Best acoustic-electric guitar under 1000 or 500 -Which price should you fix?

Trust me! Among 50% of people get confused before structuring their acoustic-electric guitar price. Do you know why? Well, there are two main problems:

  • Too many suggestions.
  • Not having a final goal.

In this article, I will solve the two main problems with your desired solutions. The solutions include the following topics:

  • Review
  • Best acoustic-electric guitar under 1000
  • Best acoustic-electric guitar under 500
  • Bullet-proof buying guide
  • FAQ: Don’t miss it!
  • 5 money-saving acoustic guitar maintenance guide

 

100 of people trusted my suggestions to fix their guitar price. So, don’t skip! You are going to reduce your stress once and forever after reading my article. Let’s start with the review first:

Review: Get the best suggestions

When you ask for suggestions in a forum, you get numerous suggestions. Some of the recommendations are good, or some of them are not worthy. This situation throws you in a dilemma, right?

Yes! And My reviews will get rid of your dilemma. Here you will see ten acoustic-electric guitars. These are divided into two parts: under $100 and $500. So, read the reviews and decide the budget later.

Our top picks of best electric guitar under 1000..

If you are in a rush, the below chart will assist you in picking the right acoustic guitar since we have discussed the key features of the top acoustic guitars.

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Top picks of best electric guitar under 500..

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Detail Review of Best acoustic-electric guitars under 1000

Taylor GS Mini-e Solid Koa Top ESB w/Gig Bag with case

Taylor GS Mini-e Solid Koa Top ESB

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No guitar feels as safe as Gs-Mini e series. You can travel with it, or even can perform a professional acoustic show. The Gs mini ensures this safe feeling through its expert proved features. So, what are the features?

First, the wood: it covers with Hawaiian koa and Mahogany. This wood mixture ensures weatherproof for all sessions. You don’t have to worry about sound quality.

The Gs mini sounds perfect in two moods: Mic and Jack. I played open chords, notes, and fingerpicking in both moods. Trust me! Every sound reflects the real feel of nature.

I could even feel the tropical sound. It’s because of the amazing fret and neck polish. Yes! That is my second point.

The frets size is perfect for all sized fingers. One of my friends tried with his fatty fingers; here is what I heard. His barre chords sound good, but the open chord seems muted. 

So, if your fingers are not average, think twice. Apart from this factor, I am happy with the headstock and ESB electronics system

Six high-quality chromium tuners back the headstock. These tuner pegs can hold the tune for a long time. So, a one-time tune can continue a whole show. 

Like the tuner pegs, the Gs mini has signature Taylor strings. The string tensions are good enough to endure the travel pressure. In a word, be the proud member of Taylor to create history.

Reasons to Pick

  • Attractive look.
  • ESB piezo preamp.
  • Loud sound.
  • Easy to carry.
  • Gigbag

Any Drawbacks?

  • If your fingers are not average, think twice.

Taylor Baby Taylor BTe-Koa Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar

aylor Baby Taylor BTe-Koa Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar

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Tell me! Who does not want to surprise their audience? Every musician. The surprise consists of a combination of fingers and strings.

And Baby Taylor made it happen. It is layered with Hawaiian koa with tonewood for crunchy sound. You will feel the real ambient vibe with every strum.

Musicians like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift use this type of guitar as a second weapon. They even compose most of the songs with a travel guitar like this. So, why do they prefer this guitar? Lightweight and bright sound.

There are also some other reasons. For example, baby Taylor frets and strings are well aligned. This means you don’t have to struggle with intonation.

Plus, it has sturdy tuner pegs with a heavy headstock. One of the biggest advantages of the heavy headstock is: it can control the sound vibration. This is essential for amplifying the sound through an amp.

For amplifying the sound in a controlled way, Taylor introduced the signature ESB electronic. It has a guitar tuner and an LED indicator.

The total pickup system runs with a 3v battery. In a word, you are one step back to rock your audience. Grab the guitar before limiting the stock.

Reasons to Pick

  • Dreadnought
  • Travel guitar.
  • Loud sound.
  • Fret space is good
  • Gigbag

Any Drawbacks?

  • The strings could be better

Taylor GS Mini-e Walnut/Spruce Acoustic

Taylor GS Mini-e Walnut/Spruce Acoustic

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First and third guitar models are the same, yet there are breathtaking features in this walnut series.

What are those features? Let me write for you.

Taylor GS is one of the highly sold guitars. The sound and construction ensure the right sound demand.

Personally, I observed the whole guitar. It has a spruce top and walnut back and side. These wood combinations offer weatherproof with a bright sound.

Not only that, but it also has a satin finish with a laminated guard to protect from scratch. On top of the body, the nubone saddle ensures enough tension. It boosts up the playing comfort.

What’s More, the saddle has three unique sensors to amplify the real acoustics tone. This is possible for Taylor’s signature ESB pickup.

It has a tuner and sound control for 3 hours. That’s the reflection of powerful battery life. So, it proves why experts choose GS walnut as their best studio companion.

Reasons to Pick

  • Sapele wood neck.
  • Walnut back and side.
  • Chromium tuner
  • Walnut top.
  • Long battery life
  • Gigbag

Any Drawbacks?

  • Comparatively not good as Hawaiian Koe.

Takamine G Series GD30CE-12 

Takamine G Series GD30CE-12 

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Takamine revealed the best experience that nobody gave. Here is how? This G series is unique from the previous guitar. It has 12 strings in a regular-sized rosewood fretboard. 

Usually, most of the 12 strings fretboard has chances of fret buzz and playing problems. But Takamine ensures hassle-free playing through first to last frets. That is why people rated it four out of five.

Another reason for this satisfying rating is its body. The body has two different wood mixes: Mahogany and spruce. On top of the body, you will see laminated spruce with a pickguard.

The Side and the back part has a Mahogany layer too. This combination ensures full protection against the weather. So, no matter where you go for the show, you are safe. 

Whatsmore, Takamine gave increased concentration on sound amplification. That is why they installed a high-quality piezo pickup. 

This pickup has a tone adjustment knob and tuners. The tuner is accurate though it turns off automatically, yet it cannot be a deal-breaker. Why? 

The G series offers the best sound amplification, which means you will hear the same sound in your amp like the way you play through a microphone.

Takamine also cares about nitty-gritty little things. Like, they installed the top-notch bone nut and chrome tuner pegs on the headstock.

And that is why guitarists smile after the day they pay off. So, why are you waiting? Get the best deal now.

Reasons to Pick

  • Dreadnought guitar.
  • Loud sound.
  • Buzzfree strings. 

Any Drawbacks?

  • The tuner turns off automatically. 

Taylor Academy 12e Grand Concert

Taylor Academy 12e Grand Concert

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Want to make the summer memorable? Taylor 12 e could be the real gear for making your summer remarkable.

It offers a unique armrest for playing chords or fingerstyle with ease. This feature made this guitar unique from all academy series.

The 12e also features spruce wood on top with a Sapele layer. Trust me! This combination alleviates the ear pain that you have been suffering from. How? 

Let me tell you a story. You are having a barbecue party and playing the melodious fingerstyle to make the environment calm. Soon you started to play; your sound started to crack the amp! A real embarrassment, right? 

Taylor can be your life-saver. It has ESB pickup with patented sensors for amplifying the sound. So, you don’t have to worry about the audience. Just inform the sound engineer – that’s all! 

You can even power up the party with some Jazz fingerstyle. For that, this guitar has smoky sound construction. Change the tune and see the magic of a real dreadnought. Want to try? Get down to the link.


Reasons to Pick

  • Loud sound.
  • Perfect for beginners.
  • Armrest.
  • Chromium tuner pegs.
  • Hard-foamed gig bag.

Any Drawbacks?

  • I wish the weight could be light.

Detail Review of Best acoustic electric guitar under 500

Fender CD-60SCE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Fender CD-60SCE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar

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Ever since the CD-60 came into the market, it started to amaze all the guitarists. The reasons for this excitement are the beautiful construction.

Here are the detailed offers of CD-60. Fender used North American Mahogany on the whole guitar. On top of the body, they used a spruce layer to ensure sound clarity. 

You will feel real pop-blues, country, or whatever you like through every strum. To make sure this amazing mix sound, Fender used Scalloped X bracing.

Now, what is Scalloped X bracing? It was first introduced in 1944 by Martin guitar. This is a guitar body structure to spice up the sound. 

For example, some want a focused bass sound. The bracing has designed to produce a mysterious sound. That is the unique selling point of CD-60.

Fender even took a competitive advantage by inventing this guitar series. This series has everything the same as regular acoustic-electric: only the X brace and body construction changed the game. 

So, what are you waiting for? Go fast to get your guitar under your budget.

Reasons to Pick

  • Dreadnought guitar.
  • Fishman electronics. 
  • Loud sound.
  • Different color variations.
  • Comes with a total guitar package. 

Any Drawbacks?

  • Fret edge seems sharp, yet it’s not a dealbreaker.

Fender FA-125CE Dreadnought Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Fender FA-125CE Dreadnought Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar

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Is this FA 125 a real game-changer? I don’t think so, but it is a perfect skill developer.

Fender introduced this super-affordable guitar for electric guitarists.

The guitar features an ultra-slim rosewood frets to ease up the electric guitar player’s hand.

It also has a smooth string set for noodling up licks. One can even enjoy the crunchy open or barre chords in it.

For that, fenders used mahogany and basswood in the body. These wood combinations are often claimed as the source of magical sound.

Why? Because the FA-125 offers bass, treble, and tuner control on top of its body.

Guitar players can choose amplifying prices by adjusting the knobs.

One of the crucial questions regarding the tuner is: is it accurate? Well, I tested it with many high-tuners. Yes, the tuner is accurate.

Like the tuner, fenders could not do the right judge with their gig bag. This FA125 could not satisfy me, yet I would buy it for fenders’ great instruction course and sound.

Reasons to Pick

  • Different color options.
  • Loud sound.
  • Thin fret.
  • Dies cast tuner pegs.

Any Drawbacks?

  • The gig bag could be better.

Washburn Woodbine 10 Series WL1012SE

Washburn Woodbine 10 Series WL1012SE

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There is a class of guitarists who need to reflect their personalities through sound. Washburn WL can be a real mirror for them.

It offers an attractive look with a heart-melting tone. For that, Washburn used solid mahogany and bone nuts.

The wood has been collected from North American forests.

Like the wood, the nut and saddle sourced from an authentic supplier.

In a word, a good combination for a dark-warm sound.

To keep the sound natural, Washburn used Fishman pickup with patented sensors. The sensors can produce real acoustic sound in the amp. One can even make the sound better by adjusting tone and tune.

Wow!

Moreover, the strings have blended perfectly with the rosewood fingerboard. I tried to check the truth in our last show.

Every note sounds decent, no fret buzz. Yet, I am not satisfied with the fret length. It’s too big for my fingers. Other than that, this guitar can be the best investment for songwriters and composers.

Reasons to Pick

  • Light sunburst color.
  • High-pickups.
  • Rosewood frets.
  • Moderate sound.

Any Drawbacks?

  • The fret lengths could be better.

Ibanez Performance Series PC12MHCEOPN Grand Concert

Ibanez Performance Series PC12MHCEOPN Grand Concert

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One of the biggest benefits of a grand concert guitar is its flexibility -especially, who loves small guitars with a loud sound.

Ibanez pc12 could be the real saver for them. The body features pure mahogany wood with a rosewood bridge.

This means a warm sound with a bright tone.

On top of the body, it has an Ibanez signature pickup. This pickup has an AEQ2t preamp with a tuner.

All these electronics work well, though the battery corrodes faster. Yet it’s not a deal-breaker.

Another benefit of this affordable guitar is the saddle pin. It adjusts the string attack and tension. As a result, guitarists will feel comfortable playing advanced chords. The overall guitar is great for entry-level guitar. Hurry up! Limited stock.

Reasons to Pick

  • Aesthetic look.
  • Tortoise rosette
  • Lightweight.
  • Loud sound.

Any Drawbacks?

  • I wish battery could support longer than 2 hours

Cordoba C5-CE CD Classical Cutaway Acoustic-Electric

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I wish I could give Cordoba three stars, but the sound reminds me of the real Spanish tradition. The body of C5 has a mixed wood construction.

Cordoba sourced that wood from the Canadian tropical forest. The wood of the Canadian forest has a dry and warm tone. I feel that the real crunch in every flamenco cover. 

This is because of the mahogany back and cedar body. These wood combinations have been preferred by most of the experts. Moreover, the C5 has a rosewood neck, which is not as wide as typical classical guitar.

For that reason, it won millions of beginners. The guitar also has a smooth fret adjustment, though there are slight sharp edges. Yet it does not seem to be a problem. 

Another amazing fact of this CE-Cd is its pickup. It has a tuner, treble, and bass knob: all these buttons work well to amplify the tone. Overall this guitar is good for classical guitar learners.

Reasons to Pick

  • Aesthetic look.
  • Thick neck
  • Warm sound.
  • Nubone nut  

Any Drawbacks?

  • The fret edge could be better.

Bullet-proof buying guide:

Now, you have got the suggestions to get rid of your confusion. Still, there are high chances of not meeting the budget or guitar appearance. It’s normal to face the situation. 

In this case, most beginners need a guide on – how to buy an acoustic-electric guitar? Here is the bullet-proof buying suggestion.

Guitar wood:

First, you will look at the guitar wood because it plays a major role in sound. Here are the descriptions of some common woods according to their sound. 

  • Spruce: Stika is the common subcategory of spruce. This wood is used on top of the body for producing a high-velocity sound. 
  • Cedar:  Most of the guitar manufacturers use Red cedar for a warm tone. These wood made guitars are perfect for fingerstyle guitar players.
  • Mahogany: Mahogany has a low response, but it can produce punchy sound. 
  • Maple: It produces sweet and sour sounds. In a word, maple wood creates a more transparent acoustic sound than other wood.
  • Rosewood: The rosewood tone is higher than other wood. If you look at the fretboard, you will see; most of the guitar has a rosewood fretboard. This is because of the bright overtone.

Body shape:

There are three main body types: Jumbo, Dreadnought, and classical. Each body sounds different. For example, dreadnought and jumbo sound louder than classical shapes. So, decide the body shape based on your demand.

Electronics:

Guitar pickups are one of the crucial considerations for buying acoustic-electric. So, check the eq, tuner, and preamp facilities before buying. These features will help you to fill the large concert room with your guitar sound. Otherwise, there is a high risk of losing a potential audience. 

 Neck and headstock:

Check the neck thickness and width. These two factors should be considered upon the finger size. Like the neck, don’t forget to look at the headstock. The headstock wood and tuner pegs should be your priority, because most of the time, these two things control the string tension.

Bridge and fretboard:

Finally, you will scrutinize the bridge and fretboard quality. To find out the Bridget quality, play open chords and barre chords. Wait! Don’t forget to play guitar solos to test the buzz. Doing this bridge test will help you to find out the fretboard quality. 

What price should you fix?

Now it’s time to fix your budget. I have shared all the reliable sources and information with you. Based on the resources, I can recommend you two proven tips:

  • If you are a struggling artist, then go for the $500
  • If you are planning to expand your gear for better earning, go for $100

 

FAQ:

Does an acoustic-electric guitar need an amp?

Yes, an acoustic guitar needs an amp to amplify the sound. The aim of using preamp and EQ in an acoustic is to give the audience a real acoustic fill in a large room. And that is why manufacturers are researching to produce the best sound. 

 

Do acoustic-electric guitars sound different?

There is a slight difference in acoustic-electric guitar. If you want to feel the comparison, it’s wise to use Mic and Jack. Both will sound different. For example, Mic will sound livelier than jack. 

 

Why do acoustic-electric guitars need batteries?

The acoustic-electric guitar has a preamp. It usually boosts the sound through the amp. So, a battery gives the power to the pickup. Plus, the tuner and Eq need a power supply to work smoothly. That is why acoustic-electric guitar needs batteries.

 

5 money-saving acoustic guitar maintenance guide: 

Here are five basic guitar maintenance tip for you

  1. Understand your environment: A balanced humidity is essential for the guitar body. Why? Because the guitar will get swelled for over humidity, or the wood will shrink for less humidity. It will result in a crackly sound. So, make your room temperature 44 to 45degree to avoid the accident.
  2. Condition the fretboard.: The fretboard wood needs regular conditioning. You can do it once in 15 days. It will nourish the fingerboard from getting old.
  3. Restring the guitar: it is recommended to guitar players that: you have to restring a guitar four times in a year. This process will keep your finger and guitar sound alive.
  4. Clean the guitar regularly: dust can reduce the lifetime of the wood. So, clean the guitar once in a week, at least. 
  5. Give a full body checkup: check every detail of your guitar body. You can start it by checking the headstock, neck, and body. Try to find the problems and solve them.

 

Final words:

I attached all the essentials a guitar player needs. I strongly believe that my suggestion will help you to choose the best guitar. Now let me know: which guitar series do you like most: Best guitar under 1000 or 500? 

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