Want to Buy the Best Electric Acoustic Guitar?
Recently I had an opportunity to play my acoustic at a local coffee shop. They asked me to come back and play again next week. I am pretty excited to have a real gig to play at and even have the chance to get paid with tips. This is making me realize I might need to invest in the best electric acoustic guitar I can afford.
I used my removable sound hole electric pickup for the show to get amplification so the back of the room could hear me. It works fine, but I think I am ready to find a good electric acoustic guitar so I don’t have to deal with taking the pickup in and out of my good acoustic and risk causing damage to the sound hole. I love my acoustic and I would rather not hurt it.
For playing out in public, an electric acoustic guitar would make me feel more like I am a serious musician. Who knows where this might lead me? I might get more opportunities and I want to be ready when they come my way. Finding the best electric acoustic guitar for the job is what this list is about.
Before I dive into my list to find the best electric acoustic guitar, I want to talk about why you should consider purchasing an electric acoustic guitar before you go to that next open mic or decide to play in any public venue.
Electric acoustic guitars are equipped with pickups so you can plug in for that added volume that won’t distort the rich, full sound regular acoustic guitars are known for. This allows greater ease in playing because you don’t have to hover over a microphone in order for your guitar to be heard in the back of the venue. The best electric acoustic guitar will sound just as good when you are not plugged in, just like your acoustic. These guitars offer versatility and playability. Every serious musician should own at least one!
Things to consider when purchasing an electric acoustic guitar:
Go shopping in a brick and mortar store before ordering online so you can try the guitars out.
- Base your choice on the sound. Does it sound good to you?
- Test how it feels in your hands. Does the neck feel good in your hand?
Pickup system and preamplifiers need to be taken into account as well.
- A good pick up comes in active and passive versions. The active has a battery and is actively listening for vibrations from the guitar. Passive runs off the electricity from the amplifier and may miss some of those vibrations.
- Preamplifiers then can adjust the sound that comes from the pickup to boost the highs or lows how you like.
Does brand name matter?
- Some brands have more reputation than performance so the price may reflect the name more than current quality.
- Reputable brands will have a quality that continues to deliver and the price will seem reasonable because you will have made a purchase that sounds good enough to be worth the expense.
Check out the materials.
- Do not base your decision on looks. A beautiful veneer may hide cheap materials which will fail to deliver the sound and quality you were hoping for.
- To keep costs down, manufacturers may change their methods to be more cost effective and this can affect the tone and voice of the guitar.
- High-quality materials cost more, but they will deliver beautiful rich sound that will make the guitar you buy an investment in the music you love.
Best Electric Acoustic Guitar Under 500 Reviewed Below-
Epiphone EJ-200SCE Solid Top Cutaway Acoustic Electric Guitar
This guitar with a vintage sunburst comes in just under $430. Known as the King of the Flattop Guitars, the EJ-200 style has set the standard of excellence in guitars since 1937. With the EJ-200SCE, the style now has more voice with a modern pickup system. Its dimension are 43.5 x 20.8 x 6.3 inches and weighs 12 pounds. It has an active pickup that requires 2 CR2 batteries which are included. The body is maple with a beautiful sunburst finish. The top is select spruce and the fretboard is rosewood on a maple neck. The pickup system is an eSonic2.
Pros
- Pros are the nice tone. I found it to be very playable with low action. It felt good in my hands and the cutaway made it easy to reach those higher notes. I love the look and the signature mustache bridge that makes you do a double-take. It sounds good and looks good.
Cons
- Cons are some of the reviews I saw that complained about the pickups system eating batteries, which then have to be replaced in order to be able to use the amplifier with it.
This electric acoustic comes from a classic company and does a great job of maintaining the quality and sound Epiphone is known for. It is a good instrument for a good price.
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The Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic Electric Guitar
Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic Electric Guitar is priced at $350. This cool cat of a guitar features a solid mahogany top, laminated mahogany back and sides. The construction is over a scalloped X bracing to strengthen the structure and enhance the reverberation. The Fishman Isys III system does a good job with amplification. It has a rosewood bridge with a compensated saddle. Chrome die-cast tuning keys keep it in tune well. Added bonuses are the very cool Hellcat position inlays and the double skull inlay at the 12th fret to give it a unique, eye-catching look and playfulness. Tim Armstrong’s signature is on the truss rod cover. It measures 44 x 7 x 18 inches and weighs 8.8 pounds and comes in a natural wood color.
Pros
- Pros are the guitar’s full loud dreadnought voice that comes through beautifully when plugged in or acoustic with great projection and fullness of tone and sound. It has good tunes that are well designed. The artistic touches of the inlays add character and a fun spirit to the instrument. The pickup system is faithful and true, delivering great sound quality. The setup is low and easy to play.
Cons
- Cons are few. I read a few reviews that said there was a buzz in the frets, but the one I played sounded good.
Overall this is a well-made, good-sounding acoustic electric guitar with interesting, beautiful looks and a price that won’t break the bank. It ranks high on my list of best electric acoustic guitars.
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Best Electric Acoustic Guitar Under 300
The Kona K2TBL Acoustic Electric Dreadnought Cutaway
This electric acoustic Guitar in the transparent blue finish is priced at a very affordable guitar under $150. It features a low-profile body that gives it an electric feel with the tone and voice of an acoustic. It will work well for the player who wants a smaller guitar or the player who is smaller in stature. The pickup system is the EQ-505 3-band active Piezo system. It has a spruce top with the transparent blue finish and book-matched mahogany back and mahogany sides with a rosewood fret board and bridge. It also comes with a 10-year limited warranty. It measures 41 x 15.8 x 3.8 inches and weighs only 4.6 pounds.
Pros
- Pros are the very affordable price. The blue finish is very eye catching and hard to resist. I like the slim style which makes it light and easy to handle.
Cons
- Cons I found were the frets are a bit sharp on the edges and it doesn’t have the rich sound that more expensive guitars I have tried have. I feel like the sound quality improved when it was plugged in though so it’s still a decent instrument.
For the price, this is not a bad guitar. If you are on a tight budget and had to have something right away, this would be a good choice. The look and feel of the body make it nice to hold and with some adjustments and investment, other quirks can be worked out.
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Final Verdict
When choosing a guitar, I must emphasize the importance of shopping at your local guitar store, even if you don’t make a purchase there. You need to pick these instruments up in your hands, plug them in and play them, turn the knobs and listen to find the one which will make you feel like it has captured your voice and your soul. Every musician should consider doing what it takes to buy a quality instrument rather than making a collection of cheaper pieces just to have a collection. Not to say that there aren’t some good affordable guitars, but when you are willing to make that investment, it really does make a difference.
For me, just starting out, I am going to stay in the under $500 range and work for tips so I can save up for that dream guitar. I am going to go with the Epiphone as I feel it is the best electric acoustic guitar from this list. It does live up to that name and reputation. A quality instrument will only help to improve my playing and give me the confidence I need to get up in front of people and let them hear some good music from a good guitar.
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