Top 5 Acoustic Guitars of 2020

The acoustic guitar is at the end of its evolution? Taylor Guitars, under their young master builder Andy Powers, prove that statement false time after time. The latest trend: wood that the country has to offer. Or in this case the cities, as with this 324ce. The body is made of so-called “urban ash“, i.e. trees that have been felled in the cities. The result is quite impressive: Together with the typical Taylor V-Class-Bracing under the mahogany top and the built-in Expression System 2 for the pickup, the full Taylor sound of this pleasantly handy guitar is guaranteed.

Disclaimer: this product is out of stock until early next year 

Handy is also the keyword for the X11S/P-CHB from Baton Rouge. The term “Parlor” covers just about everything that is equipped with a small body and a shorter scale length. The term is not new and has been used for over 100 years. Such guitars are usually not very loud, but they can score with an extremely balanced tone – as the X11S/P-CHB Parlor does. It is therefore ideal for sessions at home, for practicing or, as a special tip, for the studio. Since it is extremely easy to play with its shorter scale length, it is also a good choice for the first steps on a steel string guitar.

Is this still an acoustic guitar, or is it something else? Yamaha’s Silent Guitar Yamaha SLG200N CRB is definitely out of the ordinary. Let’s just call it an “acoustic sounding guitar“. It can do that really well – and that’s not easy with nylon strings! To achieve this, it is equipped with a Yamaha pickup as well as a modeling unit that specifically simulates a pickup with a high-quality microphone. A few effects complete the whole thing to create a guitar that delivers an excellent acoustic sound – even if “only” via amplifier or headphones.

What was still questionable with the Yamaha, here it‘s not, because the Fender AM Acoustasonic Strat is indeed an acoustic guitar with everything that goes with it. Specifically, it has a vibrating top made of spruce with an appropriate bracing, which ensures that this guitar does not look like an acoustic one, but behaves exactly like one. Then Fishman‘s internal modeling circuitry makes it possible not only to imitate different acoustic guitar models, but also to create an electric sound that matches the guitar’s appearance. Dylan would certainly have liked that if he had had it at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival…

From an ergonomic point of view it‘s still not bad to start on a classical guitar. But there is practically no nylon string that looks as cool and is as affordable as the Harley Benton CLD-60SCE. So if you want to start with a flattop, this guitar is an excellent choice. The solid (!) spruce top together with the large body provides a really rich tone, even if you‘re a beginner and wind up with extra thin strings. This makes practicing a pleasure – especially since a three-month voucher for online lessons is included.