There are quite a few choices to make to narrow down what acoustic guitars for beginners you would buy for playing. In order of preference I would choose the acoustic based on:
1. Type of guitar.
2. Price of guitar.
3. Quality of guitar and hardware.
4. Guitar Brand.
5. Style or look of acoustic guitar.
I will go though each of these to help you make a choice.
1. Type of guitar.
There are two main types of acoustic. The nylon strung guitar and the steel strung guitar.
The nylon strung guitars are used for classical or Spanish guitar playing. They are not as robust as a steel strung guitar so I would only consider them if you need one to study classical or Spanish guitar playing. The steel strung acoustic guitar is more durable than the nylon strung guitar and more versatile with their sound.
2. Price of guitar.
For a nylon strung guitar they tend to go from really cheap (under $100) to really expensive (over $300). I would not pay under $300 for a nylon strung guitar for beginners. The steel strung guitars can go from $30, $100 up to $1000. I would get one in the price range of $200 to $350.
3. Quality of guitar and hardware.
If you stick to the price range above from step 2, then you will get a reasonable quality guitar. You want a guitar with good hardware that will stay in tune, and will last you for as long as you want to play the guitar. The best way for a beginner to get this is the price range you pay.
4. Guitar Brand.
There are big well known brands. Not all electric guitar makers are in the acoustic market but Fender, Squier, Gibson and Epiphone are. Stick to ones you have heard of. There are some that are more expensive quality acoustic guitar makers like Martin or Ovation that if they in you budget you should get.
5. Style or look of acoustic guitar.
Basically how it plays, sound and the quality are the most important things. How it looks is the last thing you should look at but probably is the first thing you did look at. Good news, you can get whatever you want. You can get whatever colour you want. Nylon string guitar have only a few styles and usually have different sizes.
The bigger the body in all acoustics the louder they sound. I would recommend a medium sized guitar and don’t get a jumbo sized dreadnought unless you absolutely have to. By the way the dreadnought is the usual shape of an acoustic guitar. Steel strung guitars can have cutaway at the neck and the body. It is up to you if you want a cutaway or not.
I hope that this has helped you make some decisions in what you want for an acoustic guitar. Follow the guidelines above and you will get good acoustic guitars for beginners.
