Best Acoustic Electric Guitar Under $400 (Jan 2023 Update)

This has been a great entry level (or more?) guitar. Been using it with youtube videos and Rocksmith and everything works as advertised!ROBERT

I hate to be negative but….Here we go. I love the electronics (SST Technology) on some of the Ibanez brand Acoustic Guitars because it eliminates the need for an EQ and delivers a fuller, fatter sound than most acoustic guitars. That being said, I have to be able to play it first and foremost. Upon receiving the well packed and shipped guitar, I took it out of the box and fretted a Gadd9 and noticed a disastrous buzz on the high E at the 3rd Fret. Figured it just needs a set up and took it to my guitar guy who told me after adjusting the truss rod with no fix that the fret would probably have to be filed. This is a brand new guitar, the frets shouldn't need to be filed out of the box. American Musical was very helpful w/ trying to expedite me one last minute for Monday on a Friday afternoon (since I have to play on Monday) but we'll see what happens. This is the 2nd Ibanez Guitar in 3 months that I went through this with. I'm slowly getting turned off.JR Huffsmith

I got this as my first real guitar. It's an amazing guitar, the sound is really nice, more of a soft tone for finger picking. Plugged in it sounds pretty nice, I like the options with the fishman preamp. The tuner works pretty well. Now for complaints, it came in a brown color, which I didn't mind, the tuner for the G string is suuuuuupppper hard to turn, either it's too tight to turn, or way too loose, when I first got it it had an awful buzz, but when I got it in tune and played it some it sounded fine. Other than that a great guitar!Lord Potato

I am very happy with this purchase! It was sold as a factory second because of a minor flaw with the finish. To actually see the "flaw" you need to angle it just right in the light. It is NOT seen without close inspection. The pictures are not of good quality (they look splotchy). It is nice and easy to play as the strings are close to the neck (as I have seen with other Ibanz guitars). It sounded very good and I got compliments when I played it for a worship service. I had priced this exact model at musiciansfriend and it was $100 more expensive (with free shipping). So this is a very nice sounding, good looking guitar for a good price! Shipping was super fast (I live in Wisconsin where this came from).cheryloke_0

After allowing the guitar few weeks to adjust and giving it a good set up including new strings and a neck adjustment (tightening the rod), Conditioning the fret board and a good polish, The guitar is easy to play and has great sound for an inexpensive guitar. I like the So Cal green color others may not as it is a vintage vibe. Tuners are price point but even price point tuners these days are decent. A little sticking from the nut, I think I can lightly file that out and add some nut sauce. The fret ends were not too sharp but I conditioned them to a nice smooth finish useing 500 grit sponge. Very little cost to make improvements and the guitar is fun to play. The sustain is probably the biggest suprise and I am satified to practice with this guitar every day. Very pleased for the cost. Good value.Bruce P.

Guitar is ok for the price; however, I was expecting the strings to last longer than 2 days before breaking. Even the extra ones that came with the bundle broke as I was putting them on. I had to buy better ones and had a professional put them on to make sure they were adjusted correctly. Additionally, the small tuner's battery was dead out of the box so I had to get a new one. Again, I guess you get what you get for the price. On a positive note, the guitar looks nice, the small amps is super convenient, and everything arrived fast and together in one box.Luis L.

The guitar did not have the black scratch panel that is shown in the Sunburst guitar. Also, when my son opened the gift guitar, the black bag was covered in a white mold/mildew. It was delivered one week before his birthday and kept in a dry room, and opened for the first time on his birthday. The guitar seems ok, I will know more when someone with some guitar knowledge checks it out for me. It may be going back to the store. The pictures show exactly what the bag looked like minutes after the gift was opened. Looks rough, 2 stars are for the fact that the guitar was not moldy.Kacee

Good sound and feel, especially for the price. I honestly really enjoyed playing this guitar. However, it is quite disappointing that the craftsmanship was lacking, since I always took great care with handling it, and the bridge snapped in half. I was using it very often, so it may be best for beginners or for only periodic use.Nick

I bought this guitar because it was the cheapest acoustic in the store and I wasn't sure I'd stick with playing. I have had so much fun with it a year later I feel compelled to write a review! This guitar looks, feels, and sounds great, and mine rarely needs a tune-up despite regular use. Folks are saying the action is too high but I haven't noticed (and as a newbie maybe that's helped me build finger strength more quickly, who knows.) The only con I can think of is the sound is a tiny bit thin, but for a casual player like myself, that's no big issue. Anyway, I love this guitar and would absolutely recommend it for newbies/casual players. This is a great value instrument!Nomi

I have always had trouble with guitars. My hands are small and not very strong, so I've never had good luck trying to get good, consistent sound out of a guitar. It's just been too frustrating for me to continue. I also have a hard time feeling comfortable with the size and shape of most guitars I've tried. I've got limited funds to invest in an instrument and I wanted to make sure it was going to be an instrument that would let me play the things I wanted to play, and give me the range I was looking for. I've looked at banjos, classical guitars, and even junior guitars. But I always came back to the acoustic guitar in terms of sound and range. So when this guitar went on sale, I took the plunge and placed the order (after watching numerous video reviews, of course). I couldn't be happier! This is a gorgeous guitar that feels great, and it doesn't take much pressure at all to get a beautiful sound from it. It is wonderfully constructed. I had mine shipped to the store, which may have protected it. Either way, I didn't experience any of the construction issues I read in some of the other reviews, but also I was confident in the purchase guarantee of Guitar Center, and I knew I would have received a replacement if anything was wrong. It's definitely why I purchase through Guitar Center. Now I'm so excited about playing this guitar that I practice twice a day because it's so much fun and it sounds so great. As a new player, I simply couldn't be happier about this purchase. The onboard tuner makes it very easy to tune quickly. When I first tuned it, I used my Super Snark tuner to check the accuracy and they both matched exactly. I also purchased the Fender 20 watt amp and plugged it in. Wow! What a fun set-up! This is definitely a purchase I will treasure forever.Kristin

Having relatively recently started learning guitar on an electric stratocaster-style guitar this was a great transition to the acoustic segment. The thinner body makes it much more comfortable to play than say a dreadnought and the neck is comfortable to transition too, yet the guitar doesn't seem to sacrifice as much sound as you'd expect from a thinner guitar. The finish of the guitar is that of a more expensive guitar for example the rosewood finger board. On arrival I actually thought the guitar looked better than the pictures on the website suggest but do note that because of the finish it is prone to showing finger marks which would need cleaning time to time. I would highly recommend this guitar.Richard P.

After suffering a permanent back injury I could no longer play my elictric guitar as it was too heavy or my acoustic electric guitar because it felt like it was twice it's normal size because I could no longer find a comfortable position for myself to play it. I bought a keyboard thinking that I could still play music. Afterv two weeks of playing around with the keyboard I gave up pllaying. Then I saw on the internet one night an advertisement for a 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic electric guitar guitar with a slimline bosy which looked like a nice guitar so I checked out males and females playing it and sounded very nice so I bought one. Man am I'm so glad I did. I got the sunburst like this one on sale. I was excited as l took it out of the box and went straight to my mancave and started playing it. It was perfecty in tune and for a guitar of this size it's got such a beautiful tone playing ACOUSTIC. So I plugged it in and it's as good as it sounded on YouTube. As an 67 yesr old man who started playing guitar when I was 16 years old, this is a beauty. I recommend this guitar to beginners, anyone with small hands and even people who want a good guitar to take with them without taking up much space in your car. Yep, it's a beaty.Deano

. Now let me set the scene… I am a guitar lover (I can even play a little too) and a quality professional so My expectations are somewhat higher than most looking at this product. An absolutely beautiful instrument, this is my second SA360 and although they are no longer. Made in Japan, be assured they have not lost any of the build quality or attention to detail. The guitar was really well set up, is great to play, feels good in the hand and sounds the bee’s knee’s. If you are looking to start out in guitar playing get yourself an Ibanez Gio to start as a first upgrade from that, then the SA series is where you want to be at.Timbo

You get a 3/4 size acoustic guitar, of course, for the size. I already had the Yamaha APX500III which is a truly magnificent price-point instrument. The thinlne body moves you away from the bloat of a regular size dreadnought. All of the features of the larger brother are implemented in the APX Thinline 3/4: built-in tuner, volume and tone controls. The reason I wanted a comparable guitar in 3/4 size was to have it in my office nearby, ready to pick up at a moment's notice and for that it serves me perfectly. You can sit in an executive swivel chair and play this guitar comfortably. Do not delude yourself into thinking the big sound of the bigger thinline will transfer to the smaller guitar when play unamplified. When amplified the difference is slight. So now I have what I wanted – a quality price point smaller guitar that sits on a stand in easy reach for those moments when you need to reach out and find a way to explore a musical idea, run some scales, etc. Perfect solution!Jerry

Although I bought this guitar online from PMT (excellent service) I also posted a detailed review on Amazon UK where I also counselled against paying the stupid prices being charged by some of their affiliates. The PMT price was excellent. There were a few negatives with my guitar, all of which I was able to cure or tweak: the action was ridiculously high and until I altered the battery holder, the pickup and tuner wouldn't work. However, they were hopefully one-off problems. The guitar has far better tone that you might expect from an all-laminate guitar, especially if you play above the soundhole or at the end of the fretboard at around the 17th fret. Played with a hard pick it can sound a bit 'thin' but played with fingers or with a less aggressive 'attack' it has a really sweet sound. I am 75 with normally sized adult hands and do not find any problems with the fretting or scale length. Having made the adjustments, it's become my go-to acoustic guitar . . . and as I also have a GS Mini, that it is praise indeed. If you buy this guitar, I'd suggest changing the strings although the generic type which are fitted are OK. I changed them whilst shaving the saddle and fitted D'Addario 10's. This guitar is ideal for adult 'noodling' + a beginner of any age + a travel guitar. It has proved to be an excellent buy . . . for more detail, check out my review on Amazon UK but I doubt you'll find a better price or service than PMT.Alan S.

Funny thing about this world is that, a perfectly shaped, and sized acoustic guitar with modern electric pick-up and built-in tuner. The maker gives you a gigs bag, which is not much thicker than double bags from your local grocery store. And you must become religiously pious and pray that every time you go out of the door, that free gigs bag is gonna protect your $200 investment. I ended up purchased in extra, a Gator Hardshell case, GWE-acou 3/4. The case is still big, so I use some swimming noodles to pad up and cradle the guitar in full protection. The plush liner inside the hardshell case can be peeled up, so I can tuck in the noodles to form a snug fit. I also purchased an Amplifier, for practices and maybe buskering later. My setup of the case is not flight luggage safe, so if you are a frequent flyer, better ask nicely if you can give it to the cabin member to stow in the closet for you. I am personally happy with the sound range and volume, very little difference when compared with a full-sized guitar. The human comfort is better under your right elbow. The deal I got comes with a tuner, but the guitar already has a built-in unit running on 2 AA batteries. The free stand is ok.djadtoys

Great sounding and playing guitar, I replaced the synthetic saddle for bone, original was to tapered on the high E new saddle took care of that. Buy the epiphone or roadrunner jumbo case, nothing else fits, make sure if the guitar comes straight from the factory you use a humidifier in your case for at least 6 months. Especially in colorado. Then if you leave it out without a humidifier that you dont have forcrd Heat or air conditioning vents close to the guitar. This guitar has great projection.Kenny

After purchasing this guitar from American Musical Supply, I was really nervous awaiting its arrival because this was actually my first time purchasing an instrument online. I’m used to going inside music shops and trying out different gear and playing guitars before I buy them so I know that what I’m taking home with me already feels comfortable and right in my hands. This guitar in particular, however, is not a style that is normally kept stocked in the stores for customers to test drive before they purchase. Similar models are available in stores near me but I think anyone who has ever wanted this particular model from Epiphone knows that they have heard and felt the beautiful sound that projects from this big guitar and I am here to tell you that my “leap of faith” online purchase was nothing more than a huge win in my book! This guitar looks, sounds and plays just as I expected it would with much more to offer once it’s actually in your hands! I’m personally a country/blues guy so this guitar definitely fits right up that alley in my opinion. It feels so solid in your hands and the tone is just plain awesome! The Jumbo body allows the sounds inside the guitar to reverberate through your body as it’s pressed against you before making its way through the sound hole where it flourishes into that awesome deep, thick sound. From the factory the guitar is set up beautifully and very playable right out of the box. Quality parts, quality wood and quality electronics as expected from Epiphone and very well executed in this model. Definitely worth every penny for the undecided guitarist but hey, don’t take just my word for it! Pick up this awesome guitar from Epiphone through these good folks here at American Musical and set yourself up with one of their payment plans if that interests you! It’s an awesome way to be able to get the gear you need and the gear you’ve been wanting without breaking the bank right on the spot! Excellent Job by Epiphone once again and an excellent job by American Musical for supplying it at an awesome price and providing sweet payment options for your customers and future consumers!Billy

I once owned a Gibson J15, that I bought from Guitar Center, and I loved it, but I always wanted a J200, I just could never afford one. Well, I ended up having to sell my J15 to pay rent one month, and I ended up having some extra money from it, and thought why not give the Epi a try? It's closer to the Guitar I always wanted anyways. I was blown away. It has all the high end stylings of a Gibson J200, maybe even more if you consider the built in tuner and cutaway features for about 3000$ less. Well, unfortunately I only owned it for about a week before my car broke down and I had to return my Epi to pay for the repairs. I've regretted it ever since. I would have rather donated blood 50 times than have returned that guitar. (Fortunately I just got my tax return and repurchased it, and it seems like it sounds even better than before). As I was saying, it stacks up against s Gibson guitar nicely, the shadow preamp isn't as nice as any LR Baggs system but it will certainly give you lots of usable sounds. I think this is the best guitar in the 500$ price range and I'm disappointed in Guitar Center for not carrying it in store. I'm a firm believer in the fact that having a guitar you like, you like the looks of, you like the feel of, will make you a better guitarist, and that's what this beautiful, fat boy jumbo acoustic has done for me. I actually like mine so much I decided to put some money into it for upgrades, and I haven't been disappointed. I stuck some Grover Keystone tuners on it in gold of course ( had them on my Epi Les Paul before and thought would look cool so I just swapped them), some Martin ebony bridge pins, and some D'Addario EXPs and this thing sounds unreal now. So, if you're reading this because you're unsure as to whether you should buy this guitar or not, yes, you should absolutely buy this guitar and never look back.Anonymous

I bought this guitar to check out a budget friendly offering from Yamaha. I have to say I was not disappointed! Excellent tone and volume, the top really resonates. The guitar was really well setup right out of the box. It needed about 3/4 of a clockwise truss rod adjustment, no prob. Other than that it didn't need any fret dressing whatsoever. That's really impressive for a Chinese guitar. Heck even one of my Mexican Martins needed fret dressing out of the box! Also intonation was spot on and this also is important in your guitar. Very impressed with this guitar, intermediate/advanced feel but priced at a beginner budget. You won't regret picking one up, I assure you!Big Bone Murphy

There is a point of quality when an instrument reaches when it stops being seen as "better or worse" but rather just a different flavor. This Yamaha has reached that point. You can play it alongside a guitar costing 5x more and it stands up well. Yamaha is also one of those rare companies with a long history of top quality across all kinds of products, and guitars are an area Yamaha knows well. This is just a beautiful guitar through and throughout. You can get beautiful uncompromisingly great studio recordings with this guitar. Hitting the low strings hard with strumming gives a nice deep and rich tone. Also, the hardware / tuners are nice.Scott

I've owned many acoustics over the years, MANY, and this Yamaha is one of the best sounding I've ever owned. Went to GC just to check out a few lower end acoustics to pick up for jamming on, and tried almost every one in the room. Picked this one up last just before I was ready to leave, and immediately was blown away by the sound and playability, brought a couple friends to listen and tell me which one they thought sounded the best, and hands down this won over all of them. It has the tone and warmth of a Martin D34, which I have owned a few, and it plays like a dream. The neck is so sliky smooth, easy to fly up and down with no effort. It has amazing sustain and beautiful tone, I fell in love with it and just couldn't put it down. I didn't expect a guitar of this price range to sound as good as it does, got it home and I couldn't put it down. Played for 4 hours straight, and even after trying to put it down to go to bed at 1am I found myself playing a for a few more minutes before I could actually go to sleep. Love this Yamaha more than any guitar I've bought in the last decade. The best thing about it is, It gave me the desire to pick up playing guitar again, after hardly touching any of my other guitars for almost a year it's the one I want to play more than all of them. Great guitar, wouldn't hesitate to buy another in a different color, if you want something that you won't be able to put down this baby has the sound and feel your looking for.Johnny D

For what it is – a very cheap, small, travel guitar, this is great. You'll need a strap as it doesn't sit high enough on your leg to be comfortable to play. Also – the action was high, but a bit of adjusting with a belt sander on the saddle and that came down well. The scale length is short, but plays OK – takes a bit of getting used to from my full-sized acoustics. Putting a capo on it and making chords further up the neck is tight, but OK. Sound is very good for a travel guitar of this size. This would be a great kids guitar or even for an adult beginner. I did put 11s on it – sounds a bit weaker, but is fine, and that's what I use on my other acoustics. I had a washburn rover before – this is better, though not as small, but worth the extra size, I think. I have a GS Mini, which is much better, but a good bit larger, and much more expensive. Tuner works good, haven't tried plugging it in yet. Bought this for the boat – seems pretty sturdy.Alexander

I bought this guitar because I have chronic pain and am a small lady and found that even smaller acoustic guitars are too big and bulky and unplayable. I like to play high up on the neck so wanted a cutaway and occasionally perform so having an electro-acoustic version means it ticks all the boxes. When play acoustically it does sound really tinny, there's not getting away from that. It also tends to be unbalanced toward the neck end, so I need a strap to keep it in place. But it is much more playable for practice and I am almost managing to play bar chords again. Not chance on a normal size guitar. It has a full fret board just smaller but not too small.Michelle S.

I ordered this for my pastors wife who wanted to learn a new instrument. She is tiny ( less that 5 ' tall) and a full size guitar would not fit her body type. I was shocked when the guitar came in. The photos on line do not do the finish justice. I was even more shocked when I played it. Most student guitars in this price point have horrible action. The set up on this from the factory was great. It was very easy to play and the sound was extremely good for a thin body acoustic . Then we plugged it in. I could not believe the sound quality of the electronics in this guitar. On Sunday, I pulled out after church and let the music team take turns with it. Everyone that played it raved about every aspect of this little guitar. The instrument also came with a quality gig bag. The material was thick, padding was good, the zippers and hardware appeared to by sturdy. Even more importantly, she loved the guitar. I highly recommend that you consider this one for your beginner or intermediate guitar student. Both Children and small adults should be pleased with this one.Greg H.

Very nice playing guitar, sits right next to my Gibson LP and my Fender Stratocaster!!!! Plug it in to my Marshal amp and it will play and sound just great . I do think this was well worth every penny spent!!!! Best Regards Stevestepeye-0

I have 6 Other Guitars and have been playing for a number of years. The build quality is Okay but One Thing about the construction is the Machine Head mounting location for the "D" String and the "G" String are situated in such a way that the Strings run really Close to the Adjacent String. The Sound is also Very Bright and Lacks Warmth in Tone even with the Tone Control all the way Down. Having said that it has a Good Action but the Fretboard was really Dry. Not a Bad guitar for the Money.Mark K.

I love this guitar. It's such a joy to play and the tones are wonderful. The acoustic alone sounds fantastic, but the electric feature works awesome and the built in tuner is great! I am also impressed that the guitar came with two batteries, one of which was already installed. I am thankful to have my new guitar. To get the quality of a Fender guitar at this affordable price is a great way for me to get serious with my playing while I enjoy learning on it.michapicar

I have a number of acoustic type guitars – both steel and nylon strung. When playing these I rarely strum – it's a finger style combination of rock, flamenco, folk, blues and jazz ( a real mixture). The first thing I did was to change the strings (D'Addario Silk & Steel). As a result this little Fender beauty has turned into an excellent parlour guitar: it's responsive, lovely to play and remarkably loud for its size. Build quality is good and the sound projects well. If you're a chord strummer, I wouldn't suggest that the Sonoran is for you – but it responds superbly to finger style playing. It's subtle and responsive. For the money, it's very, very good. And of course, it's very, very easy to lug around. Love it!Gillian B.

Pretty nice sounding instrument! Way less money than most solid wood, small bodied shorter scale guitars, & stacks up decently against “higher end” offerings. As a traditionalist, the onboard electronics were an annoying detraction, but in practice the pickup system sounds far more natural than I was expecting. And as a couch/practice guitar, having a tuner on the instrument is handy, I’ll grudgingly admit. If I were the type to plug in an acoustic on stage, I’d get good use out of these features. There are a few other general things that caught my attention, listed in no particular order. The dynamic range is an interesting departure from typical full scale acoustics. It’s quieter when finger picked softly, but as loud or louder when dug into with a pick. Definitely doesn’t sound small when played with authority, & generally has great resonance. I’ve yet to try lighter strings, but with 12 gauge phosphor bronze, it doesn’t feel too slinky or incredibly different than a longer scale length acoustic. I do find it a tad more comfortable, but not a night & day difference. The only lesser aspect is mostly down to the stock setup. Action was a little on the high side, & the G# fret under the low E string was a little high, so G chords buzzed on that string. This doesn’t detract from my over all impression, as I’m imagining most folks buying a decent instrument will end up setting it up & leveling fretwork to taste. All in all, mine’s a very nice acoustic guitar by any measure, & its sound punches way above its weight class in terms of cost. I dig it.WJJ

This Fender guitar is awesome. Out of the box it is almost perfectly set up. The intonation is off just by a little bit and only with 2 or 3 strings. The sound seems a little washed while playing chords, but single notes are loud and clear. All the frets have edge treatment, nice and smooth. The synthetic bone used for the nut and bridge are way better than plastic, allowing for a long sustain. The guitar could use better tuning keys, but the guitar stays in tune good enough. Over all my guitar was built well, and I'm glad it sounds good, too. I would recommend this guitar for all beginner guitar players because of the sound quality, and anyone else who don't have the money for their dream guitar.Tim

I will say that I?ve been playing for 40 years and this axe plays as well as instruments 100x the cost! I?ve almost burnt through the OEM strings and I can still make it sing. Played last night in pitch black darkness and it?s all just right there where you want it to be. Stays in-tune beautifully. It?s my 4th Monoprice axe. Bought a blemished Gearlux case for it: Full length 44? Lower bout 16.5? upper bout 12.5? Body length 20.5 Waist 12.5? headstock 5.5? Depth 6? and it was close enough Jeff HYouJeff

The guitar arrived in near perfect condition. Set up was good. No fret sprout or sharp fret ends. Intonation was good. Action was low enough for me. I really like this one and it's become my go-to acoustic guitar for now. The sound is crisp with plenty of sustain. So why didn't I give it 5 stars? Three reasons, mostly just personal preference. The first is the neck is a little wider and chunkier than I'm used too. Some folks like a bigger neck so not really a fault. Another reason is the super high gloss finish, including all over the neck. I might sand down the neck in the future to get it more how I like it. I don't like a glossy neck, and the final reason, the tuners are okay, but nothing great. It's a budget guitar, so I suppose that should be expected, again, not really a fault in the guitar, just a little disappointed with my high expectations. Overall, I'm really happy with this guitar.Daniel

Based on the reviews, I was expecting more. I wasn't expecting perfection, but in its delivered state it is unplayable. From prior reviews I heard such good things about the setup on this guitar. Mine was terrible. At concert pitch (A 440hz) the action on the first 3 frets is so poor that the guitar is unplayable, buzzing very loudly on all strings, and COMPLETELY "noting out" on the 1st string. Did Monoprice QA actually play this guitar before it went out? It doesn't sound like it, otherwise I doubt it would've shipped. The setup action of the guitar is very poor and buzzy up through the 12th fret, even with the lightest finger touch (forget it with a pick). Otherwise the fit and finish of this guitar is really nice: very pretty clear smooth gloss with nearly no hickeys, and it looks fairly thin, especially on the top, which is good. Nice inlays and binding, cleanly done. When it's not buzzing horribly, tone is bright, tight and "spruce-y", as expected, and should mellow with some age. I have a collection of about 10 guitars (mostly electric): Several Fenders, Gibson, Gretsch, and a few acoustics, and I've been playing both casually and professionally for over 25 years. I care about having great, playable setups, and sadly as-is it's unplayable. I bought this as a discount "beach guitar" that I could bang around with, and if it's set up properly I expect it would fit the bill. I've put in an RMA to replace this one, I'm hoping it was just a quality-control dud and the replacement will have a correctly set action. If this guitar had a playable action & setup right-out of the box as so many other reviewers have noted, it would be a 5-star guitar for sure. PROS: Almost impeccable gloss finish Clean fret edge dressing Pretty spruce top Generally nice sound (when not buzzing) Well assembled Decent gig bag CONS: Unplayable buzzing on the 1st 3 frets Generally buzzy up to the 12th fret even with light picking.Pete

I went into the local music store expecting to buy a Taylor 114 or Taylor 214 also. I picked up the 214 and it just wasn't the guitar for me. I picked up a fender 140 c e and it had no Bass to it at all hardly. Didn't like some of the other readers here I stumbled across another guitar thinking it was a fender and it sounded beautiful. To my surprise it was a Yamaha fgx800c. Never considered buying a Yamaha but it sounded as deep and Rich as I could have wanted. Just goes to show you when you listen with your ears and not with the name brand and price tag you get the same response many of the reviewers here got. You will need to add another strap button to the neck because it only comes with one. For the money this is Bar None the best guitar I think that is made. I went out of my way to write this review so somebody out there searching for a good acoustic guitar who leads worship at church as I do and in youth groups would not miss out on this deal!AndrewSGI

Bought a Fender guitar to practice with an acoustic guitar (I own 5 guitars total classical, electric, and travel guitars). The bottom bridge came unglued after ten days of taking it home, so I wanted something different and better built. I wanted to stay in the $800 or less budget, so I headed to Guitar Center; I played with over 30 guitars for over two hours (including Taylors and the mini travel Martin's). I stumbled on this Yamaha which had the most clear rich sound! I was very impressed with the quality of the electronics; particularly the tuner! I took it home and plugged it up to my amp, and once again, I was very impressed with the guitar's capabilities! I highly recommend this guitar even when it never crossed my mind to own a Yamaha.Tavo

I'm backing up a woman who writes, plays a Taylor, and sings like an angel. We play at some venues that are crowded with lots of other musicians running around on and back stage. I had been playing a $3600 Martin HD-18V and was somewhat nervous about it getting damaged or stepped on. So I set out to find reasonably priced guitar with good sound. I hit all the local music stores in the Atlanta area and played just about everything on the market for under $1000. NOTHING came close to the Yamaha FSX800 and FGX800 series as far as consistency, quality, playability, or PRICE. To get a Martin or Taylor that sounded and played this good, one would have to spend at least 700, and more like $1000 to get a comparable guitar. One that that really stood out to me as I spent 2 days of test driving acoustics all over Atlanta was the incredible consistency in the Yamaha guitars. Even in their models that were under $200. So with the intention of having a nice sounding a playable "insurance policy" substitute for my Martin, I ended up with a great sounding guitar that I really enjoy. And, if it were to be stolen or demolished, I now know that I could get a replacement for it that would be as good. While it's not quite the guitar that my expensive Martin is, it really lacks nothing. It's sounds good and plays good. It's fun to play and is incredibly loud. The electronics (when plugged in) actually sounds as good or better than my music partners $2K Taylor. Strongly recommend anyone looking for a good quality acoustic guitar to check out Yamaha. These guys have really nailed it.Very Yahama-pleased

Great sounding guitar, electric or acoustic. Easy & fun to play I bought this guitar as a backup for just in case My 66 Gibson LG-0 fails or string breaks at a gig. The next day after it arrived & played it live plugged in for 2 hrs. It was great. Deep bass & clear highs. The only thing that was a little bit of a bummer was only a cosmetic, in my opinion flaw. You can see where they marked the frets for installation of the wire with a hand marked, magic marker on each fret. Then they must have gotten a little wild because there is an actual magic marker mark on the fretboard for no reason. We laughed about it being from china & kept playing. For the money its a great guitar.Gibtard of the year

Right out of the box I noticed a horrible buzzing (bad action) and it couldn't be tuned properly. Poor callibration. No hesitation. Returning as soon as possible for something of better quality. Ibanez isn't what they used to be. Done with them. So disappointing.Beev

I own a number of acustic guitars including a Taylor GSMC and Larrivèe L-03 WL both of these I play in alternate tunings. The Epiphone L00 studio would be a good quality guitar I could keep next to my sofa in standard tuning. I'm always uncertain about buying online but as soon as I started playing I realised what a beautiful sounding instrument it is! The neck fits perfectly into my hand and it's so easy to play. I'm so glad I went for this guitar. I haven't stopped playing it.Greg

After nearly 4 years my positives about this guitar simply grow. I chose the all mahogany because it had a particular sound I wanted; full range but buttery; like the early Robert Johnson sound. The neck is great for bends. The sustain is amazing making vibrato voicings a delight to hear. The only change I would make is the location of the battery pack. But that's simply nitpicking; I'm lazy… Locking tuners and strap locks should be standard.ErylT

This is my fourth guitar and the least expensive one I own yet it stand up to much more expensive ones well. I love the feel and the sound and it looks great. I bought it mainly as an acoustic to just play with but plugged in it sounds much better than I expected. Great buySam

This was bought as a gift for me! I picked this Ibanez out, and the rest is history! The Green Flamed Maple is straight up beautiful! The pictures posted don't do it justice. The sound is great! The reviews that I read and watched helped to make my decision easy. Can't wait to get an amp!Stan

I had bought a Fender Acoustic 100 amp from here over a week or so ago which I love. The only problem was ,it doesn't work well with passive pickups as far as volume levels are concerned. I've been using a Taylor BBT along with a Duncan Woody SC which sounded great but just was not projecting the volume I needed . So I ended up going to a reputable dealer and ended up doing a cash/trade deal for one of these in the Natural finish just today. It is exactly what I have been looking for since I got my amp and it thanks to the Fishman Presys pickup, sounds great and projects the volume I needed and more in spades. I find that the tone on this one also projects more compared to the Mahogany model which I had for a while as well. I'm a happy camper and now have a rig that sounds really amazing that I can use with my solo Acoustic act.JeffO46

I just purchased this for my sister for Christmas as she tried to run away with a lot of my personal guitars. I was looking for a basic guitar but not too basic so that it wouldn't become boring too fast as she began advancing. This guitar is far from basic. In person, this is a fantastic looking guitar. I picked it up and fell in love, and I have never been too partial to Fender (however this is the first time I picked up a Fender acoustic). Pictures don't do it justice. The built in tuner is an awesome feature. I am actually very jealous and am having second thoughts about giving it away 🙂joehd8811

Wanted to try a double coursed instrument for lead playing. So I bought one of these open box and took off the octave strings leaving only the B and high E doubled. Tonally it's as fine as any mid range Martin I've handled, not as funky, purer sounding with better sustain than my myrtlewood Breedlove, Better made than, but reminds me of my rebuilt Yamaha 180 in character: it will grow mellow with age and only increase in value. Worth every penny.tapcity

I came in to sign up for guitar lessons as an old man. I could barely spell guitar. First thing — I would need a guitar. Soon, I was in a room full of guitars, and I had no idea what I needed. Sam Ash's man knew. Not too cheap; not too expensive; not too gaudy; try this one, try that one. After a while we decided on the Baby Taylor. What a joy he was to work with, explaining, suggesting, leading, helping. A great experience. And, I love my guitar.Ralph

Purchased in 2002 for practice and travel when I didn't want to take a full-sized guitar. I was impressed with the rich sound and ease of play. It stays in tune, even when not played for long periods of time. It's always been stored in the Baby Taylor gig bag that came with it, in a closet, when not in use. I recently took it out to practice and discovered a crack in the top near the bottom, and that the top has separated from the body all across the bottom. It's been stored in a closet, protected from humidity fluctuations, along with 3 other acoustic guitars, one of which is vintage, and none of the other guitars have any issues. I also had a vintage, hand-made, late 1800's era mandolin stored with my other instruments, and it had no issues. I have loved this Baby Taylor for many years, and I'm heartbroken to discover the quality is so poor. The sound of acoustic guitars improves with age, so a new one won't sound the same. Sadly, I can no longer recommend this guitar.CJ

Oh my gosh I love my Baby Taylor! The koa wood makes it look as good as it sounds. My main goal was to have a guitar to travel with. I have so many guitars, but I wanted something small to take on the airplane. I've always heard great things about Taylor guitars…this is my first. It did not disappoint. I didn't expect it to have the sound quality that it does for its size. So that was just a bonus to me. It doesn't have the deep, full sound like my full bodied acoustics, but it is still good enough to play under any circumstance without being embarrassed. I don't play live anymore, but I wouldn't hesitate to play my Baby Taylor on stage. The case is great too. Compact backpack style with enough padding for protection.BK

I love this little guitar. I bought mine from the GC store. I have Taylor GS mini for my RV, but it's still too big and too loud in a small rv with others. I saw the Traveller guitars and thought I'd go to a GC and try it out. I'm too new at this so got the GC sales person to play so I could hear the difference using a big amp. The ones with the pickups were hot and a little bitey for me as I only really play acoustic. The Piezo pickup acoustic sounded mellow and it was on the guitarathon sale for 100 dollars off. That tipped it for me. It's small, extremely light and when unplugged, extremely quite quiet. It's so small, I'm finding that I pick up this one more than the regular guitars. Bear in mind, it's not acoustic or electric, so it's not going to sound like anything else. I bought a headphone amp and also use a regular amp when I can be loud. When practicing unplugged at night, it's loud enough for me, but nobody else can hear it. Also, I've found that if I press it tightly to my side, the lower notes reverberate in my chest. With the acoustic pickup there is no tone or volume controls, so everything has to be done through the amp. I'm getting used to that. With no body and only the wire bottom, it takes a little time before it begins to feel normal. The only negative is if I don't hit the notes perfect, I can get some fret buzz. All in all, it's so different from any other guitar, I would suggest trying it in person first. You will either love it or hate it. And remember it's a small travel guitar you can also use regularly. Play it both amplified and unplugged and see if you think it will work for you.Mike