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Acoustic Guitar Price: What Do They Cost?

There is a vast price range into which acoustic guitars fall. For most guitarists shopping for an instrument, these tend to fall into three main categories:

Beginner and Student Acoustic Guitar Prices

Those who are still fairly new to the guitar should expect to pay between just over $100 and $500 for their instrument, depending on the brand name, the quality of materials and workmanship, and the included accessories.

Even at the lower end of that range, guitars should include quality woods like spruce and rosewood. They should be cleanly made to be comfortable to play and have a pleasing appearance. It’s also possible to upgrade components of the guitar such as the nut, saddle, and tuning pegs.

Finer woods, more intricate decorative touches like multi-layer binding, and higher level tuning gears will start to appear in guitars priced at $300 to $500. Some guitars at this price point even include onboard electronics.

Acoustic Guitar Packages
Especially for beginners, an acoustic guitar package can be a wise investment. Packages often include picks, a case or gig bag, straps, strings, and even a tuner. Thus, the player is completely equipped to learn the guitar without having to determine what else they might need.

Mid-Level Guitar Price Range

Moving into the $500 - $1,500 range, the changes are more subtle, but are important as a player develops their technique. Careful attention is paid to wood selection and more hand work goes into the construction of the guitar.

Onboard electronics are readily available in this price range and may offer additional components as equalizers, blended pickup systems, and even built-in effects.

One feature particularly useful to guitar players as their skills increase is a cutaway body shape. This provides easier access to higher frets on the guitar. While beginners tend to concentrate their efforts closer to the headstock of the guitar, more skilled players use the entire fretboard.

Upper End Acoustic Guitars and Collectors’ Items

Above those price points, one finds artisan-made guitars where the woods are carefully selected, aged, cured, and worked by hand. The difference in the sound is subtle, but noticeable to the accomplished player. The visual accoutrements become more sophisticated, limited only by the luthier’s skill and imagination.

Here is also where the vintage guitars are found. Acoustic guitars are often considered to present an improved sound as they age, so the instruments that are finely crafted and aged are highly prized by players.

Some of the most expensive acoustic guitars are owned, played, and/or signed by known artists. These can often sell at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Final Notes

Choosing the best acoustic guitar for any particular player is a matter of matching the appropriate price and quality to the player’s skill and drive. A reputable guitar shop should offer a variety of well-made guitars in a wide price range.

Additional Resources

Carriage House Violins

Located in Newton, Massachusetts, Carriage House Violins is the instrument sales division of Johnson String Instrument.

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Whether searching for a job, learning about the "Mozart Effect," looking for a summer music camp, or choosing the right instrument string, you need look no further.

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Johnson String Project

A charitable foundation whose goal is to provide high-quality instruments to children who live in under-served communities and who are participating in El-Sistema-inspired programs in Massachusetts.

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Helpful "how to" videos and useful information about JSI and the products and services we offer.

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