Choosing the best bluegrass guitar is more like choosing a best friend or choosing a marriage partner – if you will ever want to. Bluegrass has deep roots in traditional music, and this means that most bluegrass instruments are acoustic and not electric. On that note, bluegrass guitars are always acoustic.
In this article, I will present to you five best guitars for bluegrass music. All the guitars mentioned here will be flattop guitars – we will talk about more flattop guitars in the buying guide section.
 | 1. Best dreadnought bluegrass guitar: Martin D-28 Dreadnought The Martin D-28 is a classic guitar that has become synonymous with bluegrass. With a beautiful rosewood body, a Sitka spruce top, D-28 has the historic and signature bluegrass tone. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 2. Best GA (grand auditorium) guitar for bluegrass: Taylor 224ce-K DLX Koa Deluxe (Electro-Acoustic) With a leaner waist and a cutaway for easier access to the frets and overall playability, this Taylor guitar is comfortable and sounds sweet for fingerpicking. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 3. Best classic acoustic guitar for bluegrass: Martin Standard Series D-18 Boasting of a very wide dynamic range, the D-18 can both sing loud and also whisper; with a mahogany back and sides, the D-18 gives richness, depth, projection, clarity, and balance that makes it a popular bluegrass choice. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 4. Best mid-range acoustic bluegrass guitar: Blueridge Historic Series BR-140 Impressive design, a deluxe hardshell case, and such an amazing and well-rounded tone. It is almost impossible for other guitars in this price range to beat the BR-140. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 5. Best Budget-friendly bluegrass guitar: Ibanez AW54CEOPN Artwood Dreadnought A beautiful Dreadnought design, perfect tonewood for bluegrass, lightweight design, and an onboard tuner and pre-amplifier. All of these come at a very affordable price | Buy on Amazon |
Review Of the best bluegrass guitars
Best dreadnought bluegrass guitar: Martin D-28 Dreadnought
Over the years, Martin Dreadnoughts have become quite synonymous with bluegrass music. I would not be wrong to say that Martin is to bluegrass what the Fender Stratocaster is to Rock-and-roll. The Martin D-28 is a classic guitar. With the D-28 Dreadnought, you can be sure of that authentic bluegrass tone and sweetness. The D-28 has been a fundamental part of bluegrass from its earliest days. As a matter of fact, the D-28 is regarded by many as the “Holy Grail” of bluegrass.
The back and sides of the D-28 are made of solid East Indian rosewood. The top is made with Sitka spruce. This combination helps deliver a well-balanced acoustic tone with warmth and punchiness/volume that works just perfectly with bluegrass music. The Dreadnought shape helps deliver the deepness in a tone that bluegrass is known for. On the D-28, there is just a perfect balance between the fingerboard and string action. To best describe what the D-28 sounds like, I will say it produces the sound people have come to understand as bluegrass. The D-28 is more than just a flattop guitar that fits bluegrass, it is an integral part of bluegrass’s history.
Pros:
- It has that historic and signature bluegrass tone
- The rosewood body and sides sweeten the tone
- Sitka spruce top for projection and clarity
- The overall balanced acoustic tone
Cons:
- Its boxy shoulders might not go down well with some electric guitar players
- Not exactly the most affordable guitar in the market
Best GA (grand auditorium) guitar for bluegrass: Taylor 224ce-K DLX Koa Deluxe (Electro-Acoustic)
It doesn’t matter the mood of the bluegrass music you are playing, be it sad or happy, the Taylor 224ce is perfect for it. While many other bluegrass guitars make use of the Dreadnought design, the 224ce features a leaner waist. It also has a cutaway for 2easier access to the frets. The cutaway makes the Taylor 224ce easier and more playable for bluegrass musicians who will find a fuller, more broad-waisted acoustic guitar hard to play. With the cutaway of the 224ce it doesn’t matter if your height, you’ll find this guitar way easier to play.
The back and sides of the 224ce are made of Indian rosewood. Indian rosewood is the preferred guitar wood of many bluegrass players. The Indian rosewood is notable for adding some extra sweetness to the tone of an acoustic guitar. In addition, the top of the 224ce is made of Sitka spruce, which is known for adding extra crispness and clarity to acoustic guitar tones. The Grand Auditorium (GA) Cutaway is also known for its ability to perfectly deliver the best of both worlds; you get the Flatpicking ease of a Dreadnought and the finger styling precision of a GA
Although you might not get the coveted heavy and bassy sound of the Dreadnought, the Grand Auditorium (GA) gives you a wider range of options in terms of musical and general artistic expression in the bluegrass genre.
Pros:
- Comfortable for even shorter players because of its cutaway
- Comfortable for electric guitarists because of its droppable action
- Rosewood adds some sweetness to the tone
- Spruce top translates clear fingerpicking
Cons:
- Being an electro-acoustic guitar, it’s hard to get the best of both worlds. It is an amazing acoustic but not completely amazing when used electrically.
Best classic acoustic guitar for bluegrass: Martin Standard Series D-18
Although the D-28 seems like the guitar of choice for most bluegrass players, the D-18 is still an iconic bluegrass model. The Martin D-18 gives richness, depth, projection, clarity, and balance that in turn makes it a popular bluegrass choice.
The D-18 is known for its ability to both sing loud and whisper. It can accurately interpret even the quietest and loudest passages; it does exactly what you want it to do. It comes with mahogany back and sides, a beautiful spruce top, and forward-shifted, X scalloped bracing. Tone-wise, the modern D-18 is a lot more responsive than the previous one. Just like many other bluegrass guitar models, the tone of the D-18 gets warm and mellow with frequent and continuous playing. Regardless of your style, be it finger styling or full strumming, the D-18 will never let you down.
Pros:
- Being a classic guitar, it gives a classic sound
- The new neck adds extra responsiveness
- Balanced mid-section
Cons:
- Players of the old D-18 might find the tone of this new model less rich and appealing than they’re used to
Best mid-range acoustic bluegrass guitar: Blueridge Historic Series BR-140
At a very reasonable price, The BR-140 offers amazing tonal quality and playability. If you are just a newbie and do not know so much about acoustic guitars or bluegrass, it will be wise to start with a less-expensive model like the BR-140. However, if you are a seasoned player and looking for a high-quality and affordable bluegrass guitar, then you should consider this.
With its Dreadnought body design and Sitka Spruce tonewood, the BR-140 beats every other guitar in this price range. The tone is well balanced, with just appropriate sustain and resonance. The tone of the BR-140 is generally described as warm and natural. For the price, you will also get a deluxe hardshell case, making it such an amazing buy.
Pros:
- The price is amazing, considering the quality
- The design is quite impressive
- Amazing tone
- Comes with a deluxe hardshell case
- Suitable for players of all levels
Cons:
- The strap buttons may come off
Best Budget-friendly bluegrass guitar: Ibanez AW54CEOPN Artwood Dreadnought
Ibanez is famous for offering very high-quality guitars at affordable prices. One of the most striking things about this guitar is the beautiful Dreadnought design. Also, it has a neat cutaway that makes reaching the last few frets easier.
It has Mahogany tonewood. Also, the fact that it is an acoustic-electric model allows you to easily play in a group or band without worrying if your guitar will be able to cut through the mix or project properly. The overall make of this guitar makes it a guitar of choice for bluegrass music.
Pros:
- Best tonewood choice for bluegrass
- Beautiful design
- Super affordable
- Lightweight and playable
- Comes with onboard tuner and preamp
Cons:
- Some players feel like it lacks tonal richness and resonance
Best Bluegrass Guitar Buying Guide
The Perfect Tonewood
Most bluegrass players you meet will always suggest you get a guitar with a rosewood back and sides. This is not only because rosewood sounds good, but also because rosewood is traditional for bluegrass. However, other sweet-sounding tonewoods work just perfectly with bluegrass–Koa, mahogany, etc. That being said, choosing the perfect tonewood depends on if you are looking for an amazing sound or something traditional. If the sound is your priority, then don’t be limited as there are varieties of tonewoods that can give you an amazing bluegrass sound.
The Mid-Section
One of your goals when searching for a bluegrass guitar should be getting a guitar that gives you some balance in the mid-section. All the guitars on this list are quite amazing through the mid-section. Look for that guitar with a perfect mid-section balance or you may have the problem of unnecessarily shaky transitions while playing.
Flattop vs Arch-top Guitars
The shape of guitars being used in bluegrass is mostly flattop guitars. A flattop guitar is the type of acoustic guitar that features a round sound hole and a bridge that is glued directly to the top of the instrument. The flattop guitar is the opposite of an arch-top guitar; an arch-top will have f-holes, a carved top, and a tailpiece. Simply, we can say that a flattop guitar is the type of acoustic guitar whose top is flat.
How Much Should You Spend on A Bluegrass Guitar?
Going through this list, you will see that there is a guitar for every type of budget. The question of how much you should spend on a bluegrass guitar is more of personal preference and how much you can afford to spend. But the key is to not go too low or too high (if you can’t do that comfortably). Also, always try to have an elastic budget. You don’t have to break the bank to get an amazing bluegrass guitar. But if you can afford the higher-priced guitars, then don’t shy away from them. It is still a worthy investment.
You shouldn’t spend thousands of dollars on a bluegrass guitar like the D-28 or 224ce if you know for sure you are not going to do justice to the guitar. Some great-sounding guitars might even be the classics of tomorrow. You can get guitars like the Blueridge BR-140 for under a thousand dollars.
However, the most important thing is getting a guitar that you truly love, a guitar that will inspire you to create music and also help you play your songs just how you wish to play. That being said, if it means going for a model like the D-28, then go all out for it without thinking twice – yes, without thinking twice.
Rosewood or Mahogany?
Although there are quite several tonewoods used for bluegrass guitars, the two most common tone kinds of wood in Bluegrass are rosewood and mahogany. Rosewood is the tonewood used in the D-28. Rosewood is very resonant and has that deep bass response that many Bluegrass players prefer. The rosewood tone is sometimes described as being much “darker” than the mahogany tone. Most modern guitars are made from East Indian rosewood. The classic Martin D-28 that was available before mid-1969 were all made from Brazilian rosewood.
Mahogany is the tonewood used in the D-18. Mahogany is lighter than rosewood and it produces a sound with less bass response and fewer overtones. Mahogany produces a sound that is sometimes described as being “woody” or warm with great emphasis on the higher register (the treble). However, neither of these woods is superior or inferior to the other. Choosing either of the woods greatly depends on the type of sound you love.
Conclusion and Winner
Putting everything we have discussed into consideration, I have chosen my winner. I am considering factors like affordability, playability, brand reputation, and overall build. The Ibanez AW54CEOPN does not only look great, but it also sounds amazing. To crown it all, it is super comfortable, super affordable, and easy to play. The fact that it is an electro-acoustic model makes it a lot more versatile and perfect for many bluegrass playing scenarios.
Also, another great choice is the Blueridge Historic Series BR-140. It comes at a great price and sounds quite amazing too. Another great thing about the Blueridge is that it comes with a deluxe hardshell case. This is one guitar I can also comfortably recommend to any bluegrass player.
Last update on 2023-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
