Guitar Reviews and Demos

Taylor's 50th Anniversary 614ce (whiteburst) LTD and 858e LTD

12-String

Review: Taylor 614ce LTD and 858e LTD Golden Anniversary Guitars

Taylor’s 50th anniversary lineup revisits some of the brand’s most iconic designs, blending the character of the originals with modern innovations.

Doug Young December 4, 2024

The FT340 BS model, Courtesy of Takamine Guitars

Dreadnought

Review: The Takamine FT340 BS—a Quality Modern Dreadnought Primed for the Stage or Studio

The Takamine FT340 BS is a versatile axe for the gigging acoustic guitarist who needs a consistent sound at a variety of volumes in a variety of venues.

Greg Ruby October 13, 2024

How to Choose Your Next Guitar

Is One Guitar Enough?
Determining (and Justifying) Your Need for Multiple Guitars

Reviews by Body Size

Compact Guitars

Mid-Size Guitars

Large Guitars

More Acoustic Guitars

All Guitar Reviews

Review: Collings 01 12-Fret is a Winning Parlor Guitar with Balanced Sound

A lovely little songbird, the 01 12-Fret is easy to play, responding to the lightest touch with a voice that’s sweet and complex

Adam Perlmutter
October 15, 2014

Review: Taylor 150E is an Incredibly Playable—and Affordable—12-String Guitar

Taylor's 150e is the 12-string guitar for players whose primary instrument is a six-string.

Adam Perlmutter
August 18, 2014

Review: Gretsch G9550 New Yorker is ‘Big Apple’ to the Core

Like the original article this retro New Yorker’s got the simplest appointments, but plays beautifully right out of the box.

Adam Perlmutter
May 19, 2014

Review: Ovation Celebrity Standard CS24P-FKOA is a High-Tech Treehugger

The earthy koa soundboard on Ovation's Celebrity Standard Plus is a perfect match for the guitar's patented synthetic bowl-shaped body.

Adam Perlmutter
April 18, 2014

Gear Review: New Hummingbird Flutters to Life

In late 2013, Keith Richards told the Wall Street Journal how he came up with the right textures for one of the Rolling Stones’ most famous riffs: the intro to “Street Fighting Man.” He’d been experimenting with open tunings, recording his ideas on the fly on an early Philips cassette…

Mark Kemp
March 18, 2014

Review: Don’t Be Fooled By the Larrivée OM-40R’s Understated Looks, It’s Got an Uncommonly Good Sound

It might not dazzle with its looks, but this guitar’s excellent sound and playability make it a serious contender among much more expensive instruments.

Adam Perlmutter
February 12, 2014

Review: Taylor’s 814CE Features New Build Techniques and Pickup System

This guitar has a low-end depth and looseness that makes it sound like a larger guitar, with super-low action and a relatively shallow, half-rounded neck.

Teja Gerken
January 29, 2014

Review: Epiphone’s “Inspired by ‘1964’ Texan” has Classic Sound with Modern Updates

The instrument has vintage looks, classic Texan sound, great playability, and easy-to-use electronics.

Teja Gerken
December 18, 2013

Review: Ibanez AEG10II is Designed for Playability and Comfort

The slim body and moderately thin neck, combined with gig-ready electronics, make this a player's guitar.

Adam Perlmutter
September 19, 2013

Review: Martin DCPA4 Siris Has a Modern Look and Versatile Sound

The DCPA4 Siris’s feel reflects its fusion of traditional and contemporary specs.

Teja Gerken
September 19, 2013

Review: Gibson J-35 Reissue Retains the Charm of its Ancestor

Gibson's reintroduced J-35 is built in Bozeman, Montana, has all the sonic and aesthetic charm of its ancestor, and is once again priced competitively.

Adam Levy
August 17, 2013

Review: The D’Angelico EXL-1 is an Affordable Workhorse of an Archtop

If you’re looking for a clear, electric jazz sound with an affordable price tag for professional “workhorse” situations, the EXL-1 is hard to beat.

Acoustic Guitar Editors
July 16, 2013

Review: Hill Guitar Co. New World Player Series Fingerstyle-C

The Hill Fingerstyle-C delivers the full-bodied tone one expects from a classical guitar, with a warm resonant midrange.

Doug Young
July 10, 2013

Review: Córdoba GK Pro is a Hybrid Nylon-String Designed for Flamenco, with Plenty of Versatility

The GK Pro is an upgrade of Córdoba’s popular GK Studio Gipsy Kings Signature Model

Doug Young
July 10, 2013

Reviews of 7 Acoustic-Electric Hybrid Nylon-String Guitars

These "hybrid" guitars are designed for players who are looking for classical sounds and steel-string guitar playability

Acoustic Guitar Editors
July 10, 2013

Review: Takamine P3FCN is a Nylon-String Hybrid with a Decidedly Modern Feel and Onboard Electronics

This guitar sounds as handsome as it looks and plays virtually effortlessly

Doug Young
May 6, 2013

Acoustic Guitar editor Teja Gerken holding guitar for 11 affordable small bodied flattop guitars

Acoustic Guitar Roundup: 11 Affordable Small-Body Flattops

Here are reviews of 11 steel-string flattops priced between $350 and $800.

Teja Gerken
March 1, 2013

Review: PRS SE Angelus Standard Has a Balanced and Even Sound

If the sound and playability of our review guitar is any indication, it’s definitely time to stop referring to PRS as an electric guitar maker.

Scott Nygaard
February 27, 2013

Review: Yamaha LS6 Acoustic Has a Bright Voice with Great Presence

For many years, especially in the 1970s and ’80s, Yamaha was virtually synonymous with inexpensive, good quality flattop guitars, and the LS6 lives up to this reputation.

Teja Gerken
February 18, 2013

Recording King RO-310 Review

Recording King RO-310 acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 15, 2013

Taylor GS Mini Review

I sat on my couch, put the GS Mini in my lap, and experienced the strangest feeling: total comfort.

Nicole Solis
February 13, 2013

Tanglewood TW-40-O-AN Review

Fueled by reader requests for an overview of currently available small-body guitars, Acoustic Guitar invited manufacturers to send us samples of their small-body instruments with list prices between $500 and $1,000. We ended up with 11 guitars that are surprisingly diverse in sound and feel, some inspired by vintage instruments and…

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Martin 000X1AE Review

Martin 000X1AE acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Guild M-120 Review

Guild M-120 acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Eastman E60M Review

Eastman E60M acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Guitar & Gear Review FAQs

How do you choose which guitars to review?
Our writers are guitar fanatics, just like you. They’re always on the lookout for new or updated offerings to recommend. We’re sometimes asked why we don’t publish negative or one-star reviews – there are so many great guitars being produced today that we’d rather share our balanced opinions on the instruments we do think you should consider.

Do companies pay for you to review their instruments?
No. We are proud of the firm separation between advertising sales and editorial coverage that we’ve held strong since our founding in 1990. We only accept endemic advertising – meaning, you won’t see ads for products or services unrelated to making music with an acoustic guitar; inevitably that means we’ll review products made by companies who advertise with us, but you’ll see just as many reviews by companies who do not. We have never (and will never) take money or gifts in exchange for a favorable review.

What’s up with affiliate links?
There is no billionaire owner or mega-corporation behind Acoustic Guitar – your support keeps us independent and in business. When you shop for gear using one of our affiliate links, a small percentage of your purchase gets shared with us (at no cost to you) for being the one that referred you. This is one way you can support our work (learn about more ways here.) We do not select products to review based on the availability of affiliate links.