Under $400, you can finally stop shopping by price and start shopping by sound. The choice opens up to body shape, tonewoods, finish, and the kind of voice you actually want from a guitar.
One spec matters more than the rest: a solid top. A solid spruce top vibrates more freely than laminate and gives you a fuller voice that warms up as the guitar ages.
That one feature separates a guitar you’ll outgrow from one you keep, and the Yamaha FG800 is the dreadnought most players measure this range against.
We weighed each pick on tonewoods, out-of-the-box playability, build, and value, across dreadnought, concert, and parlor shapes. The chart below sets all ten side by side so you can compare them fast.
Quick Comparison Chart
| # | Product | Our Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Yamaha FG800 | ★★★★★ | Check Price |
| 2 |  |
Fender CC-60S Concert Acoustic Pack | ★★★★★ | Check Price |
| 3 |  |
Guild M-240E Acoustic-Electric | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
| 4 |  |
Takamine GN30-BLK | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
| 5 |  |
Fender CD-60SCE Acoustic-Electric | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
| 6 |  |
Ibanez Artwood AW50JR | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
| 7 |  |
Breedlove 6 String Acoustic (DSCO01SSMA) | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
| 8 |  |
Luna SONGPAR Heartsong Parlor | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
| 9 |  |
Washburn Festival Series EA20 | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
| 10 |  |
Epiphone PR-150 | ★★★★☆ | Check Price |
Concert Comfort Meets Dreadnought Power
The Fender CC-60S pack and the parlor-size Luna Heartsong cover players who find dreadnoughts bulky, while the Yamaha FG800 and Takamine GN30 hold down the full-size end.
The Guild M-240E’s arched mahogany back is the tonal curveball, adding projection without electronics, and the Ibanez AW50JR sneaks in a forearm contour you’d expect on an electric.
1. Yamaha FG800
Yamaha FG800
Solid Sitka spruce top with nato back and sides and a scalloped-braced dreadnought body for a fuller tone.
Pros
- Solid spruce top is rare at this price
- Full, warm dreadnought projection
- Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
- Adjustable truss rod for setup
Cons
- Factory string action runs a touch high
- Slightly heavy for a budget guitar
The FG800’s headline feature is its solid Sitka spruce top, something usually reserved for guitars at a higher price point. Compared with standard laminates, that solid wood produces a fuller, warmer sound, and a scalloped bracing pattern strengthens the top while pushing projection and bass frequencies further.
The nato back and sides, rosewood fingerboard, and rosewood bridge round out a classic, no-nonsense dreadnought.
Like most budget guitars, the FG800 ships with slightly high string action, so a professional setup is wise and a fresh set of strings helps it sing. An adjustable truss rod makes that dialing-in straightforward.
For tone-per-dollar, this remains the one to beat.
2. Fender CC-60S Concert Acoustic Pack
Fender CC-60S Concert Acoustic Pack
Concert-body acoustic with a solid spruce top, scalloped X-bracing, and a beginner-friendly accessory pack.
Pros
- Solid spruce top with scalloped bracing underneath
- Smaller concert body suits most players
- Easy-to-play neck with rolled edges
- Ships with gig bag and accessories
Cons
- Neck profile feels a little thick
- Included strings are worth upgrading
The CC-60S shines when strummed or fingerpicked, and its smaller concert body makes it comfortable for almost anyone to hold. A solid spruce top with scalloped X-bracing, mahogany back and sides, and an easy-to-play neck with rolled fingerboard edges deliver sound that punches above its entry-level billing.
It’s balanced and vivid enough to keep a beginner motivated.
This V2 pack version sweetens the deal with a gig bag and starter accessories, so you’re ready to play out of the box. The neck runs a touch thick for some hands, and the factory strings are worth swapping, but as a first solid-top acoustic it’s hard to fault.
3. Guild M-240E Acoustic-Electric
Guild M-240E Acoustic-Electric
Small-body acoustic-electric with a solid Sitka spruce top over an arched mahogany back for balanced overtones.
Pros
- Solid spruce top with arched mahogany back
- Compact size suits fingerstyle and travel
- Well-balanced voice with plenty of overtones
- Plugs in for stage or practice
Cons
- Could use more output when plugged in
- Small body limits low-end power
The M-240E is a small-body addition to Guild’s archback line and an homage to the F-20 that became a folk-era favorite in the 1960s. It pairs a solid Sitka spruce top with an arched mahogany back, a classic combination that yields a well-balanced voice with plenty of overtones.
The reduced size makes it ideal for fingerstyle, light strumming, smaller players, or anyone after a great-sounding travel guitar.
Onboard electronics let you plug straight into an amp, though it could use a little more output when amplified and the compact body naturally trades away some low-end power. For a balanced, characterful small-body acoustic-electric, it’s an easy guitar to love.
4. Takamine GN30-BLK
Takamine GN30-BLK
NEX-body acoustic with a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a split-saddle bridge for sweet intonation.
Pros
- Solid spruce over mahogany for warm tone
- Slim neck and 12-inch radius play easily
- Split saddle improves chord intonation
- Elegant black gloss finish
Cons
- Occasional finish quality-control nitpicks
- Purely acoustic, with no pickup
Finished in an elegant black gloss, the GN30 is the standard NEX-body member of Takamine’s G30 lineup and an ideal companion for intimate singer-songwriter settings. Its solid spruce top sits over mahogany back and sides for a warm, balanced tone that suits a wide range of styles.
A slim mahogany neck and 12-inch-radius rosewood fingerboard make it genuinely easy to play.
The pin-less rosewood bridge uses a split-saddle design that sharpens intonation for sweeter chords and cleaner single-note runs, and a synthetic bone nut and saddle help it stay in tune. It’s a purely acoustic instrument with no pickup, and occasional finish nitpicks aside, it punches well above its price.
5. Fender CD-60SCE Acoustic-Electric
Fender CD-60SCE Acoustic-Electric
Cutaway dreadnought acoustic-electric with a solid spruce top and Fishman electronics for amplified play.
Pros
- Scalloped bracing under a solid spruce top
- Fishman pickup and preamp for gigs
- Cutaway eases reach to higher frets
- Rolled fingerboard edges feel comfortable
Cons
- Strap buttons feel a little cheap
- Big dreadnought body suits seated play less
The CD-60SCE is a cutaway dreadnought acoustic-electric built around a solid spruce top with scalloped X-bracing, backed by mahogany sides for added warmth and balance. The Venetian cutaway supports easier reach to the higher frets, which makes it a friendly platform for lead playing and more advanced techniques as you grow.
A Fishman Classic Design pickup and preamp handle amplified duties for stage, studio, or practice, and the easy-to-play neck with rolled fingerboard edges keeps long sessions comfortable. The strap buttons feel a little cheap, and the full dreadnought body is less ideal for seated play, but the plugged-in versatility is excellent here.
6. Ibanez Artwood AW50JR
Ibanez Artwood AW50JR
Scaled-down dreadnought with a solid okoume top and forearm contour for comfortable, beginner-friendly playing.
Pros
- Compact body is great for travel
- Forearm contour adds seated comfort
- Satin neck moves fast and easy
- Includes a gig bag
Cons
- Lacks the depth of larger dreadnoughts
- Okoume top is less traditional than spruce
The Artwood AW50JR is a scaled-down take on the popular dreadnought, which makes it a wonderful starter guitar, especially for younger players, as well as a comfortable choice for experienced hands who prefer something smaller. A well-placed forearm contour adds extra seated comfort, while the solid okoume top with okoume back and sides produces a full, robust sound for the size.
The satin neck lets you move up and down quickly and accurately, and the open-pore finish lends a more classic feel while letting the tonewoods breathe. It lacks the depth of a full-size dreadnought and the okoume top is less traditional than spruce, but as a travel guitar with a gig bag included, it delivers.
7. Breedlove 6 String Acoustic (DSCO01SSMA)
Breedlove 6 String Acoustic (DSCO01SSMA)
Beginner-friendly dreadnought with a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany body, and a slim, easy-playing neck.
Pros
- Solid spruce top over mahogany body
- Thin neck and narrow nut play easily
- Loud, textured big-body sound
- Comes with a standard gig bag
Cons
- Body finish can chip with rough handling
- Entry-level Discovery-series appointments
With its beginner-friendly design, the DSCO01SSMA is an ideal introduction to playing. A thinner neck profile, radiused ovangkol fretboard, and narrow nut width make it ultra-easy to fret, and it was voiced to push the big-body dreadnought sound toward more tonal complexity and a louder, more textured response.
The solid Sitka spruce top delivers a strong fundamental for everything from light fingerpicking to heavy strumming.
Mahogany back and sides add the warm midrange and even string-to-string balance that define American roots tone. The body finish can chip with rough handling, and the appointments are entry-level Discovery-series, but it’s a lot of guitar for the money and ships with a standard gig bag.
8. Luna SONGPAR Heartsong Parlor
Luna SONGPAR Heartsong Parlor
Parlor-size folk acoustic with a select spruce top, mahogany body, and a comfortable, travel-friendly shape.
Pros
- Compact parlor size is easy to hold
- Light and genuinely portable
- Comfortable, almost classical feel
- Spruce top keeps tone clear
Cons
- Smaller body limits tonal range
- Less low-end than a dreadnought
The Heartsong Parlor is a compact, folk-bodied acoustic with a select spruce top, mahogany neck, back, and sides, and a rosewood fretboard. Its small size makes it genuinely easy to hold, whether you’re traveling, relaxing on the couch, or just want something light that invites you to pick it up more often.
The almost classical feel and clear spruce-topped tone suit players at any level. The trade-off for that parlor footprint is a narrower tonal range and less low-end than a dreadnought, so it works best as a comfortable companion guitar rather than your only one.
9. Washburn Festival Series EA20
Washburn Festival Series EA20
Cutaway acoustic-electric with a flame maple veneer, scalloped spruce bracing, and bone nut and saddle.
Pros
- Crystalline highs with a full low end
- Bone nut and saddle aid tone and tuning
- Striking flame maple veneer and rosette
- Onboard preamp for plugging in
Cons
- Some string and fret buzz early on
- Frets may not be perfectly level
The EA20 is the top model in Washburn’s long-running Festival series, a single-cutaway acoustic-electric finished with a flame maple veneer, an exclusive wood rosette, and quarter-inch scalloped Sitka spruce bracing. A bone nut and saddle and a double-action truss rod show real attention to the details that affect tone and tuning stability.
Its crystalline highs blend nicely with a well-rounded, full low end.
The onboard preamp makes it gig-ready, and the looks genuinely stand out at this price. It can show some string and fret buzz in the first few weeks, and the frets aren’t always perfectly level, so budget for a setup if you want it playing its best.
10. Epiphone PR-150
Epiphone PR-150
Affordable dreadnought with a mahogany body and select spruce top in a classic vintage sunburst finish.
Pros
- One of the cheapest picks here
- Mahogany body adds warmth
- Durable and very low maintenance
- Classic vintage sunburst looks
Cons
- Laminate body limits resonance
- Wider neck is tough for small hands
The PR-150 is a classic, affordable dreadnought that pays homage to the traditional mahogany-and-spruce recipe, making it a sensible pick for players chasing that vintage tone on a tight budget. It pairs a mahogany body with a select spruce top in a handsome vintage sunburst finish, and it’s one of the most wallet-friendly options on this list.
It’s also extremely durable and low maintenance, which makes it a forgiving first guitar for anyone still learning how to care for an instrument. The laminate body limits resonance compared with our solid-top picks, and the wider neck can be a stretch for small hands, but for the price it’s a dependable starter.
Final Thoughts
The Yamaha FG800 is our top pick, and it isn’t particularly close. A solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped bracing at this price gives it a fuller, warmer voice than the laminate competition, and its reputation for lasting years of regular playing is well earned.
Give it a proper setup and fresh strings and it’ll outclass guitars costing considerably more.
If you want a smaller, more comfortable body, the Fender CC-60S concert pack is the friendliest first guitar here, and it arrives with the accessories you need to start playing immediately. Players who plan to plug in should look hard at the Guild M-240E or the Fender CD-60SCE, both of which back their solid tops with usable onboard electronics for the stage.
Above all, prioritize a solid top and good playability over flashy looks. A budget acoustic chosen on tone and feel rather than finish is the one you’ll keep reaching for, long after the beginner years are behind you.
