Country music is a very popular type of music across the globe. It has a unique sound and is often all about the song’s storytelling. But one of the most critical aspects of country music is the guitar. So for those looking for an excellent acoustic guitar for country music, it might seem like a daunting task.
This is because there is a wide range of options, and so in order to help out, we wanted to take a look at some of the best country music acoustic guitars available to individuals looking to find just the right fit for their music as well as their playing style.
Acoustic Guitar Reviews
Epiphone Songmaker DR-100
Epiphone is one of those guitar brands that are pretty synonymous with quality products. The first acoustic guitar for country music we look at is a dreadnought style that comes in multiple colors, including vintage sunburst.
Product Highlights
This guitar is crafted with a spruce top and mahogany body, back, and neck, which is embedded with a rosewood fretboard. Crafted with a 25.50 scale length and outfitted with seven strings, this model uses a dreadnought style design with many other beautiful features that make it perfect for almost any type of country music sound.
The Good
Everything about this guitar screams high quality when it comes to the design. The use of a slim taper, slim-profile neck, a sloped DoveWing headstock, and premium diecast tuners make this an aesthetically pleasing and high-performance guitar.
The body is constructed with a laminated spruce top and mahogany back, which allows for a crisp and consistent tone. Of course, you can’t say anything about this guitar without talking about the dreadnought shape, which gives it that very bright and projective sound needed for country music.
The Bad
A few issues need to be discussed before any final decision is made. The first is that the neck uses a plastic nut to keep the strings in place. This does tend to cause a buzz. Along with this, because it is not a solid tonewood construction, it reduces the tone’s complexity a bit.
Pros
- Designed with an aesthetically pleasing DoveWing headstock
- Crafted with a C shaped slim taper neck for a more comfortable playability
- The use of laminated spruce top and mahogany back gives a consistent and crisp tone
- Built with the classic dreadnought style shape for a bright and very projective sound
Cons
- Some have found that the plastic nut does not keep the strings in place, which can cause a buzz
- It does not use a solid wood, so it lacks a bit of complexity of tone
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Jasmine S35
The next guitar is a dreadnought-style guitar imbued with tons of excellent features that create a big, bold sound. It is crafted to be easy to play, no matter your experience level.
Product Highlights
The S-35 utilizes a spruce top and Jasmine proprietary advanced X bracing along with a NATO wood back and sides. Designed with a 25.5 scale length and a slim neck (and finished with a rosewood fretboard), this guitar is finished with a satin coating to help with resonance and sound quality. Along with this, the guitar is crafted with full-body binding and chrome tuners.
The Good
This model is a perfect choice for the value hunter and is a budget-friendly option. Crafted with high-quality materials for things like the bridge and fretboard, this unit is meant to be durable. The rosewood fretboard and a laminated NATO make for a loud and accurate sound that most country music guitarists are looking for. Along with that, the comfortability of the slim neck makes this a perfect option for beginners or those with smaller hands.
The Bad
Though this model utilizes high-quality materials, there tends to be some inconsistency when it comes to overall quality. Also, the overall sound quality because of the use of a laminated NATO is not as clear and crisp as some other options on the market today.
Pros
- Price versus value makes it a budget-friendly option
- High-quality materials, including a rosewood fretboard and bridge and x-bracing for the body, give it a durable build
- Utilizes laminated NATO and rosewood fretboard for a loud and accurate sound
- It uses a slim neck for a more comfortable play
Cons
- Some have found the quality inconsistent between models
- Issues with the overall sound quality not being as clear and crisp as other models
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Donner DAG-1B
The next guitar comes with a beginner starter kit that elevates its value beyond measure. With its simple design and values, this guitar from Donner is an excellent choice for just about any beginning country music guitarist.
Product Highlights
This guitar is crafted with a spruce top and laminated mahogany back and neck. The designers decided to use a Purpleheart fretboard and finished it off with phosphorus bronze and high carbon steel strings. The overall design is outfitted with a ton of other great features that help elevate its performance.
The Good
Due to the use of the spruce top in mahogany back and sides and the X bracing, this model is designed to give a clear radiating sound specifically needed when dealing with country music. That, coupled with the fact that it comes with a wealth of accessories, makes it a perfect option for beginning guitar players.
Also, the lightweight wood used in the design gives it portability, making it ideal for heading out to guitar classes or even small get-togethers. Even though it has a ton of high-quality features, the guitar itself is still relatively budget-friendly, making it an even better choice for most guitarists.
The Bad
There are a wealth of beautiful features attached to the design of this guitar, but one of the ones that lack the most is the tuning system. Some find it pretty hard to keep tuned in because of its alloy metal sealed tuning peg style design. Along with that, several components, including the tuners, suffer from durability issues.
Pros
- Guitar offers a clear and radiating sound
- High-quality guitar for an affordable price
- It comes with a wealth of accessories perfect for a beginner guitar player
- Designed with lightweight woods for improved portability
Cons
- Some have found this guitar to be challenging to tune
- Issues with the durability of specific components
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Yamaha FS800
Many names are synonymous with high-quality musical instruments, and one of those just happens to be Yamaha. The next guitar on this list is the FS800, and it is a solid top acoustic guitar built with a small body.
Product Highlights
This guitar comes in two colors, natural and a fun red color. Crafted with spruce and mahogany as well as NATO wood, this guitar offers high-quality sound. The neck is finished with a rosewood fretboard that utilizes steel strings and a fixed guitar bridge system. Rounding out the whole design is a set of beautiful diecast tuners and an adjustable truss rod.
The Good
One of the best things about this guitar is that it is crafted with a solid spruce top. This is intended to give a better tonal quality, coupled with the combination of other woods, which gives the FS800 a punchy and crisp sound.
Even though this guitar is designed with a small body, it can still produce a breadth and quality of sound on par with larger models. All of that is amazing and wrapped up into an aesthetically pleasing guitar that will make any country music guitarist proud to show off their equipment.
The Bad
Though the steel strings are an excellent addition for some, they may be an issue for beginners. They are hard to use and tough on the fingers, so it might decrease some of the comfortability if they haven’t built up calluses. Also, those with larger hands or larger frames may find it difficult and less comfortable to play because of this small body.
Pros
- Crafted with a solid spruce top for an improved tonal quality
- A combination of materials and design gives the guitar a punchy and crisp sound
- Small body design doesn’t produce an excellent breadth and quality of sound
- Designed with premium-grade materials for an aesthetically pleasing look
Cons
- Utilizes steel strings which may be a problem for beginners
- Some have found that the overall size is just a little smaller than they would like
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Fender CD-60
Of all the guitar-making companies globally, the one with the best reputation and probably the most well-known is Fender. So it’s not surprising that a Fender model would find its way onto a list of the best acoustic guitars for country music.
Product Highlights
The CD-60 utilizes a classic design that is a tried and true shape which offers the guitarist a wealth of sound quality and abilities. Utilizing the dreadnought shape, it is crafted with a mahogany top, body, and neck and finished with a laminated mahogany back. The neck itself houses a walnut fretboard that utilizes steel strings and a hardtail bridge. Along with this, this guitar has a scalloped X bracing and rolled edges on the fretboard.
The Good
There is so much to love about this acoustic guitar from Fender, especially for those playing country music. Maybe the best thing, though, is the consistency of quality. This is due to Fender’s experience and use of high-quality materials. One never has to worry about the quality and durability of a Fender model. That, coupled with the C-shaped neck and rolled edge fretboards, gives the unit not only durability but comfortability when it comes to playing.
Along with these fantastic features, the guitar utilizes a NuBone saddle and nut that helps with the sustain of the guitar giving it a projection and tonal quality that sets it apart from others. On a non-performance note, this guitar comes in a wide range of finishes, making it more customizable than many other models.
The Bad
Just because it has all those great features doesn’t mean that this guitar is perfect. Some have found that there may be some warping of the neck after extended use. That, on top of the fact that the guitar utilizes a laminated wood instead of a solid wood, does play a part in the overall tonal quality of the model.
Pros
- Crafted with a C-shaped neck and rolled fretboard for enhanced comfort when playing
- The guitar comes in a wide range of finishes for better personalization
- Consistent quality in build from guitar to guitar
- Utilizes a NuBone saddle and nut to enhance the sustain of the guitar
Cons
- Extended use may cause some warping of the neck
- A laminated wood top won’t give the guitarist full of sound as a solid spruce top
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Buyer’s Guide
Though the models above are some of the best out there, one still has to understand how to choose between them. So in order to help (whether looking at the models above or other options on the market), we wanted to craft a buyer’s guide giving a few of the top aspects to consider when selecting a guitar for country music.
Here are the five things that one should consider when making their choice:
Type
This is one of the first considerations that need to be looked at when it comes to the best type of guitar for country music. Primarily because it has to do with the design and shape of the guitar. For instance, the first and most popular acoustic guitar for country is the dreadnought guitar.
These are guitars that are thicker in size and have a lot of bass with a rich acoustic sound. Another option would be a flat-top acoustic guitar. These guitars are thinner than the dreadnoughts and tend to have a higher pitch.
Playability
Another factor that comes into play when choosing an acoustic guitar for country is to think about the playability. We just mentioned the dreadnought-style guitar above. These tend to be larger, which gives them more weight, and that can be a problem for beginners unless the model they use is designed with a cutaway.
Another factor that plays into playability is the neck. Most country music players like to use a C-shaped neck. This makes it easier to play and allows them to pick and slide with ease. Typically this also gives a good mid-range tone sustain.
Action
Action can be a crucial factor too. Action is the distance between the strings and the fretboard. Ideally, the action when looking for an acoustic guitar for country music reduces the chance of dead notes and buzzing. This means the player wants a low action instead of a high action. A high-action guitar can be hard to play.
Comfort
No matter how experienced a guitar player is, they want to find one that is comfortable to use. When playing country music, one is going to be strumming and picking. This means looking for a guitar that can be held easily.
Factors that have to do with the comfortability of play are things like the action and the size of the guitar itself. Making sure that one finds an acoustic guitar that feels comfortable in the player’s hand and affords good action with the player’s fretboard hand is vital.
Quality
Looking at the quality of the guitar will also play a role in the price. Ideally, one wants to find a guitar that offers high quality and still matches the budget. Also, a quality factor is the tonewood used in the design. This will play a part in weight as well as tonal quality.
For instance, solid spruce tops tend to have clear and crisp tones, which may be precisely what the player is looking for. They will also be cheaper than, say, ones that are made with mahogany.
Of course, one can consider other features when determining which guitar would be best for their country music stylings. Things like budget, tonewoods, and size can all play a part in any guitarist’s final decision on where to invest their hard-earned money. These are just the ones we think play the biggest role in the decision-making process.
Acoustic Guitar FAQs
There is so much to know when it comes to acoustic guitars for country music or just acoustic guitars in general. So though there is a wealth of information above, we know that there are still plenty of other questions out there, so we scoured the internet and found some of the most commonly asked ones. We answer them below:
What guitar is best for country music?
This can be a question that is taken in many different ways. But the bottom line is that the best guitar is fashioned in either the dreadnought or jumbo style. Both of these types offer bright sounds that give a significant tone and excellent projection. They are designed to handle heavy strumming and not have any breakup.
Because of these qualities, many country musicians choose them as their go-to guitar. Every guitar brand will have some version of these, and so as long as the guitar player chooses one of these types, they should be on the right track to finding the best acoustic guitar for country music.
What is the best-sized guitar for beginners?
In truth, it really doesn’t matter what experience level the player is. It’s more about the size. If you are a smaller individual with smaller hands, you’ll want to go for a 38-inch guitar. These tend to have smaller and thinner fretboards, making it easier for the delicate hands to play them.
On top of that, they have shorter bodies and tend to be lighter and easier to transport. Also, these guitars have less space between the frets, so it’s much easier for a player with small hands to run the scale. However, if you are an average or larger player going with a 41-inch would be best.
How can I improve my guitar’s tone?
Tone is everything when looking at guitars. There are a couple of different ways that you can help enrich the tone. One of those is you can use heavier strings that are fatter. This will give a fatter tone to your sound.
Understanding the equipment used and the microphones that help project your sound can also help. Also, if you want a better sound, you could try using a different scale length.
Are dreadnought guitars good for country music?
There are many different types of guitars out there and amongst them is the dreadnought style. When looking for a guitar for country music, many ask if this is a good option.
The truth is that most country music musicians actually do opt for a dreadnought style guitar or a jumbo style, as we mentioned above. This is because of the tonal quality, ease of use, and the versatility of options for playability.
What guitar strings do country musicians use?
The answer really depends on the style of country music the musician is playing. But if they are someone that likes bending, pedal steel licks, and double stops, then utilizing a lighter gauge string is a better option.
In fact, some country musicians have actually put banjo strings on their guitars so that they could get a better sound. When talking about light gauge, this typically means a .009 – .042 or a .010 – .046 gauge.
Final Verdict
Any of the guitar models above will be perfect for a country music guitar player.
Of course, one has to choose according to their playing style and needs. This means utilizing the buyer’s guide that we put together above as well as taking into account your personal preferences. If you’re a beginner, this may be challenging, but we hope that by giving you the information above, we have helped you out just a bit.
There is something for everyone in the models we chose as the best acoustic guitars for country music. We hope that our in-depth look has helped streamline the decision-making process so that players can get to making some music.
