Folk and Orchestra Acoustic Guitars

Folk guitar and orchestra models

A folk guitar is a mid sized acoustic that is easy to hold and balanced to play. This page covers 90 Tanglewood folk acoustic guitars and orchestra models, priced from £129 to £1,999. Plenty are folk electro acoustic guitars, ready to plug in.

How the shapes differ

The orchestra guitar is slightly smaller than a dreadnought, with a clear, even voice that suits fingerpicking and light strumming. The Super Folk is a little larger and adds a cutaway for reaching high notes. You will also see OO Folk, Mini Folk and Travel Folk shapes, plus a few Grand Auditorium guitars. If you want a bigger body, see our dreadnought guitars.

Models by price

• At £129 the Crossroads TWCRO, Crossroads TC3 and Strada TS3 are orchestra guitars with mahogany or spruce tops.
• At £199 the TC3E and TWCROE add electronics.
• At £399 the Reunion Pro TRU4CEAE, TRU4CEAK and TRU4CEAW are Super Folk cutaways with solid spruce tops.
• At £449 the Winterleaf Super Folk cutaways come with solid mahogany, cedar or spruce tops.
• At £799 the Sundance Historic TW40 O AN E and TW40 SO HC E are solid spruce.
• At £1,199 to £1,499 the Sundance Reserve TW45RE and Heritage TW45HSRE are premium Super Folk guitars.

Choosing a folk guitar

Pick the finish and wood that suit you. Winterleaf Carbon, at £399, has a genuine carbon fibre top that copes well with changes in room humidity. Rosewood Smart and Winterleaf Exotic guitars at £549 pair solid tops with a more refined finish. For a first guitar, the lower priced orchestra models are comfortable for smaller players. For regular gigging, a Super Folk cutaway with a pickup is the practical choice.

There are also some less common choices. The Winterleaf TW612CEAVB is a 12 string Grand Auditorium at £479, which gives a shimmering, chiming sound. The Premier TP4CE at £599 uses a solid engelmann spruce top, and the Roadster X TRX4CE at £299 is a good value Super Folk electro. Whichever you pick, the folk shape is a friendly all rounder that works for songwriting, accompaniment and practice alike.

Not sure which body suits you? Our full acoustic guitars page lets you compare every shape. All orders include free UK delivery.