Best Acoustic Guitar Under 1000 Dollars (5 top picks)

Parent article: Best acoustic guitars

Read more: Best Acoustic Guitars Overall

Best Acoustic Guitars Under 1000 Dollars (top 5 picks)

1. Taylor GS Mini-e Koa

The Mini Koa checks off a handful of boxes that we mentioned earlier, including solid tonewood (a top Hawaiian Koa piece), and the Taylor ES-B preamp. Normally we'd prefer to see a preamp/pickup system from Fishman or LR Baggs, but Taylor has improved their in-house solution over the years, and it does a good job of capturing the natural resonance of the guitar.

Given the smaller body size, this could be a good fit for younger or just smaller players, though that doesn't make it a kids guitar by any stretch.

Here's how it looks in the hands of an adult:

Taylor acoustics have a naturally brighter tone, especially compared to something like a Martin Dreadnought or Seagull Maritime (both of which we'll look at later). Combined with the small body size, you'll get a lot of crispness out of your tone that makes the Mini Koa a good fingerpicking acoustic.

It can still function really well as a more traditional strumming acoustic guitar, but we'd argue the Mini Koa sounds best and most expressive through single-note runs, arpeggios, and fingerpicking patterns.

Given our price point, it's one of the most popular options and easily one of our favorites to recommend. 

IDEAL FOR: Fingerpicking, performances, and higher-register playing styles

The Pros

• Solid Koa top (laminate Koa back and sides)
• Size is comfortable and easy to maneuver 
• Leaving the cutaway out is a good move here (helps warm up the tone)
• The ES-B system does a good job of capturing the "open air feel" of the Mini Koa
• Ships with Elixir acoustic strings
• An amazing fit for finger picking or those wanting a brighter tone profile

The Cons

• It can strum, but it's not our top pick if you want more of a traditional strumming acoustic
• Preamp knobs still aren't labeled

2. Taylor 114e

The 114e is actually comparable to the smaller Mini Koa, except the 114e (and the CE version with the cutaway) are full-sized concert style acoustic guitars. Like the Mini, the 114 has a brighter tone profile and is particularly strong with fingerpicking and lead acoustic styles. This has often made the cutaway version a more desirable alternative, though both the E and CE versions are quite similar.

We also see a return to the more common solid Spruce top, as opposed to the Koa in the Mini.

In our experience, there isn't a ton of difference between these two tonewoods.

You might say the Spruce is a bit warmer, but that's just our impression and could be due to the larger body size in the 114.

The 114 also uses Walnut for the back and sides, which can also contribute to a warmer profile. On the spectrum of warmth versus brightness, the 114e definitely leans warmer than the Mini, but is still bright by comparisons to other brands and models.

Read the full review: Taylor 114ce (applies to the 114e version as well)

IDEAL FOR: General use, recording, performing, fingerpicking and lead acoustic styles

THE PROS

• Solid Spruce top
• Walnut top and sides help balance the tone profile
• Can handle pretty well in both a strumming and lead acoustic context
• ES-2 expression system sounds decent
• For years, this has been one of the best-value acoustic guitar models available

THE CONS

• Like the ES-B system, the ES-2 does not label its three control knobs

3. Martin D-10E Road Series

As we move away from Taylor acoustics we get into a very different type of guitar.

The Road Series from Martin is - in a lot of ways - the polar opposite of what we see in the Taylor GS Mini and 114e. 

It's an entirely solid Sapele body, which is going to produce a warmer and more "earthy" response. And where the Taylors are uniquely good with fingerpicking and lead acoustic styles, the Road Series - and Martin guitars in general - are exceptionally good when it comes to strumming and warmer tones.

Though it's worth noting: The D-10E comes in a version with a Sitka Spruce top instead of Sapele, like the 114e. When purchasing one, you can choose between the two. And if you get the Spruce model, it'll brighten things up and give you more of a balanced tone response.

Note that the D-10e is also a regular-sized acoustic in the dreadnought body shape, where the Taylor models were the concert-style shape.

Here are a couple graphics that show the difference.

Concert acoustic shape first:

And then the dreadnought:

To put it simply, the dreadnought body shape is just bigger and feels larger in your hands, especially if you're playing the guitar sitting down.

In the Road Series, this all works quite nicely with the warmer tone and the strumming-friendly resonance. Martin gives you a very traditional acoustic guitar with Fishman electronics, but that also sounds its best when it's not plugged in and simply enjoyed in open air.

For folks who want to prioritize a strumming acoustic, this would be our first stop.

IDEAL FOR: Strumming, rhythm, recording, performing, and open air playing

THE PROS

• All solid tonewood (Sapele)
• Choose either Sitka Spruce or Sapele for the top piece
• Warmth and strumming response sound great
• Fishman electronics
• Better price point than the Taylor acoustics

THE CONS

• None for the price

4. Seagull Maritime SWS CH CW QIT

While it's at the top of our price range (hovering around $950), it's possibly the nicest guitar on this list.

If I could pick one, this would probably be it.

The top is solid Spruce - same as the Taylor models - while the back and sides are solid Mahogany, leaving no room for laminate. Like the Road Series, everything is solid tonewood.

Its tone profile is on the warmer side, but also has some brightness on the higher register thanks to the Spruce top and the slimmed concert body style. This all makes it a little closer to the Taylor's tone and sound than the Martin Road Series, but we'd argue it does a good job of walking a fine line between the two.

To top things off, the Godin QIT preamp and pickup system does a great job of reproducing the guitar's natural resonance in an electric signal and also has a built-in tuner.

Read more: Acoustic guitars with built-in tuners

For that reason and for the balanced tone, we're a big fan of this acoustic in the studio.

IDEAL FOR: Balanced tone, studio/recording, pretty much everything

THE PROS

• Solid Spruce and solid Mahogany makes us happy
• We're big fans of Godin's in-house preamps
• Seems to handle bright and warm equally well
• Aesthetics are lights out
• Headstock design helps with tuning stability
• Tuner in the preamp

THE CONS

• At the top of our price range

5. Washburn Comfort G25SCE

The Washburn Comfort is a guitar that hasn't been on our radar for as long as the other models on this list, but we got a chance to try one at a Guitar Center (we go to the one by my in-laws in Chesterfield Virginia), and it's just a fantastic acoustic guitar, especially on the lead acoustic and fingerpicking side.

Like the Seagull, it's at the absolute top of our price range. In fact, it's $50 ahead of the Maritime.

From a tone perspective it's closer to the Taylor 114e, with a brighter resonance that comes through even on strumming patterns.

Here's a breakdown of the tonewood mixture:

• Sitka Spruce top (solid)
• Pau Ferro sides
• Pau Ferro back (maple/mahogany split)

The main reason I don't like this model quite as much as the Seagull is because it only gives you the solid top, without mentioning the type of Pau Ferro or Maple used on the back and sides. When they don't mention solid or laminate, it's safe to assume you're dealing with laminate construction.

If you recall, the Seagull Maritime is entirely solid construction - and $50 cheaper - which we think makes it a higher-value option than the Washburn Comfort.

Still, the Comfort is an excellent acoustic and worthy of inclusion in our list.

We love the aesthetics with the arm rest design piece and venetian cutaway.

It's an especially good fit for lead acoustic styles and those looking for a brighter tone.

IDEAL FOR: Lead acoustic, fingerpicking styles, live performing

THE PROS

• Arm rest design is awesome
• We love the aesthetics of the maple and pau ferro
• Great for lead acoustic styles
• Fishman preamp/pickup system is one of the best available

THE CONS

• At the top of our price range
• Would be nice to have solid back/sides at this price point

How did we test these acoustic guitars?

As I've mentioned previously, we've built this list - and others like it - based on first hand experience. This means all five of the guitars on this list have been at least tested by me, or one of the folks I consult with.

This also explains why we make smaller lists (five guitars instead of 10) and why some worthy acoustic guitars are not included.

If we can't vouch for the brand and the model specifically, we leave it out.

This means that there are a ton of acoustic guitars under 1000 dollars on the market that could potentially be good fits for this list. However, we limit our selections to the models we're most confident in.

From these, testing is as simple as sitting down with an acoustic guitar, playing it, and taking a few notes.

We sincerely hope this is helpful to you as you search for your own acoustic guitar.

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