It is a strange thing to realize that no matter how much you are willing to pay, there will always be a better guitar out there. This bothers me a lot because I want every one guitar I ever speak of to be the best guitar. So when I spend several days freaking out about this new instrument I found that is exceptional in every way and then one of my friends shoots me an email or message about a guitar that is much better, I get a little frustrated. Thankfully the prevalence of this problem becomes less immediate in the range of mid to high-end.
This is why I am so excited to be talking about the 10 best acoustic guitars under 2000 – all of these guitars carry the weight of being incredibly good. In this range really, the sky’s the limit, and by the sky, I mean the number 2000, and by the limit, I mean beyond that we’re entering the range of “the best acoustic guitars ever”. Fair warning: you will find me freaking out about those, because what man doesn’t freak out when he exits the stratosphere?
Anyway, the problem of owning the best guitar shouldn’t bother you as much as it does me. You are not someone who reviews guitars, you are someone who plays them and if you really think about it, for each musician the “best” guitar, or instrument in general, is a highly subjective idea.
What’s The Best Acoustic Guitar Under 2000
| Image | Guitar Model | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Martin Custom D Classic Mahogany |  (5 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Taylor 317e Grand Pacific with V-Class Bracing |  (4.9 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Martin D-41 | (4.9 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Takamine Pro Series GB7C Garth Brooks with Case |  (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Blueridge BR-180 Historic Series Dreadnought Guitar |  (4.7 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Prestige Guitars Eclipse Spruce/Rosewood, Auditorium Body | (4.7 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Composite Acoustics Cargo Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar |  (4.6 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
Martin Custom D Classic Mahogany Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
Dreadnought guitars are something we can never say no to, especially in the high-end range. Though they will sound wonderful even at a low price tag, they gain an extraordinary appeal once they get a bit more expensive. Martin guitars are renowned for their quality and their Custom D isn’t an exception by any means. It features the tonewoods that you’re likely to encounter at every step of the way: it has a spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. Its non-cutaway design adds even more character to the guitar and turns it into an unforgettable treat. A tortoise pickguard is there to protect your instrument from scratches that may appear from your pick (heavy strummers will get what I’m saying). Though there is nothing extraordinary about the design, you’ll definitely be amazed by the sound; this acoustic guitar has accentuated low-end, but it still manages to retain the brightness that’s needed for producing the rounded, well-defined tone. If you’re ready to splurge and invest in a mesmerizing guitar, Martin Custom D is definitely the one!
- Wonderful tone
- Perfect volume
- Well-balanced lows and highs
- Too much low end for recording
Taylor 317e Grand Pacific with V-Class Bracing
It’s not unusual to expect a certain pattern of behavior from different brands. When it comes to guitar manufacturing, most companies have their niche sound – a tone that can be discerned even in the crowded mix. But sometimes they decide to spice things up and develop something innovative. That’s what Taylor did when they came up with the idea to utilize V-class bracing in their 317e Grand Pacific. This puppy will deliver the sound that you wouldn’t expect from the brand, which is a wonderful thing, in my personal opinion. You’ll hear deep and saturated basses here, yet the aim of this guitar is to create a balanced sound. That’s what it achieves with its solid Sitka spruce top, sapele back and sides, and non-cutaway body. 317e also comes with ES2 (Expression System 2), which is Taylor’s distinctive pickup system. The behind-the-saddle pickup consists of three individually calibrated sensors, each strategically positioned to capture the nuances of your sound. This advanced design ensures that the full dynamics of your music are accurately captured and conveyed. Regardless of your preferences for Taylor guitars, giving this pickup a try is definitely worthwhile!
- Innovative V-Class bracing
- Rounded, yet expressive tone
- Wonderful build quality
- Dynamics are compromised with heavy strumming
Martin D-41
Somewhere in the afterlife, Mr. Christian Frederick Martin walks proudly among his peers, knowing that his company has made one of the best acoustic guitars under 2000 that will ever grace the market. The beautiful and impressive D-41 Martin Dreadnought, the golden dragon among acoustic guitars, stands as one of the best ever made. The price tag reflects that, but don’t let it scare you, this beast can sound both quiet and loving, as well as loud and demanding, repaying your every cent and more with every note played. A solid spruce top with a radiant rosewood side and back produce a resonant sound that sticks to the ear and the heart easier than the blame to the devil. The Rosette and Ebony fretboard is inlaid with brilliant Abalone, making it positively scrumptious to look at. This guitar will stretch the strings of any person’s heart tighter than the strings stretched across the guitar itself, letting you play them louder and clearer than the first lover’s longing sigh ever did.
- Amazing Sound
- Beautiful
- Great Build
- Expensive
Takamine Pro Series GB7C Garth Brooks with Case
Garth Brooks is a big name in the United States. So making a guitar that bears his name means a lot of responsibility. This is easy for Takamine as showcased by their Pro Series GB7C Garth Brooks guitar. The solid cedar top of the guitar creates a beautiful resonance, emphasizing the bright sounds of the mid and high tones. The guitar produces an incredible, bright sound that remains precise and sustain-free no matter how fast or hard you play. The guitar, because of its unique sound-hole, looks as unique as Garth Brooks’s music combining rock and roll with country does. Creating the coveted country sound, sought after by countless enthusiasts, has never been simpler, all thanks to this specially crafted guitar designed with country music in mind. This exceptional instrument strikes the ideal balance between affordability and quality, making it the perfect choice for musicians with discerning tastes, reminiscent of the instruments favored by the likes of Garth Brooks himself.
- Full sound
- Comfortable
- Good construction
- Price might be a bit high for beginners
- Might want to restring
Blueridge BR-180 Historic Series Dreadnought Guitar
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| Hardware: | |
| Sound: | |
| Value: | |
| Average: | |
On the quest of finding the best acoustic guitar under 2000, we can’t help encountering wonderful models from Blueridge. Their Historic Series has always been inspiring, as it provides us with guitars that know what to do and how. BR-180 is yet another exciting example. It’s built with traditions in mind and comes with certain features that have proven to be really useful throughout time. This bad boy has a classic dovetail joint that turns it into a more durable piece. The top is made from solid Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are built with Santos rosewood. These woods complement the qualities of one another, delivering a powerful, rich tone as a result. The one-piece mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard are extremely smooth to the touch, turning the whole experience into a real pleasure. The nut might be a bit narrow for those of you who have bigger hands, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it after some practice. Overall, BR-180 is an excellent guitar with an amazing price.
- Great tone
- Excellent build quality
- Simple and attractive design
- You’ll need initial setup with it
- The nut might be too narrow for big fingers
Prestige Guitars Eclipse Spruce/Rosewood
Are you familiar with the most gratifying experience while exploring the market? It involves stumbling upon astonishing guitars from lesser-known brands. These hidden gems often offer us the chance to indulge in flawless artistry at a price that will undoubtedly astound you. Prestige Guitars is one of those manufacturers. They set a bar really high when it comes to the tone and construction be it their acoustic or electric models. We’ll leave the latter for some other time, since now we’re looking at their Eclipse Spruce Rosewood guitar. Not only is it built with solid spruce (top) and solid rosewood (back and sides), but it’s also extremely attractive. Mother-of-pearl binding, inlays, and headstock logo add an expensive touch to the design and force you to stare at this piece interminably. No matter what style you prefer – the tone is versatile enough to handle anything. Eclipse Spruce Rosewood is something you should check out if you want to avoid the beaten track.
- Excellent craftsmanship
- Versatile tone
- Appealing design
- It’s really hard to get your hands on this baby (it’s made in limited amounts)
Composite Acoustics Cargo Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar
One thing we can hardly avoid is the environmental changes that always affect our guitars. Yeah, yeah, I know, there are countless accessories that help us in that process. But we can’t neglect what a pain in the neck that process can be. Those who will never play the guitar unless it’s wooden can definitely skip this one. I, myself, was shocked when I played Cargo for the first time. Peavey’s Composite Acoustics makes guitars from carbon fiber and, as surprising as it may sound, they sound mesmerizing. The cargo itself is a travel-size guitar that definitely sounds bigger than its body. It can be utilized plugged in or acoustic – it will deliver beautiful results either way. You can forget about humidity with this one since environmental factors don’t affect its sound. You can even disregard the need for truss rod adjustments, which is a remarkable advantage in itself. This guitar is not only meticulously crafted by hand but also features a one-of-a-kind design. The placement of its soundhole is truly distinctive and will capture your attention immediately. Cargo stands apart from all other guitars in numerous ways!
- Can’t be affected by the environment
- Won’t even scratch if you drop it
- Flexible and smooth to play
- Wonderful sound
- Hard to change the pickup battery (but you won’t be needing that anytime soon)
- Not for wood lovers
2000 vs 500
A lot of the time people have trouble understanding what the difference between expensive and relatively affordable guitars is. You will see many proponents of the “all guitars sound the same” theory and you might feel inclined to agree with them. I used to agree with them too because I had a hard time imagining that different types of body or nut material might produce a different sound.
I only realized how wrong I was after I had the chance to compare the two types of instruments myself. I had spent the day at a musical instrument shop “helping” a friend of mine pick out a new drumset. By helping I mean letting him talk to the assistant while I walked around the acoustic guitar section and tried every single instrument my hands could reach. Don’t judge me, he had been looking for a new drumset for months and I couldn’t take any more of him blabbering on about how specifically he wanted it, so yes I ran away to a better place.
I first tried a bunch of guitars on the affordable side, in the range of 500-800. These were extremely nice guitars, all of them sounded really good, something I would expect out of a guitar. Then, I saw, hanging on the wall, a guitar that was worth about 2000. Curious, I got my hands on it and played. The thing is I had grown accustomed to good sound, but this was something else. It had a deeper bass response than what I was used to, more emphasized high tones than what I had expected. It was overall warmer, more comfortable. It felt like for the first time in my life I actually sounded as good as I thought I always did.
This was thanks to the guitar made of higher quality materials.
Laminated and Preserved or Well Aged and Full Bodied
I covered a little information about the types of materials used for the body of an acoustic guitar and their effects in an earlier article, when talking about beginner guitars. The thing is, these are not beginner guitars, and there is a large difference between laminated and natural materials.
Laminated materials often used in affordable acoustic guitars sacrifices some resonance to tones for the sake of cheaper materials that could potentially last longer, unchanged. The sound remains crisp, but the effect of the laminated material is limited, taking away the uniqueness of the instrument’s sound.
Natural, nonlaminated materials that are used in higher-end guitars such as the ones above are different. These guitars usually use high-end materials with superior resonance, such as Engelmann Spruce or a any number of other, rarer materials. This results in a deep bass response and precise high tones that resist the extra sustain of the strings when the guitar is played faster.
These nonlaminated woods also tend to age over time, further enhancing the sound of the guitar. While a brand new Engleman Spruce guitar might sound crisp and exceptional and aged one will have grown into its sound, becoming more “full bodied”. This brings a guitar into the same realm as that of aged wines – when cared for and aged properly, a guitar only becomes better as it becomes older.
Conclusion
Every instrumentalist finds that the best guitar, or any other instrument, is the one they love playing. A whole lot of things other than the specs go into enjoying what you play. The history of the instrument or how it fits into your hands or how you feel holding it are much more important for the “best guitar” you will own than what material it is made of. It might be true that best high end acoustic guitars are superior in many ways to the best acoustic guitars that are priced just under 500, but one thing is omitted when considering such superiority.
The first acoustic guitar I ever bought was not worth much more than 300. That was too long ago to talk about out loud, but ever since then I have bought other guitars. Some of them have been just under 500 and some of them have been way more than that. The thing is my first acoustic guitar still remains as my favorite acoustic guitar. It is best guitar I ever owned, hands down. That is not because it sounds the best or because it is the most comfortable to play, but because it now has character. It is infused with memories of hours spent practicing with or without my friends. Every time I pick it up and play it, I can’t help but remember that one time when I was playing in the underground and some drunk guy started dancing to my music. It has all the ugly stickers and all my teenage angst compounded into so much love and hate that this guitar took. Years of abuse and years of attempting to preserve its character, originality and form, because at some point it was about to fall apart.
This isn’t to say that it beats the best acoustic guitar under 2000 in sound. In fact it is much inferior. What I am trying to say is that it beats them in character, because these guitars, until you’ve played them are plain blank. A guitar on this list might end up being your favorite, or it might not, it is entirely up to you. The thing is you have to play it to make it the best.
Good Luck!
