Acoustic Guitar for Beginners

The Best Acoustic Guitar for Beginners (or a 2nd Guitar)

“What kind of acoustic guitar should I start with?” is a common question. First, let me say that you shouldn’t feel like you ‘have to start with an acoustic.’ Most students these days start with electric guitars, and that’s fine. Electric guitars are easier to play and also affordable – you generally get more for your money with electric guitars in the sub $1,000 or sub $500 price range. Yet, many people want to play acoustic guitar and I support that! Even for those who can can afford to spend over $1,000 on an acoustic, you may want to start with something more affordable before committing to a more expensive instrument. There are a lot of affordable choices in the sub $1,000 range, but the acoustic guitar is a clear winner. There are many reasons why this model fits the bill for beginner guitar players, chief among them is that it hits a sweet spot in terms of price, quality, and features in the sub-$1,000 acoustic guitar category.

The Big Baby currently sells for under $500, which is very affordable for a name brand acoustic guitar of this quality. Sure, there are other guitars in this price range (many for less than the Big Baby), some of which even include a cutaway and electronics. Yet the Big Baby is a Taylor guitar, and Taylor has a reputation for building quality instruments that are consistent and reliable. The Big Baby is made in Mexico which is a big step up in quality from China and Indonesia where most sub-$1,000 acoustic guitars are made.

The guitar has a basic, austere look. There is no gloss finish, no fancy colors, just a simple rosette on an unadorned spruce top with laminate sapele back and sides. Note – Taylor’s term for laminate is “layered,” which admittedly does make it sound less like a counter top and more like a cake. Of course, just about all acoustic guitars under $1,000 have laminate back and sides, but Taylor does a great job of making these guitars sound good. Given its modest appointments and smaller size, the Baby Taylor has a richer, fuller sound than you might expect.

For me, the big selling point of this guitar for beginner use is that it is a 15/16 dreadnought sized guitar with a full scale length and a very playable neck. As a teacher, I believe it is important for people to play on a regular scale length instrument* as soon as they are old enough, but for many that rules out acoustic guitars since your typical starter dreadnought will be noticeably harder to play and hold than a typical starter electric guitar. It’s a big enough difference to frustrate many people who would otherwise want to play an acoustic. The Big Baby has a 25-1/2” scale length, the same as that of a standard guitar, but the thin neck makes it very easy to play and is perfect for beginners. The slightly smaller body size makes it much easier to hold – a fact which many people (not just beginners) appreciate – and yet it still sounds full like a regular sized guitar.

The Big Baby also makes a great “second guitar” for those who have a nicer model but don’t want to take it camping or to the beach. If you really like playing acoustic and can afford a more expensive acoustic model later, the Big Baby would still be a guitar you can leave lying around on the couch. It’s perfect for strumming around the campfire, strumming on the beach, or strumming around a campfire on the beach. It is nice to play, but not so dear that you would mind the kids playing around on it – in fact, as noted above, it’s a popular model for kids (starting at about age 9 or 10 when they are typically big enough to hold it). The Big Baby even comes with a nice gig bag so you can cart it around to lessons or an afternoon at the park.

Next, I thought I’d go over what the Big Baby is not good for and mention some of my qualms with the guitar. First, the qualms – I don’t like the tuners and the bridge pins. The tuners get the job done, but they do not feel as substantial or well-made as the tuners on Taylor’s 100/200 series guitars. Also, I think it probably wouldn’t add too much to the cost of the guitar to use wood bridge pins instead of plastic. That said, the Big Baby is a good value and the mediocre tuning pegs and bridge pins do not prevent me from recommending it. In fact, improving these two elements might raise the price another $100 and make the deal less attractive. On another note, some people don’t like the looks of the visible screws on the fretboard (at the 16th fret, used to hold the neck on). I find them kind of charming in a rugged, no-nonsense way. I also really enjoy how playable the neck is and how affordable the guitar is, so if that’s what it takes to make the guitar this way then the screws canstay.

For years, the Big Baby was not offered with factory installed electronics for those who want to plug in and perform gigs, but now Taylor offers basic electronics for $100. If you think you might want to perform regularly at coffee shops, etc., then the electronics are probably worth it.

Of course, the electronics push the guitar over the $500 mark and many people heading in that direction look at Taylor’s 100 and 200 series models (or similarly priced Martins), which also come with electronics. These guitars are often preferred by people who want a second guitar they can perform gigs with, either as a back-up onstage or just a substitute that allows them to leave a more expensive guitar at home. You also get the feel of a full-sized guitar body, with slightly nicer tuners, electronics, and other appointments. While these are nice guitars, I would still recommend a Big Baby for beginners because it costs less and has that easy to play neck.

While the Big Baby has a comfortable size and can go camping, you may find that a travel size guitar (i.e. a Baby Taylor, Taylor GS Mini, or Little Martin) is a better option if you will be doing a lot of travel and really need to minimize space. Lately, these guitars can also be bought with electronics and many singer-songwriters have been using acoustic-electric travel guitars to perform. Again, though, for beginners I would recommend the standard sized Big Baby because I think it’s important to learn on a normal scale-length fretboard and the Big Baby is still easy to play. It’s also better for more intricate fretwork and gives you a fuller sound. If you jam with other people who have full sized acoustic guitars, you will also prefer the Big Baby’s volume over that of a smaller guitar.

Overall, the Big Baby is a great guitar that is affordable, well made, easy to play, and sounds good. It makes a great beginner acoustic guitar (the best I think), and also works well as a second guitar that you can take camping or go to the beach with. It does have its shortcomings and limitations, but in terms of what it does for the price you can’t beat it.

* By regular scale length, I mean something over, say, 24.5 inches. Not a travel size guitar in other words. I prefer short scale guitars myself, meaning just under 25 inches.