won’t break the bank.
- D’Angelico DM-30 preamp delivers noteworthy tone.
- Laminated mahogany body construction creates sweet, warm tone.
- Satin-finished neck feels great in your hands.
- Onboard tuner makes it easy to stay in tune.
- Antique-styled stairstep tuning keys add an art deco touch
4
Even before you play it, you'll be inclined to agree: this Gretsch G5021E Rancher Penguin Parlor is a real looker. And when you play it, you'll be greeted with a direct, punchy tone with excellent note separation and great headroom. The parlor body style is a comfortable alternative to larger body styles while offering a rich voice, and delivers fantastic playability whether you play with a pick or fingerstyle. And while the Gretsch G5021E Rancher Penguin Parlor's smaller size makes it the perfect backyard or campfire guitar, its quality Fishman Presys III electronics ensure that it's a top performer onstage, too.
6
The Guild D-140 brings back the glory days when dreadnoughts ruled. Designed with scalloped Sitka spruce bracing for power, articulation, and responsiveness, this all-solid-tonewood acoustic guitar delivers massive tone and volume. The D-140’s large dreadnought body, with its Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides, serves up a robust tonal palette that’s perfect for vocal accompaniment, solo work, and many other "unplugged" applications. The D-140’s C-profile mahogany neck is comfortable and easy to navigate. Premium appointments include a genuine rosewood fingerboard and bridge, a bone nut and saddle, and a tortoiseshell pickguard. A vintage-style Antique Burst finish imparts a timeless look and feel while allowing the sound of the Guild D-140 to bloom unimpeded.
7
With its solid Sitka spruce top, sapele back and sides, and Fishman electronics, the D-10E is an affordable entrée into the world of Martin dreadnought acoustic-electric guitars. Graced with lovely mother-of-pearl pattern fingerboard and rosette inlays, the D-10E serves up classic Martin understated elegance. In addition to quality solid tonewoods, this guitar features a smooth-as-glass Richlite fingerboard and bridge and a hand-rubbed neck finish. Like other Road Series models, it also sports Fishman MX-T electronics with an onboard soundhole tuner that auto-mutes the output so you can tune up any time without using a pedal. At Sweetwater, we get our hands on countless great guitars, and we're quite impressed with the Martin D-10E — it's a lot of guitar for the money.
8
The Taylor 114ce acoustic-electric guitar is a terrific choice for beginning or seasoned players. You'll find the 114ce's maple neck extremely comfortable and playable, while its solid Sitka spruce and layered walnut tonewood combination provides you with the perfect balance of warmth and sparkle. On top of that, the onboard ES2 electronics translate your true acoustic tone when playing plugged-in. Sweetwater has been selling Taylor guitars for quite some time, and we're sure you'll appreciate the warm, lively tone of the Taylor 114ce acoustic-electric guitar.
