Best 6 String Acoustic Guitar (2026): 4 Picks Compared

Updated Oct 24, 2026 · By Jonah Mercer · Ranked from listed specifications · How we rank

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The Ashthorpe 38-inch Beginner Acoustic Guitar holds Best Overall with a basswood top, 18 frets, and 6 steel strings in a starter kit with a gig bag. The Yamaha FG800J follows as Runner-Up with a solid spruce top and a dreadnought body.

The picks at a glance

#	Pick	Product
1	Best Overall	Ashthorpe 38-inch Beginner Acoustic Guitar	Check on Amazon
2	Runner-Up	YAMAHA FG800J Solid Top Acoustic Guitar	Check on Amazon
3	Also Great	Fender California Debut Redondo Series Beginner Acoustic	Check on Amazon
4	Also Great	Takamine G-series GD11MCE Dreadnought Acoustic-electric Guitar	Check on Amazon

Which one should you buy?

Beginners who want a 38-inch guitar with a gig bag: Ashthorpe 38-inch Beginner Acoustic Guitar See pick 1More picks: Best Acoustic Electric Guitar for Beginners
Beginners who want a solid spruce top guitar: YAMAHA FG800J Solid Top Acoustic Guitar See pick 2More picks: Best Acoustic Guitar for Beginners
Beginners who want a dreadnought guitar with a spruce top: Fender California Debut Redondo Series Beginner Acoustic See pick 3More picks: Best Beginner Acoustic Guitar
Players who want a dreadnought guitar with a sapele top: Takamine G-series GD11MCE Dreadnought Acoustic-electric Guitar See pick 4

The 4 picks, ranked

1Best Overall

Ashthorpe 38-inch Beginner Acoustic Guitar

Case or gig bag included
Top wood: Basswood
90-day warranty stated

9.8Spec score View on Amazon

It earns Best Overall with a 38-inch basswood guitar, 18 frets, and 6 steel strings in a starter kit.

Who it suits

Beginners who want a 38-inch guitar with a gig bag
Beginners who want extra strings and picks in a kit

Skip it if

You want a guitar heavier than 2.8 lb
You want a guitar with a solid spruce top

The guitar measures 38 inches with 18 frets and 6 steel strings, and a basswood top, back, and sides. The kit holds a gig bag, extra strings, a strap, and 3 picks, plus 4 months of app-based lessons. It weighs 2.8 lb with a high-gloss finish, and the guitar carries a 90-day warranty.

2Runner-Up

YAMAHA FG800J Solid Top Acoustic Guitar

Solid top
Top wood: Solid Spruce
1 year warranty stated

9.3Spec score View on Amazon

It holds Runner-Up with a solid spruce top, nato and mahogany back and sides, and a dreadnought body.

Who it suits

Beginners who want a solid spruce top guitar
Beginners who want a dreadnought guitar with 6 strings

Skip it if

You want a guitar heavier than 5.1 lb
You want a guitar with a basswood top

The guitar has a solid spruce top with nato and mahogany back and sides, and a rosewood fingerboard. It has 6 strings with a fixed bridge system, and it weighs 5.1 lb. The guitar carries a 1-year warranty.

3Also Great

Fender California Debut Redondo Series Beginner Acoustic

Body shape: Dreadnought
Top wood: Spruce Wood
2-year warranty stated

9.2Spec score View on Amazon

It holds Also Great with a spruce top, a dreadnought body, and a walnut fingerboard and bridge.

Who it suits

Beginners who want a dreadnought guitar with a spruce top
Beginners who want a guitar with a walnut fingerboard

Skip it if

You want a guitar with a sapele top
You want a guitar with a mahogany neck

The guitar has a spruce top with a dreadnought body shape, a 6-in-line headstock shape, and a C-shaped neck. It has a walnut fingerboard and a walnut bridge with sealed-gear tuning machines. The guitar comes with a 30-day Fender Play subscription, and it carries a 2-year warranty.

4Also Great

Takamine G-series GD11MCE Dreadnought Acoustic-electric Guitar

Built-in pickup / EQ
Body shape: Dreadnought
Top wood: Sapele

9.0Spec score View on Amazon

It holds Also Great as a dreadnought acoustic-electric guitar with a sapele top and a built-in pickup and EQ.

Who it suits

Players who want a dreadnought guitar with a sapele top
Players who want a guitar with a built-in pickup and EQ

Skip it if

You want a guitar lighter than 6.8 lb
You want a guitar with a spruce top

The guitar has a sapele top with sapele back and sides, a mahogany neck, and an Indian laurel fingerboard. It has 6 strings with a built-in preamp system and a 1/4-inch jack. It weighs 6.8 lb with a fixed bridge system.

Side by side

Product	Solid top	Built-in pickup / EQ	Cutaway	Case or gig bag included	Body shape	Top wood	Weight	Warranty
Ashthorpe 38-inch Beginner Acoustic Guitar	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Yes	Not stated	Basswood	2.8 lb	90-day
YAMAHA FG800J Solid Top Acoustic Guitar	Yes	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Solid Spruce	5.1 lb	1 year
Fender California Debut Redondo Series Beginner Acoustic	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Dreadnought	Spruce Wood	Not stated	2-year
Takamine G-series GD11MCE Dreadnought Acoustic-electric Guitar	Not stated	Yes	Not stated	Not stated	Dreadnought	Sapele	6.8 lb	Not stated

How we ranked these acoustic guitars

Every pick has at least 100 customer ratings on Amazon and a listing with real specifications. The order mixes two things: how each model compares on the specs below (higher share of the best value in this group scores more), and how widely it is bought. The spec score runs from 9.0 to 9.8 and only compares these picks with each other. A spec the listing does not state is left out and the other specs are re-weighted; a listing with fewer than 2 stated specs is scored at half. We do not test gear in person. Full method.

Solid top weight 3
Built-in pickup / EQ weight 2
Cutaway weight 1
Case or gig bag included weight 1

Buying advice: 6 string acoustic guitar

Compare top wood and body shape

Top wood and body shape are facts to compare before buying. The Ashthorpe guitar has a basswood top, the Yamaha guitar has a solid spruce top, the Fender guitar has a spruce top with a dreadnought body, and the Takamine guitar has a sapele top with a dreadnought body. Check the top wood and body shape for the pick you plan to buy, and match those facts to the guitar you want.

Check frets, strings, and kit contents

Frets, strings, and kit contents decide what you get in the box, so check those facts before buying. The Ashthorpe guitar has 18 frets and 6 steel strings, with a gig bag, extra strings, a strap, and 3 picks in the kit. The Yamaha, Fender, and Takamine guitars have 6 strings, so compare the kit contents and the string count for the pick you plan to buy.

Decide if you need a pickup

A pickup lets an acoustic guitar connect to an amplifier, so decide if that connection matters for your playing. The Takamine guitar has a built-in pickup and EQ with a built-in preamp system and a 1/4-inch jack. Check the pickup description before buying, since it decides how the guitar connects to an amplifier.

Frequently asked questions

What is a solid top acoustic guitar?

A solid top uses one solid piece of wood for the top, rather than layers. The Yamaha guitar in this list has a solid spruce top, with nato and mahogany back and sides.

What body shape are these guitars?

The Yamaha, Fender, and Takamine guitars have a dreadnought body shape. The Ashthorpe guitar measures 38 inches, with a basswood top, back, and sides.

Do any of these guitars have a pickup?

The Takamine guitar has a built-in pickup and EQ with a built-in preamp system and a 1/4-inch jack. Check the pickup description before buying.

What comes in the Ashthorpe guitar kit?

The kit holds a gig bag, extra strings, a strap, and 3 picks, plus 4 months of app-based lessons. The guitar has 18 frets and 6 steel strings, and it weighs 2.8 lb.