Generally speaking, the best acoustic guitars are those made for either gender -- you don't typically see men's guitars and women's guitars marketed separately.
That said, some acoustic guitars tend to be a little more playable for women -- especially shorter women with smaller hands. In this article, we'll take you through our top choices for acoustic guitars for women.
Our Picks - the Best Womens Acoustic Guitar
Best All Acoustic
Martin D-15 M
Best All Around
Breedlove Concerto CE
Best Value
Yamaha AC3R ACE
Taylor GS Mini-E Koa -- Best Mini Guitar
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A player's first guitar should be comfortable to play and high quality enough to avoid common pitfalls like tuning issues. And while Taylor is known for its very high-end instruments, this brand's collection of Baby Taylor and GS Mini models are affordable but still sound good. There's even a great version of the Baby Taylor co-designed with Taylor Swift.
The GS Mini-E Koa, though, is a departure from Taylor's typical spruce tops. This guitar has a solid koa top and layered koa back and sides. Koa combines much of mahogany's heavy midrange sound with a maple-like high end, making it a versatile choice for a lot of different genres.
Our Star Rating
We think the GS Mini is the best mini guitar on the list. We give it four out of five stars.
Takamine GN77KCE NEXC Koa -- Best Mini Jumbo
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If you play rock or pop, you might like the powerful, projecting tone of a jumbo. But if you're a woman with a smaller frame, a full-size jumbo can start to feel unwieldy. That's where the Takamine NEX body comes in. The NEX is essentially a scaled-down, slim body jumbo. Its playability doesn't end there -- the slim neck and 12" radiused fretboard are especially comfortable for small hands, and a Venetian cutaway gives you easy access to the fretboard.
The GN77KCE is another example of a great koa guitar. Its solid top delivers impressive sustain with both warmth and clarity. The back and sides are made of laminated koa for good structural stability. It's a great gigging guitar thanks to the Takamine TP-4TD electronics. The onboard preamp features a three-band EQ, a tuner, and a low-battery indicator.
Our Star Rating
We think this one is the best guitar with a mini jumbo body, and we give it 3.5 out of five stars.
Ibanez EWP14 Piccolo -- Best for Travel
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You're likely familiar with mini guitars, but have you seen a piccolo guitar? This one has a 17" scale length and has a body the size of a tenor ukulele, making it a great choice for traveling when space is a major concern. Although it's a very budget-friendly instrument, this piccolo guitar is a visual standout.
The beautiful grain of its all-laminate ovangkol body is immediately noticeable, and an abalone rosette gives it just enough sparkle. The thin mahogany neck is capped with a purpleheart fingerboard, and Ibanez chrome die-cast tuners help it easily stay in tune.
Our Star Rating
We think that this is the best guitar for travel on the list, and we give it 3.0 out of five stars.
Martin D15M -- Best All-Acoustic
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Just about any musician knows about the magic of a Martin acoustic guitar. And while the brand's Little Martin is a decent smaller acoustic, the D15M delivers the incredible tonal richness you can only get from mahogany. Unlike the entry-level guitars we've covered thus far, the D-15M is made of all solid wood for an exceptionally full and detailed tone.
And if you like a lot of low end in your sound, a mahogany Martin is ideal -- you get the very warm sound of mahogany combined with the deep, defined bass response that Martin acoustics are known for. If you choose this acoustic guitar, you're in good company -- legendary folk singer Joni Mitchell was especially attached to her Martin, a D-28.
The D-15M may well be the best guitar for players who like to defy convention. Most acoustic guitars (including those by Martin) have spruce tops, which deliver a brighter tone. If you prefer playing mellower pieces, the D-15M is worth looking into.
Our Star Rating
We think this is the best guitar without electronics on the list. We give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Yamaha AC3R ARE Concert Cutaway -- Best Value
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At first glance, this Yamaha acoustic guitar looks a lot like Gibson's Sheryl Crow signature. But if you're a female beginner (or even an experienced musician), you'll likely find that the Yamaha AC3R is a better value. Male and female beginners alike have learned on Yamaha's affordable starter guitars, but quality models like the AC3R are more than stage-ready.
This all-solid guitar has a solid, torrefied Sitka spruce top. The top has been heat-treated to effectively age it, so you get the sound of a vintage guitar as soon as you play your first chord. The solid rosewood back and sides round out the tone with sparkling detail and a tight low end. But the electronics on this guitar are where it really shines.
It comes equipped with the SRT2 pickup, which blends the piezo pickup output with two microphone modeling technologies. You can choose a model of the Neumann KM 56, the Royer R-122, or a blend of both.
Our Star Rating
We think this acoustic guitar is the best guitar when it comes to value on the list. We give it five out of five stars.
Martin Little Martin LX1RE -- Best Couch Guitar
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Sometimes, the best guitar is the one you can grab, lean back on the couch, and strum at the end of a long day. The Little Martin LX1RE is a great couch guitar, but its onboard electronics mean it's a decent choice for gigging, too. This scaled-down dreadnought acoustic guitar has a solid Sitka spruce top and a back and sides made of high-pressure laminate (HPL).
This is Martin's special laminate that's engineered to be especially temperature and humidity stable. The "R" in the name of the LX1RE indicates that the HPL back and sides are patterned to look like rosewood.
The modified low oval neck profile is perfect for small hands, and the Richlite fingerboard looks and plays like ebony. The shorter 23" scale length is a little more manageable for shorter players, too. If you're a female beginner wanting to try performing, the Fishman Sonitone pickup makes it easy to plug in and play.
Our Star Rating
We think the well-made Little Martin is the best guitar for playing on the couch on the list. We give it 3.5 out of five stars.
Fender Malibu Player -- Best Alternative Design
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Fender is known for the vibrant sound and classic design of their electric guitars, but they aren't quite as big in the acoustic world. But the relatively new Fender California Series brings back the classic bright colors of the brand's vintage acoustic guitar designs.
This one, the Fender Malibu Player, has a compact body that's similar to a grand concert acoustic guitar. The mahogany neck has a slim C profile that feels like an electric guitar neck and is great for those with small hands. The Strat-style headstock is a unique touch.
Tonewood-wise, this Fender is a classic. The top is solid Sitka spruce, and the back and sides are laminated mahogany. Onboard, custom-voiced Fishman electronics make it easy to plug in and play. And one of the most memorable features is the paint job -- this one comes in Arctic Gold, bright white color with flashy gold accents.
Our Star Rating
We think this guitar has the best alternative design on the list. We give it four out of five stars.
Guild OM-240CE -- Best for Fingerpicking
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This Guild acoustic guitar is another orchestra-style model, and it has some interesting features that give it a vintage sound and feel. For one, the back is arched, which may seem strange. But this feature makes it project very well while also reducing weight. Its scalloped X bracing helps reflect every tonal nuance. And with a solid Sitka spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides, it delivers a classic, balanced tone. It's also very affordable.
These features make it the best guitar for the female beginner (or even more experienced guitarist) interested in fingerpicking. The slim-C mahogany neck is perfect for small hands, and the AP1 electronics deliver a clear, clean tone. At 25.5", it has a standard (if slightly longer than some guitars) scale length.
Our Star Rating
We think this is the best guitar for fingerpicking on the list, and we give it 4.5 out of five stars.
Gretsch G9520E Gin Rickey -- Best Parlor Guitar
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Gretsch is a brand best known for its hollow and semi-hollow electric guitars (as well as its great-sounding humbucking pickups). However, it also offers some unusual-looking and great-sounding acoustic guitar models.
This one, the Gin Rickey, is an economical parlor guitar that's as much of a conversation piece as it is an instrument. It's made of all basswood -- not a particularly great tonewood for acoustics. However, thanks to the Gretsch Deltoluxe magnetic acoustic guitar soundhole pickup, it delivers a unique amplified tone that sounds a little gritty.
Its slightly short 24" scale length and slim nato neck make it a great option if you have small hands, and the Smokestack Black finish with contrasting pickguard helps it stand out in any crowd.
Our Star Rating
We think this one is the best parlor guitar on the list, and we give it three out of five stars.
Breedlove Organic Signature Concerto CE -- Best All-Around
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In the acoustic guitar world, Breedlove is an underrated builder. However, they offer some of the best guitar options when it comes to value. The Organic Signature Concerto is part of the Designed in Bend collection of affordable guitars -- even though it's under $700, this acoustic is made of all-solid tonewoods.
The back and sides are solid African mahogany, while the top is torrefied European spruce. European spruce has quicker responsiveness than most spruce varieties, and the torrefaction process essentially makes it sound like the top of an aged acoustic guitar right out of the box.
The slim-C African mahogany neck and Venetian cutaway make it highly playable, and the onboard Breedlove Natural Sound electronics make it a beautiful and sonically memorable performance instrument.
Our Star Rating
We think this one is the best all-around guitar on the list. We give it five out of five stars.
What Should You Look For in a Women's Acoustic Guitar?
When selecting a women's guitar, much of the same criteria for purchasing any guitar applies. Here's what to consider before selecting your new guitar.
Choosing a Quality Level
Before you start to guitar shop online, it's important to keep your expectations realistic. There are some decent budget-minded acoustic guitars out there, but you can't expect them to play like the best models. If you're a female beginner, you may want to avoid very expensive guitars, especially if you aren't sure if you'll want to stick with the instrument.
If you go too cheap, though, you'll probably run into playability issues. After all, experienced players can make almost any acoustic guitar sound great, but a beginner can be easily discouraged by an instrument that's tough to play. Many experts recommend spending at least $300 on a guitar -- that will make sure that you get something playable without breaking the bank. Of course, if you're not a beginner and are looking for a top-notch performance instrument, you'll probably be looking at the best acoustic guitars out there.Thinking About Body Styles
Joni Mitchell played a dreadnought Martin D-28. Joan Baez played a Martin 0-45 (a parlor guitar) at Woodstock, and Dolly Parton has also been known to play a little Martin parlor guitar. Sheryl Crow sometimes plays a J-45, a slope-shoulder dreadnought. But what's the best guitar body style for you? Here are a few you may want to consider:
Considering Tonewoods
The body of an acoustic guitar contributes to its sound, but so do the woods it's made with. Here are some of the woods you may come across on your search:
Looking at Playability
For the new musician, playability is one of the most important aspects of a guitar. As noted above, guitars with smaller bodies are often more playable for shorter people with small hands. But playability is more than just body size. A slim neck is one of the most important playability features if you have small hands. For example, the Fender Malibu Player has a slim-C neck that plays like that of an electric guitar. If you prefer faster playability, a satin-finished neck is a bonus.
Especially if you want to play further down the neck, a cutaway is an excellent playability feature to have. A cutaway lets you reach the strings close to the soundhole without extra hand strain.
Do You Need Electronics?
If you're a female beginner, you likely aren't looking to perform in the very near future. However, if you want to have the option of performing in the future (without buying another guitar or having a pickup installed), it may be worthwhile to purchase an acoustic-electric.
In Conclusion
It's tough to choose a single best guitar from the list -- we think women who play guitar can find success with any of these options. But our top selection for the best womens acoustic guitar would be the Breedlove Organic Concerto.
This guitar is one of the most affordable all-solid acoustic-electric guitars we've ever seen, and its stunning tone works well for strumming and fingerpicking alike. The small body and slim neck make it an especially great choice for women with small hands. The Yamaha AC3R is a worthy runner-up as another affordable all-solid guitar with respectable electronics.
