best acoustic guitars under 300

Best Acoustic Guitars Under $300 (£200)

Acoustic guitars, just like most instruments, come in many different styles and price ranges. You can literally sink a small fortune into a high quality guitar. The question is, what kind of quality and sound can you get for a reasonable amount of money? We are going to look at five acoustic guitars that are all under $300, and see what that kind of money buys you when it comes to these instruments. Guitars in this price range are something that a beginner/intermediate guitar player would find satisfactory their needs. 

Learn More Below
  • Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar
  • Fender CD-60CE Dreadnought Cutaway Electric Acoustic Guitar
  • Epiphone Hummingbird PRO Acoustic Electric Guitar
  • Oscar Schmidt OG2SM Acoustic Guitar
  • Fender FA-100 Limited Edition Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar

Yamaha FG730S is an old and proven model whose reputation guarantees a top notch quality and very refined sound. The FG730S is almost flawless, and is one of the best acoustic guitars you can pick up at this time on the market. As soon as you pick it up you will know that it is a great product. Nothing looks out of place and the sound is just amazing for a guitar of that price. If you are on the market for an acoustic guitar, you will have to think hard to figure out a reason not to buy this Yamaha. Some will argue that it's a Chinese made guitar, but that plays no significant role in its quality. 

Fender CD-60CE Dreadnought Cutaway Electric Acoustic Guitar

What Fender CD-60CE offers is the well known Fender versatility, packed in a basic acoustic guitar that over delivers in almost every single aspect. The build quality is exceptional and the sound, both amplified and acoustic is spectacular thanks to its mahogany build. The electronics are very good especially for this price range, and can easily be used in more serious applications. Aesthetically speaking, it's not an overly exciting guitar, but the performance you get far outweighs anything it lacks in appearance.

Epiphone Hummingbird PRO Acoustic Electric Guitar

Epiphone's Hummingbird PRO is a solid and well priced acoustic electric guitar that can satisfy even the more critical users. It's an iteration of a very well established family of models that has been present on both the Epiphone and Gibson side. It is well built and sports the latest electronics from Shadow that have proven to be on par with more expensive setups. Hummingbirds PRO is absolutely something to consider when looking for an acoustic guitar, whether you're a beginner or not. 

Oscar Schmidt OG2SM Acoustic Guitar

OG2SM is a great acoustic guitar from a somewhat less known manufacturer. Those who are not afraid to venture outside the bounds of well known brands, this guitar will definitely surprise with its sound and overall quality. It sports a somewhat unique texture, which definitely gives it an exotic look. OG2SM by Oscar Schmidt is an affordable solution that offers the performance which is on par with more expensive and refined guitars. The build quality is surprisingly good, and the guitar can hold a tuning for as long as you need it to. There is absolutely nothing about this guitar that makes it feel or look cheap.  

Fender FA-100 Limited Edition Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

An entry level acoustic guitar that is great for beginners. Its fairly well made considering its price and its intended use. Fender FA-100 Limited Edition Dreadnought offers an affordable way to learn to play guitar without compromising the sound quality. While it belongs to the budget category of acoustic guitars, FA-100 brings a sound that is better than you would expect from a guitar such as this one. Its a great first guitar, but not something you would want to have as your primary for long. 

best acoustic guitars under 300 dollars

What is the best guitar under $300?

Choosing a right acoustic guitar for you depends on your skill level and what you are looking for in a guitar. In the under $300 price range, there are numerous models that cover almost anything you could want in a guitar. We've chosen five which we think stand out. Choosing the best one from this selection will certainly do injustice to these acoustic guitars, but there are still some parameters we can use to determine which one of these is the best acoustic guitar for our selected price range. 

Design and quality

When it comes to design, the Oscar Schmidt OG2SM takes the lead with its exotic appearance and texture. We've included this model in our selection purely because it offers a very good quality product for not a lot of money. Best quality score goes to the Yamaha FG730S. It's a 40 years old family of models that has been tried and proven numerous times by now. The FG730S follows that tradition. Right behind it is the Fender CD-60CE. These two models are almost tied in all aspects. Next is the Epiphone Hummingbird PRO, while the Fender FA-100 takes the last place. 

Sound 

Fender CD-60CE and Yamaha FG730S offer a sound that is usually found in a lot more expensive guitars. Fender's mahogany build gives it a rich and warm sound that only mahogany can produce, something you rarely see in this price range. Epiphone Hummingbird PRO and the Oscar Schmidt OG2SM come next, while the Fender FA-100 takes the last place again. 

Value for the money

Speaking strictly in terms of value for the money, it's hard to make a clear choice as this largely depends on what you intend to use your guitar for. If you're looking for an inexpensive beginners guitar, the Fender FA-100 and Oscar Schmidt OG2SM are probably your best bet, but if you are in the market for a well rounded guitar that will satisfy a more defined set of requirements you might have as an experienced guitar player, the Epiphone, Yamaha and Fender CD-60CE are probably what you should be looking at especially since they are identically priced. 

Conclusion

In the end our choice for the best guitar for under $300 is the Yamaha FG730S. It was a close call between FG730S, the Fender CD-60CE and the Epiphone Hummingbird PRO, but the Yamaha just feels like the best choice overall even thought it's not amplified like the Fender and Epiphone we've just mentioned. The truth is that you can't really go wrong with any of these three guitars. They are almost as equally good while they each have something specific that they offer.