You are currently viewing 5 Best Acoustic Guitars for Intermediate Players (These Help You Progress)

Last Updated on March 6, 2024 by Teemu Suomala

Best Overall Acoustic for Intermediate – Yamaha FG-TA Transacoustic 

Reviewer: Tommy Tompkins

Sound
Playability
Overall Quality
Value For Money
Build

Summary

FG-TA gives you dreadnought sounds that don’t lose to any other acoustic in its price range. But on top of that…

It gives you unplugged effects using a specially designed actuator to vibrate your acoustic guitar’s top. So you’re able to play with a lush chorus and resonant reverb without bothering to run through an amp!

So be ready to hear comments like ”how your playing sound so much better than others” and ”are you using a playback?”

Pros
-Solid spruce + mahogany combo provides classic six-string tones
-Specially designed actuator gives you effects with no extra equipment
-Amazing travel potential; fill out your sound with kinetically-driven chorus and reverb
-SRT zero impact passive pickup faithfully transfers guitar’s natural tone
-Narrow neck improves overall playability

Cons
-Requires an external preamp module for recording
-No onboard EQ means level adjustments must be done on amp 

This is the acoustic that can get your playing and tone onto a new level much faster than any other. And the main reason for that: it motivates you and makes you want to play more.
The best acoustic guitar for intermediate players and one of the best acoustic guitars when it comes to value.

4.8

How Yamaha FG-TA sounds:

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The Next Best:

Best Budget Steel-String – Yamaha APX-600

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros:

  • Sounds good without and with the amp
  • Thin neck, easy to play.
  • The body is small, helps with the overall playability
  • Built-in tuner
  • Great quality 

Cons:

  • Action is only OK
  • Out of the box strings are not the best
  • The sound is slightly boxed

With

  • a comfortable neck,
  • easy playability
  • and solid tones,

APX 600 is a great option for you if you are not ready to spend close to 500 or more. Really smooth playing acoustic guitar.

Best Cutaway – Washburn Comfort G20SCE

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros:

  • Sounds solid, especially mid and high tones are sparkling
  • Really comfortable everywhere, easy to play
  • Quality is great
  • Looks beautiful and modern
  • Great value for money

Cons:

  • The tuner is sometimes inaccurate
  • The original strings are weak
  • Low-end tones could be stronger

Really good choice for intermediate players. Best acoustic guitar for this price range in my opinion, and definitely comfortable as the name states.

Best Mid-Priced Classical – Yamaha CG182S

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros:

  • Really well-balanced sounds
  • The neck is slightly thinner than in classical guitars usually
  • High quality
  • Great bang for your buck

Cons:

  • Little bit more brightness on the sound is needed (please Yamaha!)
  • Not super easy to play (but not too hard either)

This Yamaha is a great classical guitar. It’s not easiest to play, but still comfortable. Sounds are solid and well-balanced.

Can you find a better classical guitar from this price range? I don’t think so. At least it will be really hard.

Best Overall Classical – Cordoba C9 Crossover

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros:

  • Narrower and thinner neck than in regular-sized classical guitars usually.
  • Comfortable and easy to play
  • Sounds really good 
  • Amazing value for the money
  • Setup is usually spot on

Cons:

  • Sometimes small adjustments to action are needed(depends on your playstyle)
  • The sound could be just a little bit warmer

Cordoba C9 Crossover is one of the best classical guitars I know of.

If you can afford it, it’s a great choice. It will offer you easy playability and great tones for years to come.

Compare:


Compare The Tonewoods:

this graphs helps to compare tones of acoustic guitar tonewoods

Check the tonewoods of these axes:

Body Top: Solid Spruce

Sides: Mahogany

Back: Mahogany

Neck: Mahogany

Fretboard: Rosewood

Specs from Yamaha’s site.

Body Top: Spruce (laminated)

Sides: Locally Sourced Tonewood (various leftover woods are used)

Back: Locally Sourced Tonewood (various leftover woods are used)

Neck: Locally Sourced Tonewood (various leftover woods are used)

Fretboard: Rosewood

Specs from Yamaha’s site

Body Top: Solid Sitka Spruce

Sides: Pau Ferro

Back: Mahogany/Bound Pau Ferro

Neck: Satin Mahogany

Fretboard: Ovangkol

Specs from Washburn’s site

Body Top: Solid Engelmann Spruce

Sides: Rosewood

Back: Rosewood

Neck: Nato

Fretboard: Ebony

Specs from Yamaha’s site

Body Top: Solid Western Red Cedar

Sides: Solid African Mahogany

Back: Solid African Mahogany

Neck: Mahogany

Fretboard: Rosewood

Specs from Cordoba’s site.

For more cool info about tonewoods, check this acoustic guitar tonewoods article.


You have been playing for a while and now it’s time. Time for a new acoustic guitar. But your target is more specific than ‘’a good acoustic guitar’’…

You want the best acoustic guitar for the intermediate player!

And that’s what you need. The best guitar possible. The guitar that fits your needs. The guitar that will serve you for years….. and now, we will find you that acoustic guitar!

It’s impossible to pick just one best acoustic guitar for everyone, and that’s why I included 3 different steel-string acoustic guitars and 2 nylon-string classical guitars to choose from.

Before we look closer at these best acoustic guitars for intermediate players, let’s quickly talk about the qualities an intermediate player should look for from an acoustic guitar.

Every one of these acoustic guitars is here based on extensive research and combined 27+ years experience of me(Tommy) and Teemu.

Who crafted this post:

Tommy Tompkins Profile Picture 2

Author: Tommy Tompkins

Playing guitar since 2004. Primarily an acoustic guitarist who plays and writes traditional American folk music, with a background in melodic metal and a solid foundation as a bassist.

photo reveals owner of guitaristnextdoor.com

Editing & Research: Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I love guitars and have played dozens and dozens of different guitars through different amps and pedals over the years, and also, building a website interested me, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website.

I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have also been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as SongsterrMusicnotesGuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar.

I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog (I guess that went the right way…).


Our Favorite Music Store in The World!

Why?

– Excellent Customer Service (4.7/5 Trustpilot Score)

– Fast & Free Shipping

– Gear is Inspected, Tested, & Ready to Play When it Arrives to You (We love this)

– Fair Prices

Visit Sweetwater:

Our Reviews of The Top 5

Buyer’s GuideWhat Intermediate Player Should Look For?

I recommend that you look for an acoustic guitar that:

  • Fits your needs (playstyle, experience, weak and strong points) 
  • Is comfortable to play
  • Is high-quality as possible
  • You can play the music you love with it
  • Is versatile

I hope that all this makes sense to you. With these points, you can find an excellent instrument that helps you to progress.

Psst. About making progress, this article for intermediate guitar players will lead you into advanced skill level in no-time!

Also, remember to buy the best guitar you can afford. A guitar that will serve you for years to come. And after… let’s say 10 years, you will be happy that you bought the best guitar possible.

I hope that you have at least some idea about what you need. And if not…No problem. You can still look at my recommendations and progress from there.

Now it is time to take a closer look at these sweet acoustic guitars. First, I reveal my 3 favorite steel-string acoustic guitars from different price points. After that, I’ll show you 2 different nylon-string acoustic guitars.

If you want to make your learing process faster, these intermediate guitar books will help!


Best Steel-String Acoustic Guitars for Intermediate Players

Best Budget Steel-String – Yamaha APX-600 – Electric Acoustic

displays Yamaha APX-600 Headstock
Headstock of my Yamaha APX-600.

Yamaha APX-500 is easily one of the most sold electric-acoustic guitars ever. 

I played the Yamaha APX-500 first time in the summer of 2018. It was so easy to play, due to the thin body and neck, and the sound was still good.   

Yamaha APX-600 is an upgraded version of APX-500. And it’s even better. APX-600 is a great option if you have a tighter budget.

Sound

The main upgrades of APX-600 are

  • a less boxed tone,
  • increased low end-, 
  • and stronger mid-range sounds. 

This acoustic guitar has a spruce top. The sound is clear and warm, but it’s still slightly boxed. It’s not a big deal, but a small flaw still. For the price, I’m satisfied with the sound. Clear and bright, without losing the warmth and full tones either.

Hear how this one sounds yourself from this GND sound demo:

Playability
displays Yamaha APX-600 Action from 1st fret
My copy of APX 600 had really low action from 1st fret.

The nut width is 1.69 inches (43 mm). So it’s narrow. Easy to play, especially for small hands (more acoustic guitars for small hands). If you place your thumb in the right place, you can reach frets quite easily.

This acoustic guitar also gives you

  • a slightly shorter scale than usual: 25”(25.5” is standard). This reduces string tension and makes playability easier.
  • Narrower string spacing. This makes playing for small hands easy.

Also, the body is smaller sized too. This makes overall playability better, and moving from electric guitar to this is smooth. This acoustic guitar is easy to handle.

But, out of the box action is only OK.

You can lower action, but be careful if you are going to sandpaper the saddle yourself. Because when you lower it, you can’t make it back higher without replacing the saddle. If you are a beginner, I recommend that you let a professional handle the action setup if that is needed.

displays Yamaha APX-600 Neck Shape
Neck Shape of Yamaha APX-600.

Check our picks for the best acoustic guitars under $500 here.

Quality/looks
displays Yamaha APX-600 Bridge
Bridge of Yamaha APX-600.

There is not much to complain about the quality and looks. 

Solid finish all around.  Everything looks and feels smooth. Stays in tune well. But there is something to complain about…

Out of the box strings are not the best. Pretty hard for your fingers. You can totally play with these, but if you buy a set of lighter strings, playing will be easier. I would recommend you to first try the original strings out, and buy new strings if needed.

A built-in tuner is a nice bonus. It’s powered by 2 AA batteries. Really easy to use, works great.

Pros:

  • Sounds good without and with the amp
  • Thin neck, easy to play (intermediate guitarists will appreciate this a lot!)
  • The body is small, helps with the overall playability
  • Built-in tuner
  • Great quality 

Cons:

  • Action is only OK
  • Out of the box strings are not the best
  • Sound is slightly boxed

Check our favorite Yamaha acoustic guitars here.

Summary

With a comfortable neck, easy playability, and solid tones, APX 600 is a great option for you if you are not ready to spend close to 500 or more. This Yamaha is one of the smoothest playing budget acoustic guitars available.

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Best Cutaway Steel-String – Washburn Comfort Series USM-WCG20SCE

The name states ”Comfort”…but is it really comfortable? And can you get good tones with this ”comfort”? Let’s find out.

Sound

With a solid spruce top and mahogany sides, this acoustic guitar provides a smooth and clear sound. Especially the high tones come out bright and sparkling.

The mid-range is really articulate. The low end is OK, but it’s a little bit too quiet in my opinion. Of course with your playing, you can make it louder.

If you are playing gentle fingerstyle the sound can sometimes be a little bit weak. But overall, this acoustic guitar handles a great variety of tones really well.

Hear how this acoustic guitar sounds:

Playability

It’s a comfort series acoustic guitar. And yes. It’s comfortable.

The nut width is 43mm(1.69 inches), so the neck feels familiar to electric guitar players too. This makes this guitar really easy to play. Even for people with small hands.

The neck is smooth and frets are easy to access if you use your thumb correctly. You probably need to adjust the action a little bit, but minor action adjustments are almost always needed with acoustic guitars. So no big deal.

This acoustic guitar has a truss rod. Ajusting the neck is easy.

Carving on the side and top of the guitar makes playing more comfortable than with a regular body. You can access the strings easier with your pick hand. You can especially notice this when playing fingerstyle.

Playability is excellent for the price.

Quality/looks

Guitar’s whole body, tuning machines, and electronics are really great in quality. Nice consistent finish, stays in tune well and the electronics work like a charm.

But the original strings and the built-in tuner are a little bit weak. You can play with the strings, but replacing them from the start is probably a wise thing to do. The tuner is OK, but sometimes it’s a little bit inaccurate.

I really like the looks of this acoustic guitar. The Carved edge gives this one a nice modern look. Definitely a treat for your eyes.

Pros:

  • Sounds solid, especially mid and high tones are sparkling
  • Really comfortable everywhere, easy to play
  • Quality is great
  • Looks beautiful and modern
  • Great value for money

Cons:

  • The tuner is sometimes inaccurate
  • Original strings are weak
  • Low-end tones could be stronger

Summary

Really good choice for intermediate players. Best acoustic guitar for this price range in my opinion, and definitely comfortable as the name states.

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Best Overall Acoustic for Intermediate – Yamaha FG-TA Transacoustic 

This acoustic-electric, besides its overall quality build, gives you unplugged effects.

Using a specially designed actuator to vibrate your acoustic guitar’s top, you’re able to play with a lush chorus and resonant reverb without bothering to run through an amp.

If you’re lost, that’s understandable—I was too the first time I read about the FG-TA. It sounds just about impossible to have effects without pedals or at least an amp, right?

But, with the Transacoustic, you really can simply turn a knob or two on the guitar to imbue your sound with some really sweet sonic alterations.

But how good is this axe really? Let’s find out!

Sound

Especially for beginners and intermediate players, the Yamaha FG-TA Transacoustic will sound sublime.

How this Yamaha sounds unplugged?

Spruce and mahogany are an altogether common tonewood combo that sounds about as you’d expect any acoustic to.

However, it is loud thanks to its dreadnought shape and scalloped X-bracing. Don’t get me wrong, this axe sounds great without any effects, but still, these sounds are really standard for guitar at this price range.

It’s when you activate that sweet TA system that the Transacoustic really shines.

With no digital processing, the reverb and chorus it produces are authentic and truly heavenly to hear.

They’re effects produced in the truest way—simply vibrations caused by your own playing, responding to each nuance of your style in pure form. And, while the chorus is adjustable by presence, the reverb actually has two settings, both a room and a hall effect.

The FG-TA Transacoustic sounds great plugged in, too! Yamaha’s SRT pickup system uses a separate piezo element for each string, so the fullest range of tone and harmonics is transferred through the final sound source.

Hear how this acoustic guitar sounds:

Playability
Image reveals Yamaha FG TA Transacoustic nut width

If you can get down with the playing feel of a dreadnought acoustic, this acoustic guitar will be a fine match for you.

It’s got a traditional western style body and a straightforward C-shaped neck that feel almost like every other standard acoustic.

With a rosewood fretboard, you’ve ensured a silky smooth playing surface that’s soft and responsive beneath your fingertips.

Noticed that I said that this feels ”almost” like any other acoustic?

This FG-TA has one big advantage when compared to other similar-sized acoustic guitars… it has a slightly narrower nut width(1.69″ (43 mm)).

This improves overall playability, and if you have small hands or short fingers, this is definitely great news for you, because frets are pretty easy to access with a narrow neck.

And if you adjust the action according to your own preference, this axe will probably be a pleasure to play.

Quality/Looks

On the surface, the Yamaha FG-TA is a pretty standard mid-range acoustic guitar. It’s made with the basic components of most acoustics around the $500 range, although it is put together with solid, dependable construction.

The real virtue of the FG-TA acoustic guitar is its effect capabilities. There’s nothing else like the Transacoustic series in their ability to let you play with beautiful chorus and reverb using nothing but the instrument in your hands.

I think one of the things I like the most about the FG Transacoustic guitar is that it doesn’t try to show off. From the outside, it’s just your basic dreadnought—no frills or fancy inlays—simplicity is sometimes a synonym for beautiful.

Summary

Pros

  • Solid spruce + mahogany combo provides classic acoustic sounds
  • Specially designed actuator gives you effects with no extra equipment
  • Amazing travel potential; fill out your sound with kinetically-driven chorus and reverb (great potential for intermediate guitarists)
  • SRT zero impact passive pickup faithfully transfers guitar’s natural tone
  • Narrow neck improves overall playability

Cons

  • Requires an external preamp module for recording
  • No onboard EQ means level adjustments must be done on amp

If you’ve been playing a while but are bored of plain old six-string tones, the Yamaha FG-TA can add spice to your sound wherever you go.

For pros, this is a great travel instrument that can keep your private jams interesting, but it’s not limited to bedroom noodling. With a proper preamp, you can use the FG-TA for all your professional playing needs. One of the best mid-priced acoustic guitars out there.

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Best Classical Guitars for Intermediate Players

Best Mid-Priced Classical – Yamaha CG182C & S

Yamaha CG182C (cedar top)and S (spruce-top) are mid-priced instruments and music stores state that these give you features that you usually found from more expensive classical guitars

Let’s find out if all that is true.

Sound

Solid cedar top with rosewood back and sides provide really full and warm sound. To be honest, I was not expecting sounds this good.

Really steady tones from low to high ends.

This is a really consistent and well-balanced guitar sound-wise. The sound would be just perfect in my opinion if there would be slightly more brightness on it. 

There is a solid spruce top version of this guitar available. In this case, the spruce top provides more brightness but the overall sound is not so full, open, and warm. That’s why I prefer the cedar top version. 

But both still sound really good for the price in my opinion.

Hear how both, Cedar-, and Spruce top sound:

Playability
Image reveals Yamaha CG182C nut width

Nut width is 52mm(2.05inches).  The neck is slightly narrower than in classical guitars in general and this improves the playability for most of us.

Still, this acoustic guitar is not super easy to play. Especially if you have been playing an electric guitar before, I would maybe look for a guitar with a smaller neck. Of course with practice, everyone can learn to play this.

But this guitar is still comfortable and fun to play. No question about it. 

I own a Yamaha C40, and it’s a really comfortable instrument when you get used to it. You can expect even more from the CG182C. Because of better materials, a more detailed finish, and thinner and narrower neck.

So if you are willing to practice, you can learn to play this guitar really smoothly. It’s a typical classical guitar in good and bad(with a slightly thinner neck).

Quality/looks

Yamaha is known for its high-quality instruments from every price range. And Yamaha CG182C and S are definitely like that. Highest quality possible for this price point.

The finish is solid, no rough edges, stays in tune, and will serve you for a long time.

It looks like a typical classical guitar. But when I compare this to my cheaper Yamaha C40, I can see the difference. Especially the rosewood sides look really pleasant to my eyes. The overall finish is really beautiful.

Pros:

  • Really well-balanced sounds
  • The neck is slightly thinner than in classical guitars usually
  • High quality
  • Great bang for your buck

Cons:

  • Little bit more brightness on the sound needed (please Yamaha!)
  • Not super easy to play…but not too hard either (if you are used to playing electric guitar, it can take some time getting used to this)
Summary

This Yamaha is a great classical guitar. It’s not easiest to play, but still comfortable. Sounds are solid and well-balanced. Can you find a better classical guitar from this price range? I don’t think so. At least it will be really hard.


Best Budget Classical – Yamaha C40II

If you are looking for a budget classical guitar, I have nothing else to say to you than Yamaha C40II. It’s definitely the best tight-budget classical guitar out there. I have owned the previous version C40 for 10 years. I play it almost every day and it still sounds great.

And you can check the price of the updated version ”C40II” on Amazon by clicking here.


Best Overall Classical – Cordoba C9 Crossover

This guitar is for those who have a slightly bigger budget and want a really comfortable classical guitar playing experience.

Sound

C9 Crossover comes with a solid cedar top with a mahogany back and sides. This guitar offers great steady sounds from high- to low-end. Rich and clean.

  • Mahogany provides warmth and ensures full tones.
  • Cedar adds brightness and makes the tone more articulate.

Well balanced. I love it.

I would be 100% happy with the sound if it would be just a little bit warmer. Juust a little bit. But this is no game-breaker.

Hear how the Cordoba C9 Crossover sounds:

Playability
Image reveals Cordoba C9 Crossover nut width

Usually, Cordoba makes acoustic guitars that are a pleasure to play… And C9 Crossover is no exception.

What makes the C9 so great, is the crossover neck. It’s closer to the neck of a steel-string acoustic. Nut width is only 48mm(1’78). So the neck is narrower and also thinner than in most classical guitars. This makes the transition from electric- or steel-string acoustic guitar to this one pretty easy.

Out-of-the-box action is usually nice and low.

All these features make this a great choice for intermediate players who are looking for an easy-to-play regular-sized classical guitar. It’s also a great option if you are used to playing electric guitars.

Quality/looks

Usually, when we are talking about acoustic guitars from this price range the quality is really good. And it should be. Always. And Cordoba C9 Crossover is definitely a high-quality guitar.

It’s hard to find any mentionable flaws from the quality. To be honest, I didn’t find any.

Pros:

  • Narrower and thinner neck than in regular-sized classical guitars usually.
  • Comfortable and easy to play
  • Sounds really good 
  • Amazing value for the money
  • Setup is usually spot on

Cons:

  • Sometimes small adjustments to action are needed(depends from you playstyle)
  • The sound could be just a little bit warmer
Summary

Cordoba C9 Crossover is one of the best classical guitars I know of. If you can afford it, it’s a great choice. It will offer you easy playability and great tones for years to come.

If you can afford it, it’s a great choice. It will offer you easy playability and great tones for years to come.

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Runner-Ups That Just Missed The Top 5


Conclusion

This intermediate practice routine might help you out a lot!

That was it!

Every one of these has some small flaws(almost every guitar does), but overall, these were the best acoustic guitars for intermediate guitar players in my opinion. Really great instruments.

If I had to pick just one and had a loose budget, my pick would be:

Yamaha FG-TA Transacoustic.

Despite not being a boutique high-end model, the FG-TA is easily one of the best acoustics I’ve come across.

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or professional, there’s a lot to appreciate about this acoustic guitar. One of the best acoustic guitars out there when it comes to offering value for the money and excellent intermediate acoustic guitar overall.

If I had a tighter budget, my choice would be:

Yamaha APX-600

Really easy to play, good Yamaha-quality, and sounds great. Slightly boxed sound is a small minus. But for the price, it offers a lot.

I hope that this post gave you useful info and helped you to choose the right acoustic guitar for you. I wish you all the best and keep rocking!

If you are in search of an electric guitar too, check this article: 5 Best Electric Guitars for Intermediate Players in 2023

Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…). Expertise: guitar learning techniques, electric guitars, and guitar amplifiers. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or just email me.
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