Top Acoustic Guitars Under $5000 (with price guide)

When I published this article, I set a floor price of $4300 with a $5000 salary cap. I was a bit surprised because that actually limited us quite a bit There just aren't a ton of acoustics in that price range. Moreover, a lot of the guitars that we did find are Martins.

I suppose that shouldn't be surprising. Martin has made a reputation over the years as one of (if not the) best manufacturers of high-end acoustic guitars.

As such, three of my five recommendations are Martins.

Note that I've made these recommendations based on my own experience, knowledge of the market, and brand reputations. At the same time, if you have this kind of money to spend on an acoustic guitar, you really can't get a bad one. These are just the options I like specifically and can recommend from personal experience.

It's more so meant to be a simple list of acoustic guitars under $5000. 

Hopefully it's helpful to you.

Note that you can use the compare buttons in this table and the price history graphs below.

Table of Acoustic Guitars under $5000

This table gives you the list of acoustic guitars we like in this price range. The compare buttons allow you to look at some basic details and pricing for each one. You can also click on the title and go to individual product pages which have more detailed pricing info.

Pricing Tools

For these acoustic guitars we've limited our pricing tools to just history. As I mentioned, if you want additional info on pricing just check the product pages. This tool helps you see the changes in price over the last couple of years and will give you an idea of whether a guitar is trending up or down in retail.

Note that these graphs take time to fill up, and a single bullet point simply means the price hasn't changed since we've published this page.

Moreover, expensive acoustic guitars are historically less likely to change than cheaper acoustic guitars. In some sense they float above a lot of market movement, making their price point more reliable.

If you're set on getting one, you might be waiting a while to see the price go down (or up).

Martin OM-28E Modern Deluxe Price History

At the time of publishing this piece, the OM-28E was close to the top of our price range, but still with a little bit of head room before it would hit $5k. Note that the "modern deluxe" tag is important here, because there are non-modern deluxe variations that are much cheaper.

Price History based on Sweetwater Retail

Taylor T5Z Custom Sassafras Price History

Like the OM-28e, there are non-Custom and non-Sassafras versions of the T5z. These are not interchangeable. If you want the real-deal - the legit $5000ish version of this guitar - make sure it's the Custom Sassafras version you're paying attention to. 

At the time of this page's publication, it was holding on for dear life to the sub-$5000 category.

My disclaimer: That may or may not still be the case by the time you read this article.

Martin D-28E Modern Deluxe Price History

Just like the previous Martin, this is the Modern Deluxe version, and the same price. We'd expect the D-28 and OM-28 to shift pricing in tandem. 

Gibson Acoustic 1942 J-45 Price History

This Gibson has a ton of historical appeal (Woodie Guthrie and Bob Dylan have both used it), which helps boost its value. It also holds value really well as a potential collectors item. There's no preamp in it, so that's not adding to the cost, but like the T5z, it was at the absolute top of our price range when we included it in this piece. 

Martin J-40 Jumbo Price History

The J-40 Jumbo was the cheapest on this list, and is likely to continue that title, assuming it moves its price with the Martin brand at large.

Who is the ideal buyer for a guitar like this?

If you can swing a $5000 acoustic guitar, more power to you. Do you need to spend this much? It's honestly not an issue, if the nicer guitar is what you prefer. I've seen people who play very casually pickup four and five thousand dollar instruments, just because they have the financial means to do so.

Though we certainly wouldn't recommend going into debt or financing one.

I'm not a financial adviser - just my opinion.

However, the "ideal" buyer for a guitar like this is definitely going to be a more advanced guitarist, perhaps someone who works in a studio or plays in some professional capacity.

These make good acoustic guitars for worship leaders and churches as well.

Of those listed, which brand is best?

As you can tell, Martin basically runs the show when you get to these higher price tags. Gibson makes a good case as well, but we'd absolutely recommend Martin if you're looking in the $4000 to $5000 price range.

If you go a little lower to $2000 and $3000 we'd be looking more at Taylor.

Which features should I focus on?

We always want solid wood in acoustic guitars, which should be the only thing used in a guitar this expensive. No layered wood or laminate should be tolerated (though I don't know of a single acoustic in this price range that has it). Electronics are a plus, although some might prefer a completely natural acoustic in this price range.

We'd also expect most of these acoustics to get a fair amount of hands-on attention during production - no outsourcing or overseas factory operations.

• Solid back (top, back, and sides)
• High-grade tonewood (A, AA, AAA, etc.)
• Fishman or similar name brand electronics
• Non-outsourced manufacturing
• Hands-on attention to detail
• High-end bracing and hardware

High-end parts, bracing, and hardware should be the norm as well. The biggest feature-related decision will be whether you go with electronics/onboard preamp or not. It's not really an issue of quality as much as a matter of how you want to use the guitar.

Those who plan to perform or record should probably aim for something with a built-in preamp.

Will these prices change often?

As you get higher in retail, guitars tend to steady within a more limited price range. Since they're already expensive, they don't fluctuate as much as cheaper guitars. That said, you can still see a fair amount of price changing in a given year, perhaps with lower percentage fluctuations.

Use the price history graphs above to check back and see where prices are trending. 

They update in real time so you'll be getting the latest information possible.

Conclusion

We'd recommend taking a long look at Martin here. You really can't go wrong with their high-end acoustics. If you decide you don't want to spend quite this much, drop down to the $3000 - $3500 range and look at some of the higher-end Taylors. With this much money in your budget, you aren't likely to end up with a lemon, no matter what you buy.

If you have questions about our list or want to share you own acoustic guitar buying experience, feel free to drop a line in the comments section below.

We'll chat there.

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