Guitars Under £500

Finding the best acoustic guitar under 500

If you are searching for the best acoustic guitar under 500 pounds, the Tanglewood range gives you a lot of choice. This page lists 181 models priced from £89 to £499, covering acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars in several body shapes. You can also browse guitars under £300 if you want to spend less.

Budget bands and what they buy

At around £129 you will find the Crossroads models, such as the TWCRD Dreadnought, the TWCRP Parlour and the TWCRT Travel Guitar. They have mahogany tops and suit a first guitar or a spare for the sofa. The Strada TS3 Orchestra at £129 has a spruce top.

Move up to £199 and the same Crossroads shapes gain pickups, as on the TWCRDE Dreadnought Electro and the TC3E Orchestra. At £299 the TRX4CE adds a spruce top and electronics in a Super Folk cutaway body.

Solid tops between £399 and £499

The top end of this price band is where solid tops appear. The Reunion Pro TRU4CEAE has a solid spruce top at £399, and the Winterleaf Carbon TW4CECBN uses genuine carbon fibre at the same price. At £449 the Winterleaf guitars offer solid mahogany, cedar or spruce tops, all with electronics and a cutaway. The Winterleaf Blonde TW4CEBLA costs £479.

How to choose

• Body shape: a dreadnought is the classic strummer, a Super Folk or orchestra body is comfortable to play, and a parlour or travel guitar is easy to carry.
• Electronics: choose an electro-acoustic if you plan to play on stage or plug in to an amp. Otherwise a plain acoustic leaves more of the budget for the wood.
• Top wood: solid tops usually sound fuller and open up with playing, while laminate tops keep the price down.

Getting more from your budget

Set your top price first, then decide what matters most. A player who mainly practises at home may prefer a plain acoustic with a better top wood, while someone who gigs needs a pickup and a cutaway. Players who like a bigger sound can look at the jumbo acoustic guitars, and anyone buying for a young learner can start with the smaller shapes. All the models here are from one brand, so you can compare them on shape, top wood and price alone. Spending a little more usually brings a solid top and electronics together, which is why the £449 Winterleaf guitars are popular upgrades from the £199 and £299 models.

For a wider look at the range, see all acoustic guitars or the electro-acoustic guitars. Every order ships with free UK delivery.