Whether you're buying a guitar for a child or are an adult looking for a smaller size guitar, a 3/4 guitar may be an option. These guitars are slightly smaller than a full-size instrument, and they also make good travel guitar options. In this article, we've gathered together several 3/4 guitars in order to help you make a decision.
Our Picks For The Top 7 - 3/4 Size Guitars
Best Value
Yamaha FG JR1 3/4
Best Quality
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor
Best Budget Option
Ibanez PF2MHOPN
Review of our Top Picks
Yamaha FG JR1 3/4--Best Value
Important Features
Pros & Cons
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
This guitar might look familiar--it's a scaled-down version of Yamaha's affordable FG Series. Yamaha is known for making excellent guitars for fair prices, and this affordable option is great for new players or for more experienced players in need of a travel guitar. This one has a spruce top, meranti back and sides, and a Nato neck.
Our Star Rating
Because it's affordable and well-built, we think this is the best value guitar on the list. We give it four out of five stars.
Oscar Schmidt OG1FYS -- Best Finish
Important Features
Pros & Cons
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
Since many smaller size acoustic guitars are designed for beginners in need of a less-expensive option, it can be hard to find them in unique colors. This Oscar Schmidt acoustic has a beautiful Flame Yellow Sunburst top, making it a true visual standout. Like many guitars on the list, it's affordable and made of all-laminated wood. The top is spruce, and the back and sides are made of catalpa, a lightweight and relatively inexpensive wood.
Our Star Rating
We think this acoustic guitar has the best finish on the list. We give it three and a half out of five stars.
Ibanez PF2MHOPN -- Best Budget Option
Important Features
Pros & Cons
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
Ibanez is known for making acoustic guitars with unique finishes (and sometimes even exotic woods). Most of Ibanez guitars are also very affordable, making them a great option for players looking for something in a more affordable price range. This dreadnought is made of laminated mahogany, which has a distinctive open-pore natural finish. It also has a rosewood bridge and fingerboard, which is impressive given its fairly low price.
Our Star Rating
This guitar offers impressive quality given its very low price. We think it's the best budget option on the list, and we give it four out of five stars.
Luna Aurora Borealis -- Best Concert-Body Acoustic
Important Features
Pros & Cons
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
Luna Guitars is another company known for visually striking instruments, and this beautiful yet affordable acoustic guitar is great for players who want something a bit different. It has moon-phase fretboard markers and a crescent-moon sound-hole inlay, both of which contrast beautifully with the black satin finish. However, this small, easy-playing guitar is made entirely of basswood, a lightweight wood that doesn't often sound great when used for acoustic guitars.
Our Star Rating
It may not be made of the best tonewoods on the list, but this beautiful guitar is great to look at and comfortable to play. We think it's the best concert-style body on the list, and we give it three and a half out of five stars.
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor -- Best Quality
Important Features
Pros & Cons
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
As you may have discovered by now, it can be hard to find a travel guitar or other smaller acoustic guitar with a solid top. Taylor is known for its line of high-quality smaller guitars, and this scaled-down dreadnought is great for players who love the distinctive warmth of a solid mahogany top. The BT2 also has some of the best appointments on the list--a Tusq nut, saddle, and ebony fretboard and bridge round out this beautiful guitar.
Our Star Rating
We think this is the best-quality acoustic guitar on the list. We give it five out of five stars.
Dean FLY SPR -- Best Travel Option
Important Features
Pros & Cons
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
Dean is another company that makes affordable, reliable guitars for a fair price. The FLY is a smaller size guitar that is marketed as a travel guitar, and its all-laminated-wood build resists tonal changes from humidity. Most traveling players won't want to bring their higher-end full size guitar on vacation, and that's where this one comes in. It has a laminated spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides, ad the rosewood fingerboard is adorned with Dean's special flight inlays.
Our Star Rating
Given its durable build and versatile tonewood configuration, we think this is the best travel guitar on the list. We give it three out of five stars.
Dean AXS Mini Guitar -- Best Full-Scale Mini
Important Features
Pros & Cons
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
This guitar is a somewhat unusual option. While it has a full-scale neck, its mini-size body makes it a great option for players who find larger guitar bodies harder to handle. The C-shape neck is very playable, and the all-mahogany body offers mellow, warm tone that's suitable for fingerpicking or strumming. Its rosewood fingerboard is comfortable to play, and the natural finish shows off the wood's beautiful grain.
Our Star Rating
We think the combination of a full-scale neck and a smaller body will be perfect for some players out there. We think it's the best full-scale mini on the list, and we give it four out of five stars.
Choosing a 3/4-Size Guitar: What Should You Know?
You might think of a 3/4-size guitar as being designed for children. This is somewhat true, as many kids can't comfortably play a full-size guitar. As a result, many smaller guitars are designed to be relatively inexpensive--parents usually don't want to shell out a large amount of money unless they're sure their child will stick with playing.
However, some smaller adults, and even those who are serious about guitar, feel more comfortable playing a 3/4 size instrument. Others prefer a high-quality travel instrument for situations where bringing a high-end guitar along may not be advisable.
Whatever your reason for looking for a 3/4-size acoustic may be, it's important to keep a few things in mind as you shop:
Do You Need a Solid Top?
While some players may have an all-laminate guitar they swear by, most guitarists agree that a guitar with a top made of solid wood will simply sound better than a guitar with a laminated top. Solid tops are more responsive to your playing style, and the result is a fuller, more nuanced tone.
Of course, a laminated top has its advantages, too. Laminated woods tend to be less impacted by fluctuating humidity than solid woods, so they will maintain tuning stability better than some solid-top guitars in climates where humidity frequently changes. Laminated-top guitars are perfectly fine to learn on, and they're often much less expensive than their solid-top counterparts. Just be prepared to upgrade to a solid top if you (or your child) ultimately becomes even more invested in playing guitar.
As a side note, while sound demos can help you make your decision, it's important to be realistic. A talented and experienced player can make even a dirt-cheap acoustic sound somewhat decent. If possible, listen to a few sound demos of each guitar you're considering in order to help you make your decision.
Considering Body Style
Ask almost anyone to picture an acoustic guitar, and they'll probably imagine a dreadnought. This large, deep-bodied style is the most popular acoustic shape. The large body means you hear plenty of low end, but dreadnoughts are capable of producing a very complex sound with plenty of overtones. This makes it especially desirable as a solo instrument.
For those looking for something a little less bulky, concert-body acoustics might be a good choice. These smaller, somewhat rounder-looking guitars may be more comfortable to play, especially for smaller players. Many classical guitar options are shaped similarly to concert-body, steel-string acoustics.
That said, in a 3/4-size guitar, even the dreadnought bodies tend to be smaller and easier to handle than the dreadnought bodies of full-sized guitars. If you find a full-size dreadnought too cumbersome to deal with, a 3/4-size version might be just right.
Considering Other Appointments
Tonewoods and body style are very important to the sound of an acoustic guitar. However, before buying, it's also wise to pay attention to some of the other appointments and what they mean for sound and aesthetics:
Making the Decision
There's a whole world of 3/4 guitar choices out there, and there's something for just about every price range. We think the Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor is the best option on the list, largely because of its solid top and high-end appointments. However, if you just need a knock-around guitar or are buying something for a kid who may not want to keep playing, we think the Yamaha FG JR1 is an excellent choice. This guitar has a laminated top, but it's built well and has surprisingly good sound for the price.