You have several things to consider when looking for the best blues acoustic guitar. There are many acoustic models on the market on the market. It can be difficult searching through these guitars to find one suitable for playing blues. This guide will help you find the best acoustic for blues.
In a Hurry? Here Are the Best Blues Acoustic Guitars
What to Look for in an Acoustic Blues Guitar
Before you buy an acoustic guitar for blues, here are some guidelines. This guide will help you pick out the right instrument to meet your needs.
Comfortable to Play
When looking for the best blues, acoustic guitar comfort is paramount. The instrument has to be comfortable to play. You don’t want a guitar that you’re going to fight as you play it. One guitar might be comfortable for you but not for someone else. You want an instrument that has a decent neck. You may have to spend a little bit more money to get a guitar with a good neck, but this will make playing blues easier.
Guitar Body Shape
The shape of your guitar is going to matter a great deal. If you plan to be strumming a lot of chords to blues songs, a dreadnought style guitar will be suitable for that style. The dreadnought is a full-sized acoustic guitar. This is the most common type of acoustic guitar. The Dreadnaught style is also perfect for other types of music, not just blues.
Cutaway Guitar
If you plan on doing more finger-picking or lead guitar, a cutaway will be the better option. A cutaway instrument makes it easier to play the higher frets. This instrument is ideal if you play a lot of blues-based guitar solos. It will allow you to hit the notes that you need for the solo without much difficulty.
Dobro
Another acoustic option is dobro. This type of acoustic guitar has a steel body. It’s suitable for old school blues-style music. Another name for this type of acoustic guitar is the resonator. This type of instrument is a little harder to play for beginners. If you have some experience playing blues guitar, a dobro is a good option. Fingerpicks work the best for the dobro style acoustic blues guitar.
Student Guitar
If you’re just learning to play blues, you may want to try a student size guitar. These guitars are smaller than normal and easier to play. They’re also suitable for younger players or those with smaller hand size.
Acoustic-Electric Guitar
If you plan on playing in blues music live, you might want an acoustic-electric. This is an acoustic guitar that has a built-in pick-up. They often come with an equalizer and other options. this is usually built into the side of the guitar or inside the body. You don’t need it any stand-alone pick up with this type of acoustic. You can plug the instrument in right away and start playing live on stage. Many acoustic guitars now come with pickups, so you have plenty of options in this area.
Tonewood
The type of wood that your guitar is made out of can impact your tone for playing blues. This short guide will help you pick the best wood for your acoustic guitar. the wood that you pick for your is a personal choice. You’ll have to listen to different instruments to determine the best sound that you like.
Spruce
Spruce is a typical wood for many acoustic guitar tops. It has a smooth and sweet tone. It is good overall wood. It is warm and not too bright. It’s quite common so you will find it with many different guitars. It’s a suitable wood for a blues guitar playing as well as other guitar styles. There are different types of spruce, such as Sitka Spruce or Adirondack spruce. Cedar is also suitable for blues.
Mahogany
Agony is a dense wood and it has a dark finish. The tone of this wood is quite warm. It’s darker than cedarwood or spruce which mini guitars are made out of. It has a punchy tone, which makes it excellent for blues guitar playing. The deep tone is perfect for fingerstyle blues or for strumming blues guitar chords.
Koa
Koa comes from Hawaii. This wood sounds a little bright when it is new. The more you play the guitar, the more the sound opens with this wood. It gives you a sweet and rich that resonates. It’s a great tonewood for playing rhythm and blues guitar. It’s also suitable for slide guitar playing.
Guitar Strings Matter for Blues
You may think you have the best blues acoustic guitar, but this won’t matter without good strings. It’s ideal for blues guitar to use a light gauge string if you’re going to be playing fingerstyle or lead guitar work. These strings are easier to bend. In blues guitar, Bends are common. You don’t want heavy strings on your acoustic guitar if you plan to do a lot of string bending. I would avoid nylon string guitars for blues guitar playing. The nylon strings don’t have enough punch for blues music.
If you play mainly rhythm blues guitar, get a set of medium strings. These will give you the punch in the resonance that you need for the chords to ring during the song. Light guitar strings aren’t as suitable for rhythm guitar playing. The heavier strings also sustain more.
You can experiment a little bit with your guitar string sets.
Try the light set if your lead guitar player and the medium sets if you play more rhythm. You can always mix and match and have a custom set. The strings you use will depend upon your personal preferences, but this guide should help you out.
Are Expensive Guitars Easier to Play?
Yes. In general, expensive guitars are easier to play. This is because they are made with quality components. They often have a better neck, wood, and so on. If you can afford it, spend some money on your guitar.
Is it Hard to Learn Blues Guitar?
No. Blues guitar is like any other style. You will get out what you put into it. If you practice a lot, you’ll get better. Make sure you listen to the blues masters to get a feel for their individual styles. A good guitar teacher can help you.
What is the Most Popular Blues Acoustic Guitar?
This varies a lot. It all depends on what you like. Guitars are a subjective thing. What you like may not be what another player likes. You will need to experiment a bit until you find something that works for you.
What is the Point of a Resonator Guitar?
A resonator guitar provides a classic blues sound. It’s an amazing guitar for fingerpicking blues and old-style sounds. If you fingerpick blues or want to play and of the older classic songs, a resonator is a solid option. Another name for them is dobro.
What Strings Should I Use for Blues?
It’s best to use light strings as these are easier on the hands. They are great for beginners. If you have tougher hands and have played for a while, try medium strings. Mediums are best for strumming patterns.
Acoustic Blues Guitar Tips
- Read reviews before you buy
- Use light strings for lead, medium for rhythm work
- Change strings often for the best tone
- Get an acoustic-electric if you plan to play live a lot
- Make sure the guitar is comfortable for you, not someone else
- Put a humidifier in your guitar case to protect the wood
Best Blues Acoustic Guitar Reviews
1. Fender Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar – Best for Complete Beginners
For those that are new to blues guitar, the Fender Dreadnaught Acoustic Guitar Kit is a good option. You get a nice dreadnaught style of guitar and accessories. This kit will save you a lot of money. You won’t have to buy these accessories separately. Accessories include picks, instructional DVD, strings, gig bag tuner, and more.
The guitar features a laminate construction. The top is made with Lindenwood. The sides and back are mahogany which improves the tone of the instrument. The interior features X-bracing for added durability. The fingerboard is stained maple and easy to play. You get three months of Fender play when you buy this guitar. This program through Fender helps you learn to play the guitar. You have everything that you need to get started with the guitar, and it’s the best acoustic for blues beginners.
Pros:
- Full-sized guitar
- Easy to play
- Solid construction
Cons:
- Might be too big for younger players
- Lacks the tone of more expensive instruments
2. Blueridge BR-160 Historic Series Dreadnought Guitar – Best for Strumming
For those looking to strum blues guitar chords, you need a solid and dependable acoustic guitar. Blueridge makes exceptional guitars such as the BR-160, which is an excellent instrument for blues guitar chords.
You get excellent tone thanks to the solid Sitka spruce top. The sides and back feature Indian rosewood which gives the guitar a great bass response that cuts through. The guitar is stabilized with interior x-bracing. The mahogany neck is slim so this guitar is easy to play. This playability is further enhanced by a solid rosewood fingerboard. The guitar has a nice vintage-looking tortoiseshell pickguard. You get a padded Blueridge gig bag when you order.
Pros:
- Solid construction
- Nice sound
- Comes with a case
Cons:
- Some uses had light finish imperfections on their guitar
- A little expensive
3. Takamine GD30CE-NAT Dreadnought Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar – Best for Blues Lead Guitar
This Takamine acoustic-electric guitar has a mahogany back and a solid spruce top. it provides excellent resonance sound. The mahogany neck has a rosewood fingerboard. This neck offers exceptional playability and a great feel. The guitar has a standard black pickguard to protect the finish and two strap buttons. Each guitar is inspected before leaving the factory to ensure quality standards are met.
To enhance playability for lead guitar work, there is a cutaway. This makes it easier to hit the higher frets that you need to play for blues solos. It’s the perfect guitar for playing on stage because it has a preamp system. it features a built-in tuner as well as a 3-band equalizer. The nut is made with synthetic bone. It has a split bridge saddle, which stabilizes the tuning. You get chrome die-cast tuners. String changing is easy with the pinless bridge. Other extras include a high gloss finish. If you want a guitar that makes blues guitar soloing easy, this Takamine is for you.
Pros:
- Cutaway body
- EQ system and tuner
- Nice finish
- Pinless bridge
Cons:
- EQ system may confuse beginners
- You need an amp to use the EQ
- Some users had quality control issues
4. Yamaha APX600 NA Thin Body Acoustic-Electric Guitar – Best for Fingerstyle Blues
The Yamaha APX600 NA is an excellent instrument for those that want to play fingerstyle blues, and other blues music. The top is made from spruce to enhance the sound of the guitar. The body is a thin-line style construction so it’s easier to hold and play. It has narrow string spacing so your fingers can reach the notes with ease. The scalloped bracing system gives the guitar more bass response.
The guitar has preamp piezo pickup and a built-in tuner for easy guitar tuning. You get stable and dependable tuning with the die-cast tuners. It has a rosewood bridge and fingerboard. The back and sides are made with sourced tonewood for environmental sustainability. This is an excellent instrument for any blues player looking to do some fingerpicking.
Pros:
- Easy to hold and play with thin-line construction
- EQ system and built-in tuner
- Cutaway for easy access to higher frets
Cons:
- Not as loud as some acoustic guitars
- EQ may be confusing for some users
- Some guitars may need slight adjustments before playable
5. Epiphone Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe Square Neck Resonator Guitar, Brown – Best Classic Blues Guitar
For those that want to play classic blues guitar, a dobro or resonator guitar is a good option. This Epiphone Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe is an excellent instrument to start playing classic Blues. Epiphone is the lower-cost Gibson the brand. Don’t let this fool you because Epiphone Guitars are excellent instruments.
Enhance the tone biscuit are features an open Sound well-designed. It comes with a spider resonator to improve the sound of the instrument. The cover plate features a fan pattern and it has nickel-plated hardware. Built into the instrument is a Fishman resonator pick up. This instrument is ready to plug into any amplifier. The nut is a tusq style. The back and body are made from maple wood. The fretboard is rosewood. The neck is comfortable and easy to play. If you’re looking to play some great classic blues, this resonator from Epiphone is the right option.
Pros:
- Classic blues look
- Fishman pickup
- Easy to play
Cons:
- Not suitable for some blues styles
- May need some initial setup
Conclusion
The best blues acoustic guitar form our list is the Takamine GD30CE-NAT Dreadnought Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar. The reason for this is that it’s a well-rounded instrument. It has a cutaway so you can reach the higher frets with ease. It has electronics so it’s gig-ready. The instrument is easy to play. Takamine is an established brand so you know you’re getting quality at a reasonable price.
The other guitars would also make great choices. Beginners will love the Fender Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar a sit’s a total package. Strummers will love the Blueridge BR-160 Historic Series Dreadnought. The Yamaha APX600 NA Thin Body is perfect for fingerstyle. For classic blues players go for the Epiphone Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe. These blues guitar have a little bit of everything for today’s player.