What’s a good acoustic guitar for beginners?

Choosing your first acoustic guitar is exciting but daunting. Music Street's blog on buying your first guitar points out that beginner guitars typically cost £100-£700 and recommends spending at least £300 because cheap instruments can sound poor and be difficult to play. 

Comfort is just as important as price. A guitar should be easy to hold and produce a sound you enjoy. To make playing comfortable, look for low, even action and lighter strings; this keeps the strings closer to the fretboard so your fingers don’t have to stretch far. 

Materials also matter: tonewoods like spruce, cedar, and mahogany influence the guitar’s voice; solid woods give complex tones while laminate woods are more consistent and often cheaper. Body shape affects volume and feel: larger dreadnoughts project powerfully, whereas parlour and travel guitars have a more focused tone and are easier to handle.

The guide below highlights five guitars from Music Street that offer excellent playability for beginners. Each entry links to the corresponding product page and includes a brief scientific or logical justification, so you know why the guitar might suit you.

1. Tanglewood TWCRT - compact Crossroads series

• Why it’s beginner‑friendly: The TWCRT is a travel‑size acoustic with a slim body, making it easy to hold and ideal for smaller hands or young players. Its hand‑selected mahogany top, back, and sides give a warm, mid‑rich tone that masks minor picking imperfections. Mahogany is dense, so it emphasises the midrange and smooths harsh highs, which helps beginners develop good tone without the guitar sounding brittle.
• Features: Tech‑wood fingerboard for durability, whiskey barrel burst satin finish and bronze light strings. Its short total length (850 mm) and lightweight build make it easy to travel with.
• Buy it on Music Street: Tanglewood TWCRT acoustic guitar.

2. Tanglewood TWT18 Tiare Travel Acoustic (Natural Bamboo)

• Why it’s beginner‑friendly: Small enough to take on adventures yet built with real guitar design, this travel model has a bamboo body and mahogany neck that deliver a bright, articulate tone. Bamboo is lightweight and stiff, which gives good volume despite the small body; the mahogany neck adds warmth and stability. A satin finish makes the surface smooth and comfortable to the touch.
• Features: Pyrography‑inspired rosette for visual appeal, open‑gear tuners for reliable tuning, and short scale length for easier fretting. Specifications include a travel‑size body, bamboo top/back/sides and natural wood fingerboard.
• Buy it on Music Street: Tanglewood TWT18 Tiare travel guitar.

3. Gretsch Jim Dandy Concert LTD - comfortable concert body

• Why it’s beginner‑friendly: This limited edition Jim Dandy has a comfortable, compact concert body and a 24.75” scale length; the shorter neck reduces string tension and makes chord shapes easier. A solid spruce top produces a lively, balanced tone, while laminated sapele back and sides add durability and control over volume. Spruce is widely used for guitar tops because it is light yet stiff, giving a bright, responsive sound ideal for all styles of music.
• Features: Aged white neck and body binding, “C”‑shaped nato neck, walnut fingerboard and bridge, synthetic bone nut and saddle, and gloss finish. The 24.75” scale length and walnut fingerboard improve comfort and articulation for developing fingers.
• Buy it on Music Street: Gretsch Jim Dandy Concert LTD.

4. Tanglewood DBT PE HR - exotic parlour with electronics

• Why it’s beginner‑friendly: Part of Tanglewood’s Discovery Exotic series, this parlour model uses Hawaiian Rain Tree/Bird‑eye Maple back, walnut sides, and a spruce top, providing a balanced tone with clear highs and warm lows. The smaller parlour body offers a comfortable playing position for learners and produces a focused sound suited to fingerstyle or light strumming. A smooth Eboncore fingerboard enhances fret efficiency and feels slick under the fingers.
• Features: Built‑in EX4 four‑band EQ preamp for plugging into amps or interfaces, making it ideal for beginners who want to perform or record. Sustainably sourced exotic timbers give it a striking visual appeal while supporting ethical wood use.
• Buy it on Music Street: Tanglewood DBT PE HR Hawaiian Rain wood parlour.

5. Tanglewood DBT SFCE FMH G - solid spruce cutaway with electronics

• Why it’s beginner‑friendly: This cutaway electro‑acoustic pairs a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, producing a rich, resonant tone. The Fishman Presys II pickup system includes a built‑in tuner and three‑band EQ, allowing you to shape your sound and amplify easily. A cutaway body gives unhindered access to higher frets, encouraging learners to explore solos and melodies.
• Features: Comfortable satin finish, cutaway grand‑auditorium shape, and only one item left in stock. Music Street professionally sets up each guitar before shipping, so beginners receive an instrument that plays perfectly from day one.
• Buy it on Music Street: Tanglewood DBT SFCE FMH G.

How to choose the right beginner acoustic guitar

• Budget & build: Spending a bit more can improve the enjoyment of guitars around £300, which often have solid tops, while cheaper models may feel hard to play. Solid tonewoods offer richer, more complex sounds, whereas laminate woods are stable and affordable.
• Size & body shape: Parlour and travel guitars are portable and comfortable; dreadnoughts and jumbos deliver louder projection. Try different shapes to see what suits your style.
• Tonewoods: Spruce tops provide brightness and versatility, while mahogany offers a warm, punchy midrange. Maple and rosewood backs give clarity and balance.
• Strings & setup: Classical guitars use nylon strings that are softer and easier on the fingers, whereas steel strings on acoustic guitars deliver bright, loud tones but require stronger fingertips. Music Street advises checking for low action and even fretwork so the guitar doesn’t strain your hands.
• Accessories: Invest in a digital tuner, strap, picks, a gig bag, and spare strings. A tuner keeps your guitar sounding great, while a padded strap improves posture. Light‑gauge steel strings or nylon strings can make learning less painful.

Final thoughts

A “good” beginner guitar feels comfortable and inspires you to practise. As Music Street’s buying guide concludes, the best guitar is the one you enjoy playing. Visit our acoustic guitar collection to find out more options, and read our advice on things to consider when buying your first acoustic guitar and our guide to choosing the perfect acoustic guitar. For a deeper understanding of guitar types and string choices, see our article on different acoustic guitar types and classical vs acoustic guitars. Each instrument sold at Music Street is professionally set up by experienced staff and comes with a one‑year warranty, so you can start your musical journey with confidence.