Embarking on a journey to learn the guitar can be an exhilarating experience, but finding the right instrument to start with can be daunting, especially when considering budget constraints. Fortunately, there’s a myriad of affordable options available that offer excellent sound quality and playability, perfect for beginners eager to dive into the world of music. In this guide, we’ll explore the top five auditory guitars tailored specifically for beginners on a budget, ensuring that aspiring musicians can kick-start their musical endeavors with confidence and ease.
1. Fender FA -125
Fender is one of the most famous guitar manufacturers in the world, if not the most famous. It’s hard to find a guitar enthusiast who hasn’t heard of Fender. True, the company is more famous for its electric guitars, basses, and amplifiers, but it also has something to offer among acoustic guitars, especially in the “folk” segment.
The Fender FA -125 is a nice, inexpensive dreadnought with a very bright and ringing sound. The tool looks minimalist and simple but is strong and reliable. I would especially like to note the convenience of the neck profile of this guitar and the presence of a second swivel for attaching a strap.
2. Walden D 350
Walden is a brand previously owned by the Taiwanese corporation KHS (Kung Hsue She), known for high-quality musical instruments at reasonable prices. K HS has been on the music market for a very long time, since 1945, and in addition to Walden guitars, the corporation included such brands as Mapex drums, Jupiter brass, Herc ules stands and others (and still includes them).
K HS has also owned the famous German company Hohner since 2015. In 2014, KHS liquidated Walden, and in 2019 Walden was revived, becoming its own independent brand. This was only beneficial; the instruments, which were previously very worthy, became even more interesting. Walden opens the inexpensive Standard series with the D 350 and O 350 models, dreadnought and folk, respectively. The tools are strong, reliable, and neat. They sound smooth and balanced. The neck is reinforced with fiberglass inserts that enhance stability. A very stylish case is included.
3. Cort AD 810
The Korean corporation Cor-Tek owns several large factories both in its homeland and in Indonesia and China, where OEM orders from most guitar companies are fulfilled. It’s safe to assume that almost any quality Chinese or Indonesian acoustic guitar is actually made by Cort-Tek. The company also produces its own model range under its brand name Cort. The dreadnought Cort AD810 Stan Dard series is an excellent choice in the popular category of acoustic guitars in terms of quality and price.
The guitar looks modest, but it is made very carefully, literally polished, to try to find fault with anything, you will have to use a magnifying glass, and even then it’s not a fact that you will find anything. At the same time, the instrument is very well-balanced in terms of sound. Bright enough, the bass is not too boomy. The matte finish with open pores is very pleasant to the touch; you can feel all the warmth of the wood with your hands. The neck is comfortable and stable, it does not move too much when the heating season begins/ends.
4. Yamaha F310
Another one of the most popular auditory guitars, proven to be indestructible. Simple, reliable, and trouble-free like a Kalashnikov assault rifle. It withstands climatic changes, falls from guitar stands, and accidental impacts (within reasonable limits, of course, unless the goal is to break the guitar on the stage). At the same time, it is quite comfortable and sounds good for an instrument made entirely of laminate.
The body shape of the Yamaha F 310 auditory guitar can be classified as a dreadnought, but, as I already mentioned in previous materials, most Yamaha dreadnoughts are distinguished by their size, which increases the acoustic volume of the body. The body length of the Yamaha F 310 is a little shorter than a standard dreadnought, by about half a centimeter, and the width is noticeably larger, by a centimeter and a half. The depth of the shell is also slightly smaller, which may seem invisible from the outside, but is felt when playing while sitting. In addition, the scale length of the instrument is exactly 25 inches, that is, the golden mean between the two common standards. The only thing you can complain about is the very cheap tuners, but Yamaha monitors quality, and even tuners of this design keep tuned reliably, work smoothly, and last a very long time
5. Washburn Novo S 9
Washburn is one of the oldest guitar brands in the world, with almost a century and a half of history. In the folk instruments segment, Washburn has a nice folk guitar, the Bella Tono Novo S9, with very good note clarity and ringing, rustling overtones in the chord sounds. I conditionally classified this model as a folk guitar, but its body shape differs from traditional folk guitars. Washburn calls it Studio. I think this is a godsend for those who find dreadnought and jumbo too bulky, and folk too shallow. The guitar is very beautiful. The walnut laminate back and sides have a vibrant grain pattern, while the top is charcoal-burst and looks like distressed black jeans. The black color of the hardware, as well as the ebony fingerboard and tailpiece, fit perfectly into the overall aesthetics of the instrument. The profile of the neck is moderately thin and fits perfectly in the hand.
Final Words
These are, of course, not all the options among worthy candidates, I simply limited myself to five guitars that can be confidently trusted 100 percent, and within the framework of 150-250 USD at prices at the end of 2023. There are other equally worthy options among other brands and manufacturers. Crafter, Fina, or some others. Even among the brands mentioned, you can find other candidates. Fender stores offer musical instruments for every taste, don’t be lazy to go to the catalog and see for yourself.
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Thats’s great. Keep up the good work.