Steel String Acoustic Guitar for Beginners

If your ready for a bargain on a steel string acoustic guitar then check some of these steel string acoustic guitar for Beginners. They are some of the finest guitars for the price and quality. Whether your looking for a beginner starter guitar or you have developed your chops. You should be able to find what your looking for here.

What are the recommended Steel String Acoustic Guitar for Beginners?

Steel String Acoustic Guitar for Beginners:

  1. Jasmine Guitar
  2. Parlor Guitars
  3. Yamaha Gig Maker
  4. Taylor GS Mini
  5. Big Baby Taylor Guitar
  6. Martin LX1E
  7. Martin X Series
  8. Washburn Harvest Series Cutaway

Keep reading If your ready to find out why these guitars are recommended. And what to look for when buying your guitar.

Which Guitar is Best for Beginners

Steel string acoustic guitar is a modern day guitar. Source What you should look at when buying an acoustic guitar for a beginner guitar player is the size. Now some guitars are full size dreadnought guitars and then there are 3/4 size guitars. The 3/4 size is good if you are smaller or have short arms. And great for kids. Then you have the Parlor size. Parlor guitars are good for kids or adults. These acoustic guitars have been used for 100 of years for playing the blues.

C.F. Martin Designed the first dreadnought guitar body style. This style is very popular because it gives a Big Sound when you play it. This body style can be found in the Jasmine S35 guitar. It is a great guitar and one that is cheap, but a good quality guitar. When I say cheap I mean in price.

I have this steel string acoustic guitar, the Jasmine S35, and did a review on it. For the price that I paid for it. It sounds Great. It has a thin rosewood neck, with a truss rod running through the neck. Good for any adjustments that need to be made down the road. Chrome tuners and a Natural finish. You won’t believe the low price! Check the budget price of the Jasmine S35 guitar. on Amazon.

Here is another cheap steal string guitar. Yamaha GigMaker acoustic guitar. Which is a good quality acoustic guitar. The Yamaha guitar comes as a package. What is included is a Gig bag, strap ,instructional DVD, Tuner, Strings, and picks. This guitar has a natural finish also. And when you get this guitar, you start with everything you need right out the gate. This acoustic guitar package has it all.

Yamaha GigMaker Acoustic Guitar Package

Buy the budget priced Yamaha GigMaker on Amazon Now

Taylor GS Mini One of the Best Acoustic Guitars 

Taylor makes one of the best 3/4 size guitars around. If you want to have a guitar for on the go the Baby Taylor GS Mini is the best in class. With it’s scaled down body, but with one strum it packs a punch. This guitar has clear tones and Big sound, like what you would find in a full size guitar.

3/4 Taylor GS Mini steel string acoustic gutiar
GS Mini Acoustic Guitar by Taylor

What makes this guitar so great is three things. One the sound and second the portability, to take where ever you go. Lastly the price is exceptional for the quality. The Reviews on the Taylor GS Mini says it all!(Link Taylor GS Mini guitar Amazon).

Then there is the Big Sister of the Baby Taylor Mini. If you want to get that great sound but in a full size guitar. Check out the Big Baby Taylor.


Related Article: How to Play Bell Bottom Blues.

Big Baby Taylor Acoustic Steel String Guitar

Taylor has been a driving force in the music industry, And here is another reason why. Taylor BBT steel string acoustic guitar is a full size Dreadnought steel string guitar. Great for beginners or any acoustic guitar player. And this steel string guitar has electronics so you can plug it into your favorite amp.

Big Baby Taylor

The Tops and sides of the Taylor BBT Guitar is Solid Stika, which is layered wood to make a more resilient guitar. Also the neck is a African ebony wood. A 25.5″ size scale makes this guitar great for travel. See the reviews of the Big Baby Taylor on Amazon.

Sharon’s Guitar Academy

Discover a step by step proven process so that you can play guitar like your favorite guitarist

Which Guitar to Buy as a Beginner

You could buy an electric guitar, but with an acoustic guitar you never have to worry about an Amp. That is one con with an electric guitar. To get a halfway descent guitar your looking at $200.00 dollars and then a guitar amp is $99.00 and can go up from there.

Another Pro for the acoustic guitar is the portability. It is much easier to take to the camp ground, on the airplane, or if your on stage. No matter where you need to take an acoustic guitar, its much easier than with the electric guitar for obvious reasons.

In Need of a TSA Approved Guitar Case? Get the FAQ


Related Article: Are Guitars Allowed on Airplanes.

Play – Ability Matters

Play-ability is another good reason a beginner guitar player should choose an acoustic. Here is why, as a beginner your hands are not used to playing. And your hands won’t be as strong. Like someone who has been playing a while.

With an acoustic guitar your hands will get stronger quickerBecause your hands will get used to pressing down on the strings. They will become more nimble faster. So long story short an acoustic guitar for a beginner would be a better choice.


Related Article: 10 Things Every Beginner Guitar Player Needs to Know.

A Great Acoustic Guitar for Beginners 

I was checking out guitars to find a good acoustic guitar that I would do a review on it. This guitar had to be at a bargain price, great quality and sound great. What I found was the Jasmine guitar. Now you can get even a better bargain. The Jasmine guitar package. This package comes with: Replacement strings, Tuner, Guitar picks, Strap, Instructional DVD & book. Plus a polishing cloth. This is a great package price to an already great priced guitar(Link to Amazon).

Picture from Amazon

This is a great package price to an already great priced guitar(Link to Amazon).


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I decided to do a review on a good beginner guitar. So to start with I investigated what other guitarists were saying about different starter guitars. When I came across the Jasmine S35 Dreadnought Guitar. I read the reviews and found that for the most part people were pleased with almost every aspect of this guitar.

So to be able to do a review on  it I would need to have one in my possession. Hence I bought one, This was a shock right off the bat. The price is quite shocking for what you get. I waited and finally the goods came in.

First thing out of the box I couldn’t believe how nice it looked with the Satin finish and Rosewood neck. I proceeded to play it, and tried various different styles. From just using my fingers like with a blues tune. To picking and Grinning, and finally heavy strumming.

The guitar has a rich Tone, and a Big sound that you would expect to hear from a dreadnought guitar. I found that this guitar has a thin neck which makes it easy to play.

This guitar has a truss rod going through the neck for any relief adjustments that might be needed. But right out of the box the intonation was spot on.

That’s the Pro’s and Here’s The Con’s of the Jasmine S35

After I got done with this review I decided that this guitar is a great beginner guitar, and a great kick around guitar for someone who doesn’t want to take there expensive guitar with them.

Like me I kept my Jasmine S35, and take it camping. If I ding it I won’t get to distressed because it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to start with.

I’m trying to think of any negatives about this guitar. The only one I can come up with is some of the reviews said the strings on the guitar that they bought were bad and needed to be replaced. If you need strings read this first,  make sure your getting the right ones.

Although this was not my experience with my Jasmine S35 I thought you would want to know all the details. I recommend the Jasmine S35 see the reviews and budget price on Amazon.


Related Article: Are Jasmine Guitars Good Quality? Compared to Martin Guitars.

How Much Should I pay for a Beginner Guitar 

Guitars in general all have different price ranges. If you buy a guitar online you can usually get free shipping, and on some guitars like the Baby Taylor GS Mini when you buy online with Amazon they have a special offer to reduce the price when you are approved for the Amazon visa card.

Generally good acoustic guitars for sale are in the range of $100-199.00. Then they go from $200-$350, Then $399.00-599.00, $799.00- $1200, $1500 on up. Anyways you get it. You should buy a guitar in your price range. That is the best steel string acoustic guitar for you. There are some good acoustic guitars in all price ranges. Even in the cheap acoustic guitar price range.

Martin Guitar on Amazon

CF Martin Guitars is a good choice when it comes to acoustic guitars. Martin Guitars have been around since 1833.  A more affordable Martin guitar is the LX1E. It has Fishman electronics and is Solid Stika Spruce.

This steel string acoustic guitar is worth every penny. I have a Martin X Series model guitar that can be seen in some of the videos in the Guitar Essentials Blog. It has the Fishman electronics and the guitar plays great, sounds great and would make a fine addition. Take a look at the Bargain price of the Martin LX1E on Amazon.


Martin X Series DX1AE 

DX1AE

Acoustic electric guitar, the Martin X Series DX1AE like the one in the Guitar Essentials BlogMartin makes a good steel string acoustic guitar that is affordable and fun to play. This guitar as aforementioned plays great, has a nice Big sound, with a dreadnought body made of Stika Spruce. This guitar is an acoustic electric and has Fishman Electronics.

YourGuitarGuide gives it two thumbs up. Don’t just take my word for it see what guitarists are saying on Amazon about the Martin X Series.

I like this guitar it sounds great and is easy to play. There are fret markers on this guitar. Like most guitars they are on the side. The only thing that I could say about what would make this even better; Is to have the markers on the front of the fretboard also. But if you have to have a guitar with the markers on the fingerboard. Martin has you covered with the Martin 000.(Link to Amazon).


Related Article: Acoustic Guitar Lessons Online for Beginners.

Which Brand of Acoustic Guitar is the Best?

Here is a list of 7 name brand steel string acoustic guitars that are the best based on quality and Affordability. You can get all the specs on the specific guitars on Amazon by clicking on the link for the brand of guitar.

Gibson J15 Acoustic Electric guitar Stika Spruce  top with a Natural finish.

A name brand Gibson was founded in 1902 by Orville Gibson. In Kalamazoo Michigan They have since been bought and sold by CMI and owned by the Norlin Corporation. Gibson sells some of the most iconic guitars and some of which are highly collectible. In 1986 Gibson was acquired by its chief executive officers.


Related Article: Acoustic Guitar Lessons Online for Beginners.

Fender Music Instruments Corporation

The Fender T bucket 400  The Fender is an acoustic electric guitar with a cutaway & Natural top.

(FMIC) official name is Fender Music Instruments Corporation. Known around the world as Fender. An American manufacturer of stringed instruments and Amplifiers. Fender was founded by Clarence Leonidas, AKA “Leo” Fender in 1946. Fender is the most widely recognized guitar in the world.

Ibanez Guitars – Okoume Wood & Rosewood Fingerboard

Ibanez Exotic Wood AW54CEOPN An Acoustic Electric guitar with a cutaway body and Natural finish. One Word Beautiful!


Related Article: Best Electric Guitar Amp for Beginners (Review).

Martin Guitars – C.F. Martin & Co 

DX1AE Martin Acoustic electric guitar with Fishman electronics.

If you ever get change go to the Martin Manufacturing company and museum in Nazareth Pennsylvanian. I promise you won’t regret it. For over 180 years C. F. Martin Company has been making guitars. Martin Guitars were the first to make the Dreadnought body of guitar. Since 1970 Martin started making there own guitar strings.

Related Article: 11 Easy Songs on Guitar.

One of the Best Washburn Guitars 

Washburn Harvest series cutaway acoustic electric guitar with Sunburst finish.

Washburn began with a partnership between two men, George Washburn Lyon & Patrick Healy. Since 1943 Washburn has been building stringed instruments. Washburn has been building high quality instruments since before the Civil War.

Related Article: Best Washburn Parlor Guitar Series.

Yamaha Guitars – Yamaha Corporation

Yamaha L Series  Yamaha guitars, a great choice of dreadnought acoustic electric guitar.

As Seen on Amazon

In 1897 Yamaha Corporation was established, and is a Japanese conglomerate with a variety of products Musical instruments, electronics, sports equipment and they used to have Yamaha motor cycles. Since 1955 Yamaha motors went on there own.


More Guitars and gear can be found in our Recommend Gear Page here.

Takamine Guitars History timeline

Takamine GN51-BSB Steel string acoustic guitar with sunburst finish.

One of the worlds premier acoustic guitar manufactures that began in 1959 building guitars. A  small family operated guitar shop, located at the foothills of of Mount Takamine in Japan. In 1968 Takamine was the leader in building Classical guitars. In 2012 Takamine celebraes 50 years of accomplishments.

Take a look at the reviews on the Takamine Guitar 

Thanks for visiting! If you enjoy Videos and Posts here in the Guitar Essential Blog. You may also want to learn some guitar check out the courses offered here.

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