Best Electric Acoustic Guitar Under $500 (Jan 2023 Update)

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

I own and have owed dozens of guitars. Many makes and models. This includes hollow, semi-hollow and solids. I have built and rebuilt many. With that said…this APXT2 is a fine "baby" guitar. Of course one can not expect it to sound like the full size…even with the pick-up. The bigger the body the potential lower richer tone. I play it almost every day for practicing. It is very light weight and does provide good sound. It is perfect for travel. Anyone that plays guitar could enjoy owing one of these.lottaplenty

I got this travel guitar so I could have something to do at job site during lunch. In my little Toyota truck it fits quite comfortably in the driver seat. I choose this traveler due to size, value vs other little guitars. Also I liken having built in tuner plug in capabilities. I choose it against a baby Taylor, little Martin. Sound wise apxt2 sounds pretty good. It doesnt sounds as crisp as other travelers but thats why I have my high end guitar at home. Using this little guy has helped up my game.bojackson63

I bought this out of curiosity. Didn't expect much, got more. Pure acoustic, it's not much. I have played it every day trying to beat some tone into it. It has improved but I'm probably just getting used to the tone and accepting it how it is. Like all new string instruments the nut requires some use and powdered graphite so the strings will move freely and tune properly. This little guitar really likes standard tune best, tension and tone wise. I also think best tone is achieved with a soft touch, pick or fingers. Plugged in, it comes to life. I have been using a Bose S1 Pro and couldn't be happier. I think it will get a lot of use around the house, on outdoor adventures, road trips, etc. Really can't imagine I would use it as a primary guitar for a gig, but it might be effective for a particular miced sound or visual effect.LW

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

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 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

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

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

I loved the sound, sustain and warmth of this guitar off the shelf. Sounds great acoustically or direct through a board or through my Marshall amp. This is my go to acoustic over my Martin. I had some trouble finding the right strings when it came time to replace the ones that came on it from the factory. I recommend D'Addario EJ40 Silk & Steel Folk Guitar Strings 11-47. They keep the warmth of the original sound and have a great feel. I tried others like Martin Phosphor Bronze and they were too brassy/tinny on this guitar.k8thnote

Really nice guitar, aside from the price. Considering price, this is a great value. This small body Guitar fits Even my tall daughter and tall son, and I notice that friends who come over choose this guitar over others to just sit down and play with or without amp. Sounds really nice along with the piano also. Lowered action (string clearance to frets) using enclosed Allen wrench (1/8 turn) to suit my daughter but my son did not mind as delivered action.littlehorseranch

I took this off of a local guitar store wall display, fell in love and purchased on the spot. Now, I do own more expensive guitars, but that doesn't mean lower cost guitars are lower quality. This Is a Well Built Guitar. The tone is rich. Tuning with the built in tuner is pretty darn accurate, Great playability and beautiful Finish. The D'addario EXP strings are a perfect match. There is a buzzing of the third string around the 2nd fret and 4th string open. I have had the action tonal balance adjusted and has gotten better, but not completely eliminated which has caused me to approach playing this guitar a little differently. My first guitar was a Yamaha and I have come back to them after playing approx. 40 years now. I would highly recommend this guitar.billr920

. 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

I have owned a number of high-end 12 Strings. This Fender can hang with them and some Twice as expensive and more! It was perfectly set-up right out of the box. Great action and play-ability.I am still Impressed with this guitar especially at it's price point. The strings it came strung with were not for me. It is The one thing that I changed and it just made the sound POP, the voice INCREDIBLE and made the guitar even more impressive. The strings I used are the Martin Retro Monel Custom Lights. It opened a whole new sound for this guitar. I have owned this now over 4 months and am still awed. For a twelve string it holds its Tuning even when I am wailing and using my Dunlop Brass slide. You really cannot go wrong with this well built and great sounding Guitar! Don't wait if your looking, pull the trigger and BUY IT NOW! You will have NO regrets, and with AMS's great payment plans what more could you ask for?!?!?Spikeola

Things I like: -Noiseless pickups sound pretty close to regular single coils but without the annoying hum. They may not sound 100% as glassy as my Tele single coils, but if we're honest, very few people will notice the difference and the trade-off for quiet pickups is well worth it. -One volume and one master tone is user friendly like a Telecaster -Comfortable body and neck -Rotary switch adds a nice boost to get closer to Tele or p90 when needed Comments: -First time I tried out the rotary switch I thought it was kinda of dumb, but after setting it up, I think it is most valuable to add some thickness when the thinner Strat sounds needs a bit more. I like it now but still think the lower settings aren't truly necessary. Makes the neck pickup more suitable for jazz and gets the bridge close to a Tele. -After received, we tweaked it but adjusting the truss rod, filing the nut a bit for a couple strings, raising the pickups to the Fender specs (3.2mm), adjusting the rotary switch so when you turned it the knob would stop and not just keep spinning when you got to the end of the options. -Make sure you unplug the guitar from the amp or the battery will run down very quickly -Never owned a Pau Ferro fretboard before but it's very close to Rosewood. If you're on the fence, I wouldn't let it put you off. In the end, we've got a very usable, comfortable, versatile Strat that sounds great! If you are looking for a Stratocaster that can do Strat tones and can get close to Tele or even Les Paul (maybe a bit far on the Les Paul but again, close is the operative word–there is no ONE guitar) when needed, all with noise-free pickups, then this is a great choice.Steve

This is a fantastic guitar – it sounds beautiful and is really easy to play. Amazing value for money. I had an issue with my first order, and PMT were excellent with their customer service and everything got resolved perfectly within a day, and I received the guitar the following day. Thank you for the fantastic service.Melissa R.

Bought this LH Fender because I wanted an acoustic. Overall the sound is good with the right strings. Within 3 weeks of purchase I had to have the neck adjusted and frets filed because they were inset too high. The sound overall is bright and vibrant. Had a couple times playing where the sound was not the best. Overall, it's a solid entry level guitar. Could be better but could be far worse.Phil

Overall: While this has a decent tone, it's not going to improve with age as the top is a laminated top–not solid spruce.Moreover, since this is a guitar targeting the beginning student, I mark it down because the setup is NOT conducive to the beginner. The action needs to be lowered and the Fender branded DuraTone strings it came from the factory with feel more like a medium gauge than a light gauge. I have a 12-string Yamaha that is easier to play than this.But to give it some props–the price includes a hardshell case–something no other guitar in this price range offers. And the abalone rosette is a nice cosmetic touch.The tuning machines turn smoothly and it does hold a tune very well.And for those who object to Chinese-made guitars, this was made in Indonesia.David

Generally, it is a great guitar. Many of you would expect a low volume for a mahogany top, back and side guitar. However, it's dreadnought style compensates for this and thus you will have a warm mellow toned guitar whilst still having plenty of volume. The guitar looks a lot better in real life than on the photos you may see on the internet. Contrary to the CD60S spruce top (built in Indonesia), this guitar is manufactured in China. The tone difference between CD60S spruce top and this one is small as the spruce top also has mahogany back and sides. This guitar however is one with great overtones. Being a novice, it is a great starting guitar. My only complaint is that the nut and saddle are plastic. The nut, in particular, causes the guitar to be in need of tuning every 2 or 3 days. However, this disadvantage is very manageable and if you prefer, you can spend a tiny bit of money to replace the nut with a bone nut at a guitar shop. If you webchat with a guitar center rep they might be able to give you a discount to cut the cost of this guitar to the price level of the cheapest possible for a major manufacturer's acoustic guitar.Dan the Beginner

. 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

Overall: So, I have owned this guitar for several months now. It is without a doubt a very good sounding guitar, it's up there with my Gibson's and Martins. Strumming or finger picking it just sounds amazing. I did not love the string spacing, so I replaced the nut with a bit wider spacing for my style of playing. The whole point about me taking the plunge on this guitar was that it was all solid woods, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and one of Yamahas absolute best acoustics available. I have no regrets buying this guitar at all. My friends are amazed at the beauty and sound of this very well-built guitar. The electronics do a good job plugged into the PA for playing live, and it will amaze you how good it sounds unplugged all by itself. I never thought I would buy anything but Martin or Gibson's…. this changed my mind completely. if you're thinking about one of these just buy one!! My honest opinion is the price will go up on these as the solid woods and craftsmanship are stunning.Michael

I’ve had my A3M for three years now. I still look at mahogany wood grain in awe. This guitar has a nice rounded tone that can compete with Taylor and Martin guitars made from mahogany. Plugged into an acoustic amp sounds even better. I notice the price point has increased $100 (not sure of due to inflation) which shows that it is a respected instrument. I spent months spinning around for a acoustic guitar and I was truly pleased with the Yamaha A3M. I think it can keep up with Martin and Taylor on stage as a reliable gig machine.bryan nuñez

First of all, this is a gorgeous guitar. It looks just great. It has a big, rich sound even moreso than other larger bodied guitars I've seen. The tuner works great. I love playing it. A few minor issues. First, I find the action high, & the bridge is not adjustable. 2nd, the complaints others have offered about the fret edges being VERY rough are entirely true: you can practically leave your hand bloody, I'm sure, if you play long enough, just from being roughed up by the fret edges. I'll try filing them down & refinishing them, as some have suggested. Finally, you'll want to get rid of the strings & go with a lighter gauge, partly to alleviate the high action issue. I'd get this guitar again. I think it is a $500 – $600 guitar lurking for only a little more than half that price. But before recommending it to a friend, I'd point out these couple issues.DET

Poor quality control! Neck is a mess with all of the fret ends protruding and sharp. One fret is noticeably higher causing all kinds of issues. Inside edge of the sound hole is poorly finished and some of the ribs look rough, like they weren't sanded smooth. This one's going back!Bill

I really liked this little guitar, BUT…I read the reviews and decided to buy in-store so I could play the guitar before buying, and I'm SO glad I did. I went into my local Guitar Center and played THREE of these Martin LX1E guitars, including one that had been specially unboxed so I could try it after two others failed my examination. All three guitars had a very pronounced buzz in the frets. It was not that noticeable when I played them acoustically, but the buzz was very noticeable when I plugged them in to an amp. I even tested the amp with other guitars, to make sure it wasn't the amp. It wasn't. Its a great little guitar, great tone and very playable, BUT my advice would be not to buy this one on-line. Play it first. Play up and down the whole fretboard, and plug it into an amplifier and play again. I have been playing for more than fifty years and have never experienced playing three brand new Martins that were simply not up to snuff. Weird!Tele Playr

The guitar itself can have five stars. Nothing wrong with it. The problem I have is that it is not the old LX1E lefty that Martin used to make and I used to own. It is advertised incorrectly here as containing the Fishman I-sys electronics that contained a volume, base/treble controls and a phasing button for feedback. It also no longer contains the tuner. This is basically the LX1 Little Martin with a Sonitone pickup under the bridge and tone/volume control in the sound hole, which I despise. I prefer the old version where the tuner and controls were on top side (as shown in the picture variety). This needs to be updated!!! I now have no tuner on this guitar when I fully expected one. I would recommend the Little Martin guitar but it needs to be advertised correctly.Jules

I bought this guitar for my son so he can have a smaller guitar to lug around in school. We were surprised when we received the product that the pickup that was installed is a Sonitone pickup instead of what's advertised – an Isys T preamp. The Isys preamp has a tuner, phase and tone control whereas the Sonitone is built into the sound hole and only has the volume and tone control. I brought this up with customer support saying I only wanted the product that I thought we were buying. I received excuses and a repeated offer to return the guitar. We chose to keep it because we need it and like the Martin sound. However MF does not stand up to what they advertise and could not provide a reasonable explanation why the product was switched. Even as I write this review, the description still says it has the Isys pickup. Good luck to future buyers and know that you are buying a different product.Pasigenyo

I got mine a few weeks ago and just started learning how to play. The sound of the guitar does sound great as is and I was able to get it in tune easily. The guitar itself is amazing quality. The wood finish looks beautiful and near perfect, not one imperfection that I can see. The spruce top looks great too. The edges are finished in black accents to match the bridge pins giving it a nice touch. The neck is perfectly straight and the frets are smooth on the edges as I move my hand into different positions up and down the neck. The quality of wood appears to be nice as well. It seems to stay in tune reasonably well since I don't have any other guitar to compare it to. Recently it survived the 7.8 earthquake in Ecuador and is now my lucky guitar. I am very happy with the purchase and look forward to many years of use.sa_ecuador

I am rating this product two stars simply because of the accessories that comes with the guitar. 1st I would have liked a bit more instruction on how to use the tuner. It would have been helpful to know where to put it on the guitar. The book that comes with it does not offer any information about how to actually use the tuner. (I now know that it goes on the head of the guitar thanks to YouTube.) 2nd I'm not a fan of how the Guitar for Dummies is written (personal preference) and 3rd the guitar case is way cheap. The zipper broke after only 3 days. I would suggest that if you planned on carrying your guitar around, like for instance back and forth to lessons, that you order another carrying case because this one is unreliable. Now about the guitar itself, I really like it. I am new to playing the guitar and I wanted an inexpensive guitar to start off with just in case I lay it down to never pick it up again. I would only recommend this product to a friend for the guitar itself. Accessories that came with it totally sucks. Oh and by the way it also came with an allen wrench that I don't have the slightest clue what I'm supposed to do with it. Oh I forgot to mention that I broke a string on the first day but I believe that was due to the lack of instructions that came with the tuner. News flash you are selling this bundle based off the For Dummies series; so why assume that the people who are buying this bundle knows how to tune a guitar.Alekskya

The guitar is not setup. I am new with zero experience in guitars. When i went to misic class, my teacher said that it needed a setup as tunes are not coming up correctly. Cost to do the setup and correction is more than the price of the guitar. Unfortunately i joined music class after the return dates had passed, so unable to return now.Kartik

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

Overall: I purchased this guitar in February and it arrived unplayable. I was unable to review for this reason. Due to living in a remote location and being disabled it was to dificult to exchange, however, zZounds was very prompt at trying to help me return it. Unfortunately my caregiver had to throw away all the packaging. So my fault I couldn't return. I have purchased many ibanez guitars and this was the first time I had a problem. However, it's pretty obvious ibanez knew about this when sending the guitar to zZounds. So a little disappointed. So I'm unable to try this guitar, however, zZounds was very prompt and the customer service was great. I just can't return it and that's my fault. I would still recommend this guitar and zZounds.Kenneth

Looked good online but like someone else said it's like a toy I should have listened. I was told since I didn't like it I would have to pay return shipping and ups quoted me eighty five so I called guitar center and they said I could return it there. I did and they were very nice and it went back on my cardDavy E

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