Industry Expert’s Recommendations for the best high-end acoustic guitars that sound out of the world and are worth your money.
If you are looking for a high-end acoustic guitar, then you love acoustic guitars more than anything. You are a devoted musician, indeed, and you love music from your heart. But choosing the right one for yourself is entirely a different thing.
Acoustic Guitar Buying Guides
You are going to spend a handsome penny to get a high-end acoustic guitar. You must have to be sure if your money is worth the guitar or not, right? Especially when there are too many high-end acoustic guitars in the market to consider.
Keeping this in mind, our industry experts have made this list of the best high-end acoustic guitars depending on significant metrics like looks, material, finish, tone quality, vibration, volume, sustain, longevity, playability, feel, and much more.
Our Top 10 List
Here are our views of the top 10 list that we’ve found with in-depth research.
1. Martin D 28 Authentic 1937 VTS AGED
We have been waiting for this one for a while now. In our list, Martin D 28 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged Dreadnought is at the top.
It is a classic recreation of a pre-war D 28, which was made by the experts in the Martin Custom Shop. Martin has combined all the best possible specs for this model to be built in their most exclusive series, the Authentic Series.
The makers of this took exceptional care and all the necessary steps to make sure the braces were as close to accurately reproduced as possible.
The guitar features forward-shifted Waverly tuning machines under the top and hand-scalloped Adirondack spruce bracing with VTS back and sides, which bring the horsepower from under the hood. This guitar also features a 13/4″ nut down to the 25/16″ saddle, which feels perfect.
The guitar is made with beautiful Madagascar rosewood. It is the nearest match for the original Brazilian rosewood used back in the golden days.
The guitar’s featuring a vintage unique v shape neck, which is relic-looking. It’s got the vintage tone system to the top. The bracing has the exact tone system as well. The guitar has got very subtle aged wear on the neck by the fretboard.
Martin D 28 Authentic 1937 AGED Dreadnought has little indications of aging, and a slightly worn spot on the top gives you an impression.
Even the bindings give you the feeling of a real pre-war Martin D 28. The maker did a spectacular job in the aging process. Each one of these guitars has a touch from the maker, and each one is unique. None of them look exactly the same as any of the other aged Martins.
The guitar features a beautiful thin semi-gloss finish. This particular guitar will blow your eyes with its amazing looks.
Martin D 28 Authentic 1937 VTS AGED Demo
Now let’s focus on how it sounds.
Even the brand-new guitar that has a vintage tone system already sounds opened up. It has a three-dimensional depth. There’s not that tight tension in the voice that you typically get in a brand-new guitar. It’s going to continue to get better as the years go on. And of course, you have the Martin tone.
The rosewood, the solid genuine Mahogany neck, and all of the natural hide glue joinery have that stuff ages and settle in. With all of these features, the guitar becomes much more resonant and much more responsive.
You can’t get more from a high-end acoustic guitar.
Pros
- It is a classic recreation of pre-war D 28.
- It has forward-shifted Waverly tuning machines under the top.
- It features hand-scalloped Adirondack spruce bracing.
- It has VTS back and sides.
- The guitar is made with premium material (Madagascar rosewood).
- It has a relic-looking neck.
- It features premium and exceptional aging.
- The finish of it is thin semi-gloss.
- The tone of it improves with age.
Cons
- The guitar is too expensive.
- The availability of this guitar could be a significant fact.
- It doesn’t feature any cutaways.
- It is hard to maintain.
2. Martin D 42
Martin takes the second position on our list as well. And the guitar is called Martin D42 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar. This beauty is a 14-fret style guitar that has a dreadnought body. It’s been around since the late 90s. Martin made the very first one in 1934. That was the only one that was made until the 90s when players wanted vintage guitar features. Then the D 42 was resurrected.
It’s a solid Sitka spruce top made of softwood. The makers choose it for its vibrational qualities and tonal qualities. They precisely select East Indian rosewood as the primary material for the guitars’ backs and sides. It feels really nice when you will be fingering this guitar. It’s got a vintage toner or sometimes called an aging toner on the top. So it darkens it a little bit to make it look like an older guitar.
The guitar has an ebony bridge and fingerboard. It has what Martin calls style 45 snowflakes. It has got a phenomenal abalone trim around the top.
With the D42, you will get a tortoiseshell color pickguard that is beveled and polished instead of a regular plastic pickguard. It’s a higher-end pickguard that looks amazing.
Each piece is cut by hand and placed in here like a little mosaic. The back strip is also like a mosaic. A lot of small pieces of varying woods took part to make it.
We call the binding of the guitar Gained Ivory. It is a synthetic product, but it has a texture to it. And it has coloration as well. The coloration makes it look quite vintage.
Martin D-42 Demo
Inside the guitar, you will find scalloped and forward-shifted bracing. The bracing under the top keeps the string tension from pulling the top of the guitar. The braces are carved by hand to lighten their mass. Thus they do not detract from the top vibration. It’s a very delicate balance between braces.
The big dreadnought body provides a lot of basses and extra volume. It is the most popular guitar body in the business today. The tuning knobs are vintage style what we call Butterbean tuning knobs. Looks great!
Martin designed the D42 for any musician. You can use it in any style of music like folk music, country music, Flatpicking, bluegrass, and many more. You name it!
This guitar would be a perfect choice if you are a versatile musician and looking for a high-end acoustic guitar.
Pros
- It features excellent tonal quality.
- It is great for fingerstyle playing.
- It has vintage toner on the top.
- The guitar features an ebony bridge and fingerboard.
- It has an abalone trim around the top.
- It has great looking Higher-end pickguard.
- It has coloration on the binding.
- It features a delicate balance between braces.
- It has great-looking tuning knobs.
- The guitar produces a lot of basses and extra volume.
- The guitar is a truly versatile one.
- The playability of this guitar is great, with an excellent tone.
- Hardshell case included.
Cons
- The guitar is not a budget-friendly one.
- It doesn’t feature any cutaways.
- You can face difficulties with the maintenance.
3. Taylor K24ce
In the third position comes the big name in the guitar makers’ industry- Taylor. The guitar model is called K24ce. And it’s an electro-acoustic guitar.
This guitar has a grand auditorium body. Since it’s a grand auditorium body, players can have more tonal versatility. With added sustain, the sound is very clear and focused.
With a Hawaiian Koa top, back, and sides, this guitar looks phenomenal. The guitar has V-class bracing, which means a significant balance between volume and sustains. It gives more bass, more treble, more volume, and more sustain. More volume doesn’t mean it sounds more loudly. It means this guitar is more responsive and resonant.
The guitar has a nice Venetian cutaway. It’s a beautiful guitar with a nice warm mid-range that sounds very punchy because of the Koa top. Taylor has made some aesthetic changes to this guitar as follows:
- They moved the bindings from rosewood to a pale maple binding.
- On the ebony fingerboard, the fretboard inlays have changed to the spring vine inlay.
These also echoed upon the top of the headstock. The guitar has got an ebony fingerboard and bridge.
Taylor K24ce Demo
With graphite nut and gold Taylor tuner, it’s got the ES2 pickup system. It’s a flamed Hawaiian Koa with a subtle edge burst that accentuates the grain. It also has some dark streaks in it. The shaded edge burst finish makes the guitar more stylish.
Taylor K24ce is a gorgeously built and one of the best acoustic guitars that is available. You won’t regret buying it!
Pros
- The guitar has more tonal versatility.
- It has great sustain with clear and focused sound.
- It features a significant balance between volumes and sustains.
- It has a Venetian cutaway.
- The playability of this guitar is great.
- It has dedicated Taylor tuners.
- It features premium electronics.
- The guitar has a stylish shaded edge burst finish.
Cons
- It is an expensive one to have.
- It is hard to maintain.
4. Taylor 814ce DLX
Our pick for number fourth is a lovely Taylor 800 deluxe series. The guitar is called Taylor 814ce deluxe grand auditorium acoustic-electric.
This beauty has a solid Sitka spruce top that helps to mix the elasticity and stiffness in the right portions. It creates a dynamic range of acoustic sounds with a crisp and clear articulation.
With the help of the Grand Auditorium body, this guitar is capable of producing authentic Taylor acoustic sound. It has a great response to light fingerpicking. It also features a very clear and balanced sound to medium strumming and Flatpicking that have made the guitar pure versatile.
If you want one of those best acoustic guitars which can serve all purposes, this guitar could be the best choice for you!
The back and sides are made of solid Indian rosewood that is capable of producing the strongest bass with a great midrange. The acoustic voice of this guitar with complex overtones is excellent. It has a tremendous long sustain as well.
The guitar has got a cool radius-style armrest in maple with rosewood top edge trim. The guitar features advanced performance Adirondack bracing with relief rout. The tuners are chrome Gotoh tuners.
The guitar has got excellent Taylor Expression System 2 pickups. The ES2 pickup system is a revolution in terms of designing pickups by Taylor. It is a behind-the-saddle pickup that has three pickup sensors. Each sensor’s position is unique, and each sensor is calibrated individually.
The pickup doesn’t settle under the saddle. As a result, the bottom of the saddle is placed in complete contact with the guitar’s bridge.
Taylor 814ce DLX Demo
Whether you play acoustically or plugged in, the guitar’s tone becomes absolutely clear and loud. The pickup system operates with a 9-volt battery compartment. You can use the volume, active bass, and treble controls with ease.
The guitar has an amazing single cutaway. The nut width is 1.75 inches (44.5 mm), and the guitar weighs 4.79 lbs. (2.17 kg). The guitar has 20 frets. It has a gloss 3.5 mm thickness body finish and satin neck finish.
The guitar has got a genuine African ebony headstock overlay. The bridge is also made with authentic African ebony.
A hardshell case is included with the guitar when you buy it.
Taylor 814ce DLX is a masterpiece from Taylor. As we said earlier, if your goal is to buy a high-end versatile acoustic-electric guitar, you don’t have to scroll more. Just have one of these!
Pros
- The guitar is capable of mixing the elasticity and stiffness in the right portions.
- It has a dynamic range of crisp and clear acoustic sounds.
- It features an authentic Taylor acoustic sound.
- It features great versatility.
- It has premium electronics.
- It is capable of producing the strongest bass with a great midrange.
- The guitar has great sustain.
- It has advanced performance bracing.
- It sounds great, both acoustically and plugged in.
- It features an amazing single cutaway.
- A hardshell case is included.
Cons
- The guitar is not much affordable.
- It is hard to get for average buyers.
- It can be hard to maintain.
5. Martin D-28
We can’t resist ourselves to put another Martin on our best list as this one is undoubtedly the best value high-end acoustic guitar available on the market. The guitar is Martin D28 from the standard series.
Martin’s re-imagined D-28 is an innovation with details.
To provide enthusiasts with a comfortable playing experience and a modern feel, the makers have put all the vintage options all together, which include aged toner top, open-gear tuners, antique white accents, forward-shifted bracing, faux tortoise pickguard with a distinctive neck profile, and much more.
Martin 2017 D-28 dreadnought is the latest version of the D-28.
Certainly, D-28 is Martin’s most iconic instrument. It’s the blueprint for pretty much every dreadnought out there. It’s Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce top-standard dreadnought. The Indian rosewood that has used in this guitar has a nice kind of chocolate shading that looks very beautiful.
The guitar also has the traditional marquetry center stripe that divides the two book-matched halves of the back.
With a slightly vintage appearance, the look of this guitar is phenomenal. The same is valid with the white binding. Rather than using bright white plastic, the makers use antique white bindings. It gives a little bit of an aged appearance that we think works very well on this particular guitar.
The guitar has got the traditional dovetail neck joint. It has a 1.75-inch nut width, which is slightly wider than the most traditional Martin D-28. The string spacing at the saddle is 2.16 inch that is a slightly different dimension from the most traditional D-28.
The fingerboard and bridge are ebonies. The guitar’s got the standard round dots as the position markers on the fretboard. There are white bridge pins as well. The fretboard has no binding.
Martin D-28 Demo
The makers use Martin’s high-performance neck taper with diamond inlay in this guitar. So it’s a much slimmer profile than a vintage D-28. It’s very comfortable with a modified low oval shape. Like the style of the traditional D-28, Martin’s re-imagined D-28 has Volute on the back of the headstock. And the tuners are opened-geared Grover tuners.
The guitar uses forward-shifted bracing. It is another update that the 2017 D-28 has over the previous D-28. It is non-scalloped X bracing, but the forward-shifted design does give it a slightly more open sound with great low-end.
Whereas the Martin 2017 D-28 is not cheap, we can make this statement that it is worth the money because of the features like sound quality, playability, materials, and more.
Pros
- The guitar has a nice kind of chocolate shading that looks phenomenal.
- It has excellent sound quality.
- The playability of this guitar is excellent.
- It is a very versatile one.
- It has great sustain.
- Premium materials are used in the guitar.
- Great value for the money.
Cons
- It is still an expensive one.
- It can be hard to get for an average buyer.
- It doesn’t feature any cutaways.
- It can be hard to maintain.
6. Gibson 2019 J-45 Walnut Custom
Gibson is another industry leader when it comes to making premium acoustic guitars. In the sixth position, we have the Gibson 2019 J-45 Walnut Custom acoustic-electric guitar.
This one is very special because it integrates custom-level ingredients with modern features like abalone split diamond inlays, teardrop pickguard, standard frets, traditional belly-up bridge, multi-ply binding at the top, single-ply back binding, nickel hardware, and honey burst finish.
The 2019 J-45 Walnut Custom has a solid Sitka spruce top with the traditional hand-scalloped X bracing. The honey burst finish matches the dignity of this great guitar. The walnut back and sides are really beautiful.
The guitar has a dreadnought body shape, and it doesn’t feature any cutaways. The neck is tropical Mahogany with a round back shape and has a Satin finish that added more value to the guitar. The nut width is 1.725 inches (43.8 mm), and the scale length is 24.75 inches. The guitar has 20 frets.
With the custom abalone inlays, the rosewood fingerboard looks impressive. The guitar has got the custom headstock inlay with Grover Rotomatic tuners.
Gibson 2019 J-45 Walnut Custom Demo
This great guitar has the renowned tone of the classic J-45. With the excellent figure of walnut, the 2019 J-45 Walnut Custom acoustic-electric guitar has an incredibly balanced and focused tone both acoustically and plugged-in.
The electronics of this guitar are from L.R. Baggs, and the configuration is the under-saddle transducer. The pre-amp EQ is 2-band, and no feedback filter is available. This guitar also doesn’t feature any onboard tuner.
Gibson 2019 J-45 Walnut Custom acoustic-electric guitar is one of those premium guitars that you can have and enjoy years of mesmerizing playing!
Pros
- The guitar features great sound quality.
- It features great playability.
- It’s a very versatile one.
- It has premium electronics.
- It has magnificent-looking custom abalone inlays in the fingerboard.
- The guitar has great sustain.
- Premium materials are used in the guitar.
- Great value for the money.
Cons
- It doesn’t feature any cutaways.
- It doesn’t have an onboard tuner.
- It can be hard to get for an average buyer.
7. Taylor 414ce
Number seventh, presenting high quality, absolutely worth the money guitar for making you a wise decision-maker by giving you one more perfect option of the high-end acoustic guitars that are available on the market at the current date.
The guitar is from the Taylor 400 series. It’s a special edition and the model no. is 414ce. It’s a rosewood grand auditorium acoustic-electric guitar.
This guitar features some cool elements like an abalone rosette, gold hardware, a shaded edge burst finish, and more. The 400 series is a staple of the Taylor guitars line-up, and it has been for years. The 414ce is genuinely a “Special Edition” guitar.
The most expressive tonewood in terms of music is the Indian rosewood. Pairing this with Engelmann spruce, this guitar sounds richer with details.
Taylor guitars are famous for their playability. Combining the renowned playability with the perfect balance of Grand Auditorium shape and rosewood, this guitar has turned into a dream to play for modern-era guitarists.
This guitar has a broad sonic range with complexity in sound. The Grand Auditorium shape helps it to produce the authentic sound of Taylor acoustic guitars. This guitar has a special response to light fingerpicking. It can react to flatpicking and medium strumming with a clear and detailed sound as well.
The balance of the sound of this beauty is truly remarkable.
Engelmann spruce top is capable of blending the elasticity and stiffness in the right areas. As a result, with crisp articulation, the guitar can produce a broad dynamic range of sound that is warmer. The back and sides are made of Indian rosewood that complements the Sitka top, which makes the guitar one of the best tonewoods ever.
The guitar has a strong bass response with a scooped mid-range. It has complex overtones, and the sustain is incredible.
Taylor 414ce Demo
414ce has a revolutionary pickup called Expression System 2. The ES 2 is patented by Taylors. It is a behind-the-saddle pickup that features a total of three pickup sensors. Each is individually calibrated. Each has a unique position.
The full contact between the bottom of the saddle and the bridge ensures an amazing sound both acoustically and plugged in.
The guitar has a custom-designed grade pre-amp called Professional Audio. This pre-amp is a custom-designed Taylor thing. So no surprise, the guitar produces exceptional responsiveness with its amplified tone.
The voice of this guitar is also amazing while recording because of the ES2 pickup. It has a 9-volt battery compartment with easy-to-use controls that operates volume, treble, and active bass.
Taylor 414ce is an all-around guitar. You can definitely have a look at this.
Pros
- The guitar features an expressive tonewood.
- It sounds richer with details.
- It has a broad sonic range with complexity in sound.
- It features great playability.
- It has premium electronics.
- The guitar features a custom-designed grade pre-amp.
- It has a great balance between low, mid, and high.
- It has great sustain.
- It is a very versatile one.
- It sounds great, both acoustically and plugged in.
- Great value for the money.
Cons
- It is still an expensive one.
- It can be hard to get for an average buyer.
8. Gibson Hummingbird Pro
Were you wondering about a 12-string guitar on the list? You have it in the eighth position on our list. We are presenting a scarce 12-string limited edition Gibson Hummingbird Pro acoustic-electric guitar.
The guitar has a classic Hummingbird look and appearance. It’s got the Mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard, rosewood bridge, rosewood bone-nut, and unique wide X bracing with a solid Sitka spruce top in 60s style but in a 12-string. It has a beautiful vintage Sunburst finish (Nitro-Lacquer) with an elegant pickguard called Hummingbird Artist.
The fingerboard is itself a beauty. The inlays are parallelograms and these are made of mother-of-pearl. The tonewoods are aesthetically made by hand by the luthiers in Gibson’s Bozeman. The tuners are handmade as well. The guitar’s joint of the body to the neck is a superior dovetail.
With all this combination, the guitar produces an amazingly versatile range of voices that has got an absolute balance between high, low, and midrange.
Gibson Hummingbird Pro Demo
The most exciting part of this guitar is it has a range beyond its typical high, mid, and low because of the 12-string fact and the combination of features mentioned above. The special thing is- the guitar is highly equipped because it features chrome Grover Mini Rotomatics. It has a gear ratio of 14-to-1.
Gibson Hummingbird Pro 12-string limited edition has got a VTC pickup system (LR Baggs) that is the most trusted name in the acoustic pickup system. This pickup is the reason that will give the option to you to adjust the tone and volume with ease. The pickup features an under-saddle transducer to make the guitar sound more amazing.
What do we want from a 12-string acoustic beast? The perfect playability- Right? This Hummingbird Pro limited edition delivers it with perfection!
Although the guitar is rare, it is a handy one to have.
Pros
- The guitar features a classic Hummingbird look.
- It has an elegant Hummingbird Artist pickguard.
- The tonewoods and tuners are handmade.
- The Looks are great.
- It produces an outstanding dynamic range of voice.
- It has a range beyond its typical high, mid, and low.
- The guitar is highly equipped.
- It has premium electronics.
- It features excellent playability.
- Great value for the money.
Cons
- It is still an expensive one.
- It can be hard to get for an average buyer.
- The guitar doesn’t feature any cutaways.
9. Takamine EF740FS TT
If you are a finger-style guitarist, something special is required. We are presenting an exceptional guitar- EF740FS from the Takamine TT series.
It’s an update of the original TF740FS. The FS stands for Finger Style, which means there are a bunch of features available for fingerstyle guitarists. But as we go through the review, you will understand that this guitar is a very flexible and versatile acoustic guitar.
Let’s dig into deep what this guitar is all about.
EF740FS TT is a standard Takamine orchestra model. It’s 49.5 cm long and 39 cm across the lower width. The depth of this guitar is 11.8 cm. This is almost the depth of a Takamine dreadnought guitar, which is 12.5 cm. So it’s an om-size body and near dreadnought depth. The effect of this extra depth on the sound is quite impressive.
The top is solid thermal spruce that features an abalone rosette. It has abalone position markers as well. The position markers are quite small, and they’re very discreet. The guitar has an ebony fingerboard and a full tortoiseshell binding around the edges. The back and side of this guitar are solid Sapele with some beautiful straight grain.
The sound hole of this guitar is a little bit smaller. To be exact, it’s 95 mm. The guitar has a total of 20 frets. The 20th fret has a cutaway in the style of classical guitars. The neck is joined to the body at the 12th fret. As a result, the bridge is moved down lower, which is also the reason for its great played-in sound.
The scale length is 65 cm, and the nut width is 47.5 mm. The width is a kind of hybrid, which means this nut feels wide, but it doesn’t feel like a classical guitar.
The guitar has individual Gotoh open-gear tuners. These tuners have a very high gear ratio which means you turn a little bit and the sound changes. That makes it very easy to tune on the fly. But if you are not used to them, there’s a tendency to over-tune. These tuners will help you to change your strings with ease.
The guitar has a Takamine standard Palathetic pickup system that has six individual piezo elements. Each element is for each string. It has no SoundChoice Docking Port as the guitar features a TLD-2 Line Driver pre-amp. There’s no onboard tuner.
Capo looks beautiful on this guitar because of the radius of the fretboard. Takamine has changed another thing to make this guitar unique that is they have changed the string spacing at the bridge. Space is 6 mm, which is a little bit wider than their standard ones.
This guitar has a very beautiful headstock. It has a rosewood overlay. Instead of a wood-written Takamine, it has a standard T, which added simplicity to the guitar.
Takamine EF740FS TT Demo
As we mentioned earlier, this guitar has some unique features as follows:
- Thermal spruce top
- The depth of the body
- 12th fret neck joint
- Finally, the wide nut with slightly wider string spacing at the bridge.
These features make this guitar amazing when the question comes to its sound. It has great mid-range clarity and punch. It sounds like an om that has been supercharged or turbocharged.
Most the guitar with an om body has excellent mid-range, but because of the thermal top, it can go places that usual om size guitars can’t. It can get very loud like the dreadnought ones. At the same time, it’s very sweet and delicate, depending on how well you play it.
With a very open uncompressed sound, the guitar has a beautiful balance. It doesn’t have a massive amount of bass. The depth of the body doesn’t contribute to the bass, whereas it contributes to the mid-range.
As a result, you will have a guitar that works very well on stage because it doesn’t have the big boomy mid-range that gets in the way of the bass player or keyboard player. But at the same time, it really can get loud acoustically.
You will have a blast with a guitar in hand like this!
Pros
- It is perfect for fingerstyle playing.
- It is very flexible and versatile.
- The guitar’s body has extra depth.
- Position markers are very discreet.
- It has beautiful straight grain in the back and sides.
- It features a great played-in sound.
- The guitar is effortless to tune.
- It has premium electronics.
- It features great mid-range clarity and punch.
- It has an excellent balance between low, mid, and high.
- The guitar’s voice is booming.
- Great value for the money.
- A hard case is included with the guitar.
Cons
- The guitar can be hard to tune if you’re not a pro.
- It doesn’t feature any onboard tuner.
- It can be hard to maintain.
10. Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster
Our final number is from another industry leader Fender. It has come with a stylish and unique acoustic-electric guitar called Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster. This guitar is the cheapest on our list.
It handles acoustic and electric guitar sounds with aplomb. The guitar is a versatile one and will give you all sorts of options to be your only guitar to do a lot of things. Thanks to its specially designed acoustic engine. It gives you the option to choose from ten different body styles and tonewood combinations.
Does the guitar sound like something else that’s available on the market? Yes, kind of!
The Acoustasonic is a new product from Fender, and things are exciting with it. Because Fender is an electric guitar company primarily, it has made an acoustic-electric hybrid guitar that is more acoustic-oriented. That means it has more acoustic sounds offering more versatility when it comes to sound acoustical.
The guitar features a Mahogany body that’s been hollowed out. The neck is made from Mahogany as well. The bridge is ebony, and it’s modern and asymmetrical. The fingerboard is ebony as well. The spruce top is set in flush with it. The guitar has a center-deep bound sound hole. This guitar has got three pickup systems as follows:
- Fishman Under-Saddle Transducer
- Fender Acoustasonic Enhancer
- Fender Acoustasonic Noiseless Magnetic Pickup
These pickups go through an active pre-amp that has modeling in it that has been designed with Fender and Fishman. It’s got an ebony knob volume control, a mod knob, along with a 5-way voice selector switch. Mod knobs are responsible for blending the various voices.
Starting in position five, you have two sounds and then kind of everything between those sounds because the guitar has got a knob rather than a switch. In mode A, you have an acoustic range that is like a spruce and rosewood dreadnought. It’s excellent for strumming with its big, vibrant, and deep bass.
If you roll the switch in the other way, you have spruce and rosewood grand auditorium guitar. So you will get a little bit more bell-like chime from a tighter waist. In this position, the guitar has a detailed mid-range, and it will act a little bit more responsive from a lighter touch that is perfect for fingerstyle playing.
Now moving to position four in mode A, you will get the sound of a spruce and maple parlor-size guitar. The response is very dry, quick, and even with a sweet treble snap to it. And the other end of that you will get a spruce and Mahogany dreadnought.
In this position, the midrange is very warm and the bass is really strong. It’s excellent for flatpicking and bluesy-type stuff. And of course, you can roll between these two modes. Thus you can have that parlor-size sound, and by turning, you thicken it up a bit, and you have a little bit of that dreadnought tone as well.
In mode A middle position, you will have spruce and Brazilian rosewood dreadnought. That ensures you rich bass, a pleasant chime on the treble side, and complexity from the chords that we expect from Brazilian rosewood. When you roll it to mode B, it’s not a different model or different sound but rolling in the body sensor on the guitar, which is very sensitive. If you are a percussive player, you will definitely like that.
Position two will give you the first blended sound. In mode A, you have the Sitka spruce and Mahogany dreadnought acoustic sound that’s articulated with a wide dynamic range of acoustic voice. When you turn the knob towards mode B, it’s going to blend in the electric pickup, which is kind of a fatter and rich or more modern single-coil sound where the acoustic sound meets the Fender’s electric tone.
Finally, you have position one that’s the Fender electric clean sound. Believing in your ear might be difficult because you won’t expect your guitar to sound like this truly clean electronic sound. Mode A has less gain. And then as you roll it up, you will get more gain and a semi-clean tone. You won’t believe that your guitar can sound like this, either.
So you have eight acoustic sounds and two electric sounds!
Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster Demo
The battery compartment is not available on the guitar. Instead of it, there’s a micro USB or mini USB connection next to the input jack. The guitar’s electronics are charged via this USB which will allow you to play for 20 hours. The battery has fast-charge technology, which allows it to get fully charged within two hours.
The guitar has got a 25.5-inch scale. The guitar looks cool with its Graphite nut and Graphite saddle. It’s a little bit more balanced to the body, and it’s very comfortable.
To put up the summary, you can say that Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster is an all-in-all acoustic guitar and one of the best reasonable high-end acoustic guitars. It will definitely give you some fruitful experiences once you have it!
Pros
- It gives the option to choose from ten different body styles and tonewood combinations.
- It features eight acoustic sounds and two electric sounds.
- The battery has fast-charge technology.
- It features excellent playability.
- It is a very versatile one.
- Great value for the money.
Cons
- The guitar doesn’t have a battery compartment.
- It is hard to maintain.
10 Tips of What to Consider When You Buy The Best High-End Acoustic Guitar
High-end acoustic guitars are not cheap at all. So, you should have to keep a few things in mind. Here are our ten tips for you on what to consider while buying your first premium acoustic guitar.
Tip 1:
Check whether the guitar has a solid spruce top. Solid top resonates better sound quality, and it improves with age. If the top is made of Plywood, put it back.
Tip 2:
Check if it has a Mahogany neck. Old school persons will tell you that it needs to be solid Mahogany from stem to stern. But today’s glues are more durable than any other. So, as long as it’s Mahogany, you’re good to go.
Tip 3:
Check if the fretboard is solid rosewood or ebony.
Tip 4:
Check if the tuners are sealed, and die-cast. When buying a high-end acoustic guitar, always look for quality, sealed, internally lubricated tuning gear with smooth, fine-tuning that features a 14 to 1 turning ratio.
Tip 5:
Check if the guitar has got the Mahogany Kerfing. Kerfing holds the top and back to the sides. Traditionalists will tell you that spruce for the top and matching wood for the back is perfect. We believe Mahogany is the best for all around. It is much more durable.
Tip 6:
Check if it has a 2-way adjustable truss rod. Fixed metal-reinforced rods can’t be adjusted. Even you can shift and change Mahogany over time. So we insist you check if there’s any truss rod that can be turned to help keep the neck straight and true.
Tip 7:
Check the truss rod sound-hole access. If you have to take a plate off the headstock and adjust from there, forget about it. The truss rod should run the entire length of the neck, clear past the heel for access at the sound hole. It should be like this for a wider adjustment area, where the neck meets the body.
Tip 8:
Check if the guitar features edge-capped sound-hole purfling. On a high-end instrument, you should look for whether the inlay covers the very edge of the opening so that the crack doesn’t even start in the first place.
Tip 9:
Check if the guitar features a self-lubricating nut and bridge saddle with graphite qualities. Animal bone was considered best for nuts and the saddle in the ancient days when we didn’t have today’s high technology. But nowadays, synthetics are superior because of resonance and lubricating qualities that are helping to reduce string binding.
Tip 10:
Our final tip to look for in your first premium acoustic guitar is the sound. Always look for a sound that has an excellent balance between the low, mid, and high range. The voice should be crisp and clear.
[NB. You can consider the tips mentioned above as the steps of figuring out if the guitar is worth the money or not as well]
What Separates A High-End Acoustic Guitar From The Economic Ones
Along with internal Mahogany kerfing and solid rosewood or ebony fingerboard, a solid spruce top with a Mahogany neck with an adjustable rod that extends past the heel for sound-hole access, sealed and die-cast tuners, a sound-hole that’s covered right up to the edge with crack prohibiting inlay and better resonating, self-lubricating nut, and saddle are the features what separate a high-end professional acoustic from the mediocre ones.
A High-End Acoustic Guitar: Should I Buy?
You should buy a premium acoustic guitar if these conditions are met mentioned below.
- You are genuinely passionate about your music.
- You want to have premium features in your guitar.
- You want to have that resonance and sound quality while playing or recording.
- You are desperate to give the aesthetic feel to your audience.
- Most importantly, you have a budget.
Benefits of a High-End Acoustic Guitar
The benefits of having a high-end acoustic guitar are as follows:
- The sound quality will blow your mind.
- Loud and clear voice.
- It has an excellent balance between the low, mid, and high range.
- It improves the sound quality with age.
- You’ll get premium built quality.
- Excellent playability.
- Premium electronics.
- Premium tuners.
FAQ
Q. What is the price range of a high-end acoustic guitar?
The price range of a high-end acoustic guitar can be between $2000 and $8000.
Q. What is the longevity of a high-end acoustic guitar?
If you can maintain your guitar correctly, keep it in a safe place, and care for your masterpiece enough, the longevity period could be limitless. Even the best acoustic guitars improve with age.
Q. What color acoustic guitar should I get?
Natural is a widely accepted color for acoustic guitars. However, you can opt for black or maroon for a sleek look. Read our comprehensive guide on this to get a clear understanding.
Q. Do I need A pickguard on my acoustic guitar?
The short answer is – if you are a beginner who doesn’t have full control over your playing, a pickguard is recommended as it will protect the finish of your acoustic guitar from scratches that take place while playing and keep your acoustic guitar fresh for a long time. Know more in-depth about this.
Q. Do professional guitarists use capos?
A lot of them use capos but not all as it depends on several things like choice, playing style, etc.
Q. How to clean a maple fretboard?
With any expert-recommended standard guitar cleaner, you can clean a maple fretboard. However, if you want to learn more about how to clean finished/unfinished/roasted maple fretboard, you are suggested to head over to this article.
Final Words
A high-end acoustic guitar is a dream of years for guitarists. We have done extensive research on more than a hundred premium acoustic guitars. We have done it by hours of playing in every style, taking built quality under consideration, and collecting reviews from actual users, and also from other experts to make this platinum list of best high-end acoustic guitars.
We have chosen the very best guitars from industry leaders like Taylor and Martin. We’ve included Fender and Gibson as well. So, in your decision-making period of buying a high-end professional acoustic, you can surely take these guitars from our list under consideration.