Best Acoustic Guitars of 2021!

Guitar brands are always finding new ways to tinker with and invent new designs to give us players the best instruments possible. 2021 has been no exception with new flagship releases from Fender, Gibson, Alvarez and many more! We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 acoustic guitar releases of the year, to make sure you haven’t missed out on any of the hottest new instruments in 2021.

Alvarez Masterworks Elite Series Guitars

If you’re in the market for a dreadnought, OM, or Electro-Acoustic guitar with premium materials and construction for under £1000, the Alvarez Masterworks Elite could be the range for you. Featuring solid wood constructions with Spruce or Mahogany tops and Rosewood or Mahogany back & sides, they offer classic, articulate acoustic tones. The Mahogany necks and semi-gloss finishes feel incredibly comfortable in the hand. The Electro-Acoustics feature class leading LR Baggs pickups and electronics.

Gibson Generation Collection Guitars

The new Generation acoustics from Gibson are their most affordable line of acoustic guitars. Hand built in the USA, they boast the quality that Gibson is known for and represent great value for money. Available in a variety of body shapes, they feature solid Spruce tops, solid Walnut back & sides, Mahogany necks and Ebony Fingerboards.

The Generations also include an innovative “player port” sound hole on the side of the body. This offers a more direct sound for the player and produces a bolder bass response and a softer midrange, giving it a sparklier top end sound. The Electro-Acoustics also feature an LR Baggs pickup for a natural acoustic sound.

New from Fender, the Limited Edition Shell Pink and Charcoal Frost Limited Edition Player Newporter Acoustics, for players who want to stand out. The gold pickguard adds extra flair.

The Newporter shape offers a balanced tone with power and articulation in abundance. For additional volume it also features a Fishman preamp system, to fill any room with a natural, transparent acoustic sound.

New to 2021, the G-Series from Takamine has styles and price points for any player. With a variety of wood combinations including Spruce, Mahogany, Koa and Rosewood, there is a vast array of guitars for different styles and tonalities. The Electro-Acoustic models also include Takimine’s proprietary preamp system, with a built-in tuner and 3-band EQ.

Takamine are a brand that pay great attention to making their instruments as player friendly as possible: The asymmetric “C” shaped neck is designed to mould to the shape of your hand, reducing stress on the wrist while playing. Their pinless bridge system allows for quick and easy string changes, and the split saddles ensure better intonation across all strings, ensuring that the instrument stays in tune all the way up the neck.

EastCoast Acoustic Guitars

One of our favourite brands for their incredible value for money, EastCoast have refreshed their acoustic guitar range for 2021 with new and improved specs on guitars starting from just £69!

These instruments pair a warm sounding Walnut back and sides with a Spruce top for clarity and projection, combining to create a rich, full sound for chords and single notes alike. The Laurel fingerboards provide a familiar look, feel and sound, adding extra richness to the tone and smoothness under the fingers. All EastCoast acoustic series include Electro-Acoustic models if you want to amplify your sound.

The G1 Series is their mid-sized “Grand Auditorium” body shape, which produces a bright, crisp sound, a perfect vocal accompaniment and popular choice for singer/songwriters. Its tone lends itself especially well to genres such as pop, folk and country.

The D1 Series is a dreadnought shape. With it’s large size, it produces a lot of volume and punchy, warm midrange, ideal for blues, rock or country.

The P1, J1 and M1 are the smallest shapes in EastCoast’s acoustic line, making them ideal travel guitars! Their smaller form factors also make them more comfortable for players with smaller bodies and hands. Despite their size, they are still capable of big, articulate sounds with a bit of extra punch.

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PRS SE P20 Limited Edition Parlour Guitars

Striking colours and a sweet, articulate sound. This is exactly what the PRS P20 parlour guitars offer. The short scale and small, solid Mahogany body shape make this instrument great for intricate fingerstyle playing with clarity and definition in abundance. Backed up by a Fishman GT1 pickup, the natural tone can project to fill any room.

Sigma 18 Series Guitars

The latest offerings from Sigma are the S000M-18, and SDM-18 Dreadnought. Both feature elegant natural finishes, solid Spruce tops and solid Mahogany back and sides for superb resonance and a full tone with warm lows and a chimey top end. The 000M-18 is a smaller body than the SDM-18, ideal for more intricate playing and fingerstyle, with a brighter tone. The SDM-18 is a louder, fuller tone, perfect for strumming chords. The slim Mahogany neck and Ebony fingerboard make the guitars very comfortable to play, and the bone nut and saddle along with grover tuners ensure tuning stability and resonance as you play.

Part of the “Inspired by Gibson” Slash collection, The Epiphone Slash J-45 is built for players of all abilities and for any stage, no matter how big or small. With all solid wood construction, the Slash J-45 features the classic pairing of a Sitka Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides. Complete with an LR Baggs undersaddle pickup, the guitar retains its acoustic voice when amplified.

Some of Slash’s personal specs include a custom rounded C-shape neck profile and a flatter, more modern 16″ fretboard radius. And it is beautifully presented in a hardshell Case with Slash’s Skully Logo on the side.

Gretsch G9220 Bobtail Resonator Guitar

The G9220 Bobtail Resonator features Gretsch’s Hand-spun Aluminium Ampli-Sonic Diaphragm resonator cone. Its swampy, metallic tone is perfect for Delta Blues and Slide playing!

Fender Acoustasonic Jazzmaster Guitars

The Acoustasonic line from Fender is designed to be a guitar that can do everything, from acoustic to electric tones. The latest addition to the line-up, the Jazzmaster, has been described the “most versatile Acoustasonic guitar yet”. It is equipped with a humbucker pickup for more output, delivering a thicker tone that its Strat and Tele counterparts. It also delivers 10 different unique voices – that’s 4 more than before – ranging from sweet, woody acoustic tones to raging rock!

The Acoustasonic Jazzmaster combines the “Acoustasonic Shawbucker” humbucking pickup, a Fishman under-saddle Piezo, and an internal body sensor pickup to offer an entire spectrum of tones. It also features a mahogany body and spruce top – a time tested combination for an authentic acoustic tone.

If you enjoyed this read, check out more of our industry articles!

Why not check out our picks for the Top 10 Electric Guitars of 2021, or Top 10 Pedals of 2021.

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