Finding the best acoustic guitar under $1,500 that feels good in your hands and sounds great isn’t easy. There are tons of acoustic guitar in the $1,500 price range, but not all of them match your playing style.
You need something that fits your tone. It’s incredible what the difference in wood type does to acoustic guitar tone. Harder woods like maple sound bright while softer woods like cedar and koa sound warm. Something else to think about is the body shape. Full-shaped dreadnought guitars don’t have cutaways to reach the higher frets, but they do have a louder sound. Whether you enjoy strumming or fingerstyle playing, we’ll help you find the right guitar.
Let’s review the top-rated acoustic guitars under $1500, so you can compare their features, tonewoods, and benefits and pick our your next guitar.
Compare the Top Acoustic Guitars Below $1,500
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Acoustic Guitars Below $1,500
- 1.1 Martin OMCPA4 Acoustic Guitar
- 1.2 Taylor 214ce DLX Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.3 Takamine EF341SC Pro Series Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.4 Martin D-15M Acoustic Guitar
- 1.5 Guild D-20 Acoustic Guitar
- 1.6 Yamaha L-Series Trans-Acoustic Guitar
- 1.7 Ovation Melissa Etheridge Signature Elite Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.8 Seagull Maritme SWS CW GT QIT Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.9 Blueridge BR-160 Acoustic Guitar
- 1.10 The Loar LH-700 Archtop Acoustic Guitar
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best $1,500 acoustic guitars that are made of real tonewoods, look excellent, and sound amazing.
- Martin OMCPA4
- Taylor 214ce DLX
- Takamine EF341SC
- Martin D-15M
- Guild D-20
- Yamaha L-Series
- Ovation Melissa Etheridge Signature
- Seagull Maritme SWS CW GT QIT
- Blueridge BR-160
- The Loar LH-700
Martin OMCPA4 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
As far as acoustic guitars go, few brands can compete with CF Martin’s reputation as a manufacturer of high-end guitars. Finding a Martin on this list is by no means an indication that it is an inferior quality product.
The OMCPA4 is one of the guitars in the brand’s Performing Artist Series, which focuses on acoustic-electric guitars that make performance on big stages a lot easier. It is a dreadnought body acoustic-electric guitar with Venetian cutaway.
It features an all-solid wood construction – a solid spruce top and sapele sides and back. To further reduce the production cost so as to make this guitar more affordable, Martin uses some synthetic materials. These include: white corian nut and saddle, fretboard and bridge made of black Richlite and binding made of black Boltaron.
This guitar uses a simplified Fishman electronics system, which includes a tuner and very basic controls.
This guitar offers a tone that is both warm and sweet and with its superb playability, owning and playing one is pure bliss.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It has a warm, sweet tone.
- Playability – It’s easy to play.
- Build – It is lovely and well-built.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Controls – The controls that come with the electronic section is sparse.
Bottom Line
This is a great choice for anyone who has always dreamed of owing a Martin but hasn’t been able to afford one. At this affordable price point, you get a lovely, well-built guitar with much of the Martin tone and quality.
Taylor 214ce DLX Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Taylor Guitars is one of the companies known for producing top quality acoustic, semi-hollow electric and acoustic-electric guitars in America. You can’t possibly list high-end guitars without including a couple of its products.
The 214ce DLX is an improved version of the standard 214ce. The two sport is the Taylor’s preferred Grand Auditorium body size with the expected narrow waste. The two also feature solid Sitka spruce top.
The back and sides are however different with the 214ce DLX featuring laminated rosewood instead of the original laminated koa.
The similarities continue with the neck, which is the same, featuring a sapele wood construction and an ebony fretboard.
Aside from the difference in the soundboard wood, the other major difference is the electronics. This guitar comes with the Expression System 2 electronics from Taylor.
A few other minor differences include the inlays on the fretboard, which are now small diamonds, the gloss finish and the rosette, which is, now single-ring.
All of these combine to deliver a visually pleasing instrument that is also comfortable to hold and play while also delivering a rich, warm tone.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – Rich, warm and balanced.
- Build – Well-made and visually pleasing.
- Case – Comes with a hardshell case.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Controls – Sparse and not well-defined.
Bottom Line
You can always expect great quality from Taylor and this is no different. For less than the cost you will pay for some guitars, you will get the same quality and value with this purchase.
Takamine EF341SC Pro Series Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
What Takamine Guitar stands for is the production of top end guitars at affordable costs. This is what it has done with the EF341SC from its Legacy Series.
The Legacy Series represents some of the iconic guitars that have made the brand proud over the years. These are now reinvented to give them a new lease of life.
The EF341SC is a dreadnought body acoustic-electric guitar with a single cutaway. The top is made of solid cedar while the sides and back are made of maple laminates. All of these are covered by a piano black finish and this contrasts nicely with the white binding and sound hole decorations.
The neck is made of mahogany with rosewood fretboards that hold 20 frets inlaid with small diamonds.
For the electronics, it comes with the Palathetic under-saddle pickup and CT-4B II preamp system, all from Takamine. These come with an in-built tuner and a controls system that includes a 3-band EQ and a volume slider.
This is a classy looking guitar that delivers a warm, rich tone that also projects nicely. Plugged in, you get that same natural sound.
Pros and Highlights
- Appearance – Has a simple, elegant look.
- Tone – Delivers a warm, rich and loud sound.
- Case – Includes a hard case.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cost – Expensive for some.
Bottom Line
Just in case you didn’t know, this was the guitar that Bruce Springsteen used for his concerts. You can therefore be sure that for this price, you are getting good value.
Martin D-15M Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
This is another product from Martin Guitars. While the first one we looked at was an acoustic-electric, this is a full acoustic guitar from the 15 Series. The 15 Series has some relation to the Style 15 models that the brand sold in the 1930s.
Today, this series represents some high quality, mid-range guitars offered by the brand of which the D-15 is one.
This is a flattop dreadnought body guitar with no cutaways. It’s made entirely of solid mahogany and finished with soft satin. This gives it a natural look.
Underneath the bookmatched top is an A-frame X bracing which provides a much needed support. The neck with its Indian rosewood fretboard with 20 frets is also made of mahogany and provides a smooth, easy play.
The other parts of this guitar include a Delmar faux tortoiseshell pickguard, a regular bone nut and saddle and open-geared nickel tuners with butterbean tuning pegs.
With an all mahogany construction, it’s no surprise that it delivers a rich, warm and mellow tone. Given its body shape, you can of course also expect a fully resonant tone.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – Rich, warm and mellow.
- Build – Well-made and beautiful.
- Playability – Comfortable and easy to play.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- This doesn’t have the D15-ce’s versatility.
Bottom Line
This is a lovely guitar –visually and sonically. It will fit right into learning most guitar playing styles: strumming, fingerstyle or flat-picking. If you play blues, then just get this guitar because it is perfect for that genre.
Guild D-20 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
The Guild Guitar Company has been known as manufacturers of quality handmade guitars for decades. Though the name now exists as a brand under the Cordoba Music group, its basic values still remain the same – building guitars that make playing a joy. One of the guitars from this brand is the D-20.
This is a dreadnought body acoustic guitar made of mahogany all-through. The top, sides and back are all made of solid mahogany while the neck, which is also made of mahogany features a rosewood fingerboard.
Underneath the solid mahogany top is a scalloped X bracing which provides support while also helping the soundboard to vibrate efficiently enough to produce its unique tone.
This all mahogany construction lends a warm tone to the powerful sound generated by the dreadnought guitar body. This is of course aside from the lovely look of the dark coloring of the wood plus the vintage sunburst design.
This is a beautiful guitar that is also very enjoyable and easy to play and also delivers a tone that makes it all worth it.
Pros and Highlights
- Playability – It is very playable.
- Construction – Lovely looking and well-built.
- Case – Includes a case with a humidifier.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Voicing – May not offer that traditional dreadnought voicing.
Bottom Line
The D-20 is a testament to the fact that even under a new company, the standards and the original Guild philosophy are still being maintained. This is a good quality instrument that anyone will be happy to own.
Yamaha L-Series Trans-Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Yamaha is a brand that has impacted the world of music greatly. One of the things it is known for is innovation. This much is pretty obvious in this guitar.
The Yamaha L-Series Transacoustic Guitar is an acoustic guitar with a technology built in to enhance your playing experience. It’s not just an acoustic-electric guitar but also one with the ability to affect how the guitar sounds in a space.
Everyone knows that the acoustic guitar is best enjoyed when played in a room with a lively response. The Transacoustic guitar recreates the sound of playing in a live room with a reverb and chorus effect. You do need to plug it into any amp to hear these effects as it uses the back of the guitar as a speaker. It’s a great tool for livening up your play.
The guitar itself is great with its solid Engelmann spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides and a 5-ply mahogany and rosewood neck with an ebony fingerboard.
Further adding to the guitar’s quality is the Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (A.R.E) treatment that the top received. This is Yamaha’s proprietary process that gives new wood the highly desirable aged wood tone.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – Has a rich tone.
- Electronics – Adds great tonal value.
- Playability – Very playable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Setup – May require some setup.
Bottom Line
This is a guitar that offers amazing tonal value. A combination of its natural tone plus the enhanced acoustic variations makes this a delight to play country music on.
Ovation Melissa Etheridge Signature Elite Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American singer and songwriter who rose to fame on the strength of the underground success of her 1988 self-titled album. Many successes later and a few Grammies to boot, she joined the rank of musicians to have received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Melissa Etheridge Signature Elite Acoustic-Electric Guitar was designed by the artist in conjunction with Ovation and Adamas’ research and development team.
This is a super shallow body guitar with a single cutaway. It has a solid spruce top with is mid-depth bowl back made of Lyrachord. The top is reinforced with an X bracing pattern, providing good support and resonance.
The neck is made of 5-Piece mahogany and maple and sports a satin finish. On the ebony fretboard, you have 20 fully accessible frets and four others that are accessible in a descending order, with the highest E string having access to all 24 frets.
The electronics section features Ovation’s OCP-1K Pickup and OP Pro preamp with an on-board tuner, 3-band EQ and more. These controls help you fine tune the tone of the guitar to taste. This also comes in a 12-string acoustic model.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Beautiful and well-made.
- Electronics – The featured electronics are of good quality.
- Case – Comes with a hardcase.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- The composite bowl back will not appeal to some.
Bottom Line
This Melissa Etheridge Signature guitar is a lovely guitar for anyone who wants something unique and different from the norm. This is not for a traditionalist.
Seagull Maritme SWS CW GT QIT Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Seagull Guitars is a Canadian company focused entirely on the manufacture of acoustic guitars. In its over three decades of guitar manufacturing, the brand has been focused maintaining a level of quality in its production. It also ensures that every timber used is responsibly sourced while it also works actively with various replanting programs. The brand is currently sold as a sub-brand of Godin Guitars.
This guitar is part of the brand’s Maritime Solid Wood Series (SWS). It features a solid spruce top that is pressure tested to ensure best performance and solid mahogany backs and sides that lend some warmth to the entire tone. The neck is also made of mahogany but sports a Richlite fretboard.
This guitar’s highly glossed top, the ebony bridge, lovely pickguard and rosette design all add to its allure.
Being an acoustic-electric guitar, it comes with some electronics. These include Godin’s custom QIT system that makes amplification simple and efficient and the in-built digital tuner with auto shut down which increases the guitars user friendliness.
This is a lovely guitar that offers a lovely tone plugged and unplugged.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It has a sound that is bold and clear.
- Playability – The cutaway and neck offer good playability.
- Appearance – It is well-made and lovely.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Case – Does not come with a gig bag.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a good quality guitar that is affordable but also has a great tone and personality, you should consider going for this.
Blueridge BR-160 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
The Blueridge BR-160 Acoustic Guitar offers good bang for the money. It is part of the brand’s Historic Series so it’s no surprise that it features a vintage dreadnought body design.
This guitar makes use of some of the well reputed tonewoods. For the top, it has a solid Sitka spruce tonewood and uses Indian rosewood for the sides and back. The neck on the other hand is made of mahogany but with rosewood for the fretboard.
Looking at the build of the guitar, the lovely pickguard and white top binding, you will immediately appreciate the careful craftsmanship that went into producing something of such quality.
Other little factors that contribute to making this guitar what it is include: a standard rosewood bridge, a bone compensated saddle, bone nut and open back nickel plated tuning machines (vintage style).
It however is not all about looks. The tone of this guitar takes you back in time with its vintage slur. Its tone is rich and warm and well projected by its dreadnought body.
If you love the vintage sound, feel and look, then you should get this acoustic guitar.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Great craftsmanship.
- Tone – Warm and sweet tone.
- Hardware – Good quality.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Setup – May require some setup to shine.
Bottom Line
If you love vintage guitars, then you will love this guitar. Its vintage theme is not only restricted to its looks. The same theme is obvious even in its tone, which is warm and very “vintagey”.
The Loar LH-700 Archtop Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Loar may not be a very popular guitar brand. However, it made this list because this product from the brand shows good promise and therefore merits a mention on this list.
This is a 24.75 inch scale length, archtop acoustic guitar. Its top is made of solid AAA-grade spruce that was carved and graduated by hand. The very obvious thing you will notice about this guitar is that instead of a sound hole, it sports two F shaped holes located on either sides of the bridge.
The sides and back of this guitar is made of solid AAA-grade flamed maple and to achieve that vintage look, the whole body is stained in a dark tobacco finish and then completed with hand-buffed nitrocellulose lacquer.
The single-piece, V-profile neck is made of maple with an ebony fretboard. On this fretboard are 19 frets, which are inlaid with mother-of-pearl dots.
For hardware, it uses 18:1 gear ratio Grover Sta-Tite open-geared tuning machines with butterbean style tuning pegs, a compensated adjustable ebony bridge, a floating tailpiece (trapeze-style) and a regular bone nut.
This is a well-made guitar that can deliver a warm and balanced tone that’s also loud.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – warm and balanced.
- Build – Well made.
- Case – Comes with an archtop case.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cost – Some may not think it’s worth the price.
Bottom Line
This is a nice guitar. Yes, it may not compare to some others but will appeal to players who especially love jazz of the 30s.
What We Recommend and Why
There are always a lot of things to consider when choosing a guitar, top of which is personal preference. Based on this, it is usually difficult to choose one guitar from a list as the “best”. However, since we have to choose, our choice for Top Acoustic Guitars Under $1500 from the list above is the Martin D-15M Acoustic Guitar. We feel that this guitar offers the best balance of total musical value and cost.