If you are trying to find a good acoustic electric guitar without spending a lot, the acoustic guitar under $500 is a real budget. You will have a good range to choose from Yamaha to the seagull that will leave you extremely confused.
There are a good number of guitars in this price range, and it can be tough to sort them out. This article will help you to find out which acoustic guitar is suitable for your budget and needs; I will offer recommendations, but after decades of playing I have a good idea of what you should get and what you should avoid.
Therefore, read on to find the five best acoustic guitars under $500.
Top 5 Acoustic Electric Guitar Comparison
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Top 5 Best Acoustic Electric Guitar Under 500
The Epiphone PR-5E acoustic-electric guitar has been a standard feature on stage and studios for years.
New the latest version, the PR-4E, comes with more advanced features.
It comes with a studio ten acoustic amp with a balanced line input that you can use to add microphones.
It has a mahogany body to add more style to this great guitar and a select spruce top, chrome hardware and mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard.
Its package includes a gig bag, cord, picks, strap and instructional DVD; this is all you need for a live performance.
The guitar features a cutaway To access the frets. Cutaways change the quality of the guitar. One cat way will allow fingers to move past the neck-body join.
The Epiphone PR-4E features a 10-watt amp that controls volume, gain, mid, treble, bass, and boost switch.
This guitar is excellent for beginners because it is cheap and has all the need you need to start. I also have what you need to play live.
- Pros
- Cons
- Features a mahogany body
- Has passive piezo pickups
- Made of mahogany
- It has a 10-watt amp that controls the volume, gain, mid, treble, bass, and boost switch.
- Ideal for beginners
The Fender CD-60CE dreadnought cutaway features a laminated mahogany top that includes a scalloped X-bracing. The bank and sides also laminated mahogany for visual appeal.
Fender has recently received upgrades with features that include a black pickguard, new bridge design, white bridge pin that has black dots and small dot fingerboard inlays.
Other new features include black body binding, 20 frets rosewood fingerboard, dual action truss rod, die cast tuners. Also, in North America, it comes with a hard shell case.
- Pros
- Cons
- It features a mahogany neck. Mahogany Neck with
- It has 20 Fret Rosewood Fingerboard
- It also has Rosewood Bridge with a Saddle
- It has an onboard AMP and tuner.
The Fender FA-100 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Bundle is the perfect guitar for beginner guitarists.
It features a dreadnought body style with an eye-catching sunburst finish and natural finish for extra flair.
It offers excellent fender sound a gives a smooth playing experience for the beginner. The guitar comes with a gig bag, picks, guitar straps, clip-on digital tune that keeps the guitar in tune, and an extra set of strings.
- Pros
- Cons
- It is perfect for beginner guitarists
- It features a dreadnought body style.
- It has a natural gloss finish
- It comes with a gig bag, picks, guitar straps, clip –digital tune.
The Fender factory special run CD-60E features a laminated spruce top with the back and sides mahogany laminated to give is some visual appeal.
It features a classic dreadnought cutaway design that gives it some sense of class.
To this up to feature a gloss polyutherene that has a red burst finish for added beauty.
This guitar has a 20 fret rosewood fingerboard that has small white dots inlay, and also rosewood bridge with a saddle, a white bridge, and end pins also having black dots.
It also features a fish man ISYS III system that has active onboard preamp and tuners for volume and tone controls.
- Pros
- Cons
- It is heavy for young or small people.
- Might not be appropriate for beginners
The Glen Burton GA204BCO-NT comes with a flame top with basswood back and sides.
It features a Catalpa Neck and bridge with the rosewood fingerboard. It also has a steel string for durability and vibrant tones or sounds.
It also features an active equalizer that controls the volume and tone. The pack includes strings, gig bag, picks, strap, truss rod and a 10-watt amplifier.
The Glen Burton is the perfect guitar for beginners and accomplished players and an affordable price. Made with high-quality materials like basswood, linden, rosewood, and catalpa.
- Pros
- Cons
- It is stage ready
- Made of high-quality materials.
- It has steel strings and sealed gear tuners.
- It also has an equalizer for volume and tone control.
How To Choose The Best Acoustic Electric Guitar Under 500
Buying an acoustic electric guitar under $500 is a difficult task if you have no idea what you are searching. There are astronomical numbers of these guitars each with different features, sizes and materials and each claim to create the best sound.
Finally, it is all about finding the most appropriate guitar for you. The good thing is that buying an acoustic guitar is more a personal preference. These are the points you have to consider when choosing the best acoustic electric guitar under $500
Play The Guitar In The Music Store
Play the guitars In the music store to find the tone that you find useful. Play ten different guitars and compare their sounds, decide whether you want deep, big sounds or you are interested in brighter notes. Play some few chords up and down the fretboard to get the responsiveness at different points and the ease of the game.
For experienced guitar player do not just by an expensive guitar ask friends for their guitars to find out which one you are comfortable playing.
Consider The Difference In Height Between The Frets And The Strings
On high-quality guitars, they should be close and on cheap guitars, the difference is high; therefore have to push harder to play a note.
Choose A Guitar That Fits Your Style
If your style is folk, country, pop music and folk, then you should consider traditional acoustic guitars. These are classic guitars that have big bodies and open sound hole.
If your style is playing with a band, then consider going for traditional with pick up. These have a panel with buttons and quarter inch jack for plugging the guitar into an AMP without interfering with the rich acoustic tone. They are highly versatile.
If your style is jazz and world music, then you should consider electric acoustics. Electric acoustic are great hybrid guitars, and you can test them through an amplifier.
Understand the difference between laminate and solid-topped guitars.
The wood on top of your guitar is the most important part of your guitar. There are many different types of wood used for making different guitars this will depend on the sound that you want.
Solid wood is one or two equal pieces of wood lined up with the grain inside the guitar. Solid wood produces a clearer, and richer sound than laminate topped guitar and more expensive.
The laminate-topped guitar is four to five pieces of thin wood pressed together. It produces a lower volume and tone, but if you want a cheap first class guitar, then this is the material on a guitar you want.
Check The Construction
Check whether the guitar is well built. Do this by checking whether the pegs are easy to turn. To check for poor construction look for excess glue marks or chips.
Make sure their pieces are securely fastened and do not wiggle or move. Check where the neck is roughly at the same level with the top of the guitar.
Consider The Size Of The Body
If you are playing alone at the concert, you might want to consider a bigger guitar like the dreadnought because you will be playing while seated. However, if you are in a band and you move a lot you should consider something slimmer.
Final Words
There are so many acoustic guitars under $500 and will leave May the new and veteran guitar player confused. All manufacturers claim that their guitars are the best which most of the time is miss leading.
The knowledge to know the best guitar will come a long way in assisting you to choose the best guitar that suits your style.
But if you do not want to go through all that trouble of researching the best acoustic guitar under $ 500 consider trying out the guitars discussed in this article and choose one that you feel comfortable playing.
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