A new acoustic guitar costs from about $75 to more than $168,000. Of the 1,855 acoustic guitars Thomann had in stock in October 2026, a quarter cost less than $381, half cost less than about $1,120, and 34 cost more than $10,000. The brand sets the level: the median Harley Benton acoustic costs $224, the median Yamaha $809, Taylor $3,206 and Martin $4,241.
Most people need far less than the median. A beginner should spend $200 to $400, ideally on a guitar with a solid spruce top. Solid wood throughout, for back and sides too, mostly starts somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000, and that's where the sound really opens up.
How much does an acoustic guitar cost for beginners?
The one spec worth paying for is a solid top: a single piece of wood instead of laminated layers. It vibrates more freely and sounds fuller, and it improves as the guitar is played in.
Fender CA STD Redondo CE IPG FRD, $219
A cutaway dreadnought with a pickup for plugging in, at a beginner price. One of the highest-ranked dreadnoughts under $400 in our index: #2 of 284 dreadnought acoustic guitars.
Yamaha FG820 SBII, $352
A solid spruce top on a mahogany-laminate body, from the brand many teachers recommend for a first acoustic. #76 of 284 dreadnought acoustic guitars.
Epiphone J-45 Studio Natural, $386
A solid spruce top and a pickup, in the shape of Gibson's famous J-45. #6 of 284 dreadnought acoustic guitars.
Acoustic guitar prices by brand
| Brand | Models | Cheapest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harley Benton | 241 | $73 | $224 |
| Ibanez | 104 | $134 | $358 |
| Fender | 69 | $161 | $375 |
| Yamaha | 99 | $155 | $809 |
| Furch | 150 | $955 | $2,024 |
| Taylor | 178 | $404 | $3,206 |
| Gibson | 108 | $1,665 | $3,936 |
| Martin | 295 | $539 | $4,241 |
Prices are Thomann's as of October 18, 2026.
The middle: travel and all-solid guitars
Taylor GS Mini-e Mahogany, $830
A smaller Taylor that sounds bigger than it looks, with a pickup: a favorite for travel and songwriting. #7 of 384 miscellaneous acoustic guitars.
Gibson J-45 Special Satin Natural, $1,907
A real Gibson J-45 with a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides, in a satin finish that keeps the price down. The highest-ranked dreadnought in our index when we checked: #1 of 284 dreadnought acoustic guitars.
Taylor 314ce Studio Natural, $2,244
A Grand Auditorium with a torrefied solid spruce top, solid sapele back and sides and Taylor's V-Class bracing. #6 of 384 miscellaneous acoustic guitars.
The most expensive acoustic guitar at Thomann
Martin Guitar D-200 Deluxe, $168,364
A Martin D-200 sold together with a matching RGM wristwatch, designed with the watchmaker Roland G. Murphy and limited to 50 sets worldwide. It's more collector's item than instrument. #117 of 284 dreadnought acoustic guitars.
Questions
How much should a beginner spend on an acoustic guitar?
$200 to $400, ideally with a solid top. The Yamaha FG820 costs $352.
Is a $100 acoustic guitar worth it?
It can work for a child or as a beach guitar, but a laminated top and a high action make it harder to learn on.
Why are some acoustic guitars so expensive?
All-solid woods, hand finishing, the maker's name and, at the very top, rare materials and limited editions.
How we measured. We took every acoustic guitar Thomann listed as in stock on October 18, 2026, 1,855 in total, converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate. Products show today's price and rank, updated every night; the table is fixed to October 18.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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