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6 Best 3/4 Acoustic Guitars 2024: Reviews and Buying Guide

Top Pick
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar, Mahogany Top
Top Pick
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar, Mahogany Top

The ¾ acoustic guitar is a classic instrument. Every guitarist owns one of these at some point I’m sure! ¾ sized acoustic guitars are sweet instruments for several reasons. Although don’t let the size put you off, as these can play and sound just as good as a full-sized guitar.

The 3/4 size acoustic guitar is a great option for beginners. These guitars are easy to hold and handle, making them perfect for children and those with small hands. They are also great for seasoned guitarists as well, making excellent travel guitars, or just a nice small instrument to practice around the house.

Martin LX1 Little Martin

I tested 6 products and found Martin LX1 Little Martin to be the best 3/4 acoustic guitar.

This is one guitar you can’t live without! This ¾ size beast easily competes with or even beats some full-size acoustic models. If you’re looking for a travel guitar, or just high quality, smaller instrument, this is a great choice.

Martin guitar is known to be one of the manufactures of acoustics in the guitar world, and this model certainly upholds that reputation.

The first guitar I ever had was a ¾ sized acoustic.

I got it for my 8th birthday. It was one of the most basic models around, costing less than $30 new at the time. I used that guitar as my main instrument for many years, until I was old enough to use larger instruments. I still use a ¾ size acoustic guitar regularly to this day. There is something nice and easy about their shape and size. I find they encourage more relaxed playing than full-sized guitars, as you have to approach the music theory differently thanks to the size constraints.

We loved the Martin LX1 Little Martin for several reasons.

This guitar has extremely high construction and sound quality. With a dynamic, warm tone, this guitar shines in any genre. The body shape and soundhole create an excellent sound projection.

If you play guitar, you can immediately feel the high level of craftsmanship as soon as you pick the instrument up. 

There are many [products] available, we’re here to help you find the perfect match for your needs.

This article includes a range of ¾ acoustic guitars with varying budgets and features. Some of these are more appropriate for beginners, and others are better suited to professionals. If the guitar is for a beginner, I’d recommend spending anywhere between $50 and $200. For more serious, dedicated guitarists, I’d recommend looking at guitars in the $200+ range to get a decent feel and sound quality.

Keep reading for our full exploration of the best 3/4 acoustic guitar

Alternatively, for full-sized guitar recommendations, check out our post about the best acoustic guitars.

If you want a super high-quality acoustic, check out our post about the best Gibson acoustic guitars.

Best 3/4 Acoustic Guitar in Our Tests

7 Best 3/4 Acoustic Guitar Reviews in Details

1. Yamaha JR1 FG Junior

Yamaha JR1 FG Junior

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Product info

Don’t let your dreams of playing guitar go unfulfilled, the Yamaha JR1 FG Junior is designed for players of all sizes! 

The 3/4 size body coupled with a short scale length makes it easier to play than other guitars. The simple and elegant design will make any budding guitarist proud.

With features like mahogany back and sides, rosewood fretboard, maple neck, and die-cast tuners, this guitar is the perfect choice to get started on your musical journey.

The JR1 FG Junior acoustic guitar is a great introduction to guitar performance, perfect for travel, and outstanding for sound quality! This economical package includes a gig bag to keep the guitar safe.

The JR1 Junior is the perfect instrument for the young player, the frequent traveler, or anyone who is more comfortable with a smaller-bodied acoustic.

You can occasionally find good bundle deals with this instrument, which can include a guitar stand, guitar strap, and sometimes even guitar lessons. 

Pros and Cons:

  • Affordable with great construction.
  • Short neck and small body, ideal for small hands.
  • Comes with a gig bag.
  • Decent sound for the price, although relatively weak.

– – –

2. Fender FA-15N Nylon String

Fender FA-15N Nylon String

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Product info

Our FA-15N Nylon is a lightweight classical guitar that’s perfect for beginners. It’s affordable, comfortable to hold, and comes with a sleek natural finish. If you’re looking for an easy way to get started on your musical journey, these classical guitars could be perfect for you.

The Fender FA-15N nylon string guitar is a great way to get started on classical guitar. It features traditional Nylon strings and a solid Sitka spruce top for great tone and playability. It’s also affordable and sounds great, so it’s a perfect choice for beginners or any player who wants a quality nylon guitar for practicing or performing.

The FA-15N is a 3/4 scale guitar with a smaller body that is perfect for beginners or children. It is made of Agathis, Sapele, and features a beautiful glossy finish. The FA-15N includes a gig bag for easy transport.

You want to learn to play the guitar but you don’t want to break the bank? The new Fender FA-15N Nylon is just what you’re looking for. With a 3/4-size body and a ¾-size neck, this guitar is easy on your fingers and on your wallet. You can easily take it with you wherever you go and it’s perfect for kids!

Pros and Cons:

  • Clear, classical sound.
  • Fender build quality and construction.
  • High-quality feel for the price. 
  • Average tuning stability due to old-fashioned tuners.

– – –

3. Ibanez 3/4 Mini Dreadnought

Ibanez 3/4 Mini Dreadnought

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Product info

Introducing the Ibanez 3/4 Mini Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar. 

If you’re looking for a 3/4 dreadnought guitar that’s easy to get under your arm, then the Ibanez 3/4 Mini Dreadnought is a great choice. This guitar’s smaller mahogany body makes it easier to transport and carry, while still retaining the big sound of a full-sized dreadnaught

The Ibanez 3/4 Mini Dreadnought is an acoustic guitar that is perfect for kids and beginners. It’s lightweight and easy to play with.

This dreadnought is equipped with a rosette, tuners, and steel strings. This guitar is perfect for beginners and guitar enthusiasts alike. Take it to the next level with this entry-level acoustic guitar today!

The Ibanez 3/4 Mini Dreadnought is a beautiful 3/4-sized acoustic guitar with a mahogany top, back, sides, and neck. This guitar is perfect for the beginner (or anyone who wants to travel more easily), with its 22″ scale length and easy-to-play mahogany top.

Pros and Cons:

  • Large, dreadnought sound.
  • Bright, clear tone.
  • Catchy dark wood finish.
  • Excellent quality
  • Guitar action needed adjusting.

– – –

4. Yamaha Student Series CGS103AII Classical Guitar

Yamaha Student Series CGS103AII Classical Guitar

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Product info

The Yamaha Student Series CGS is a very affordable classical guitar with a solid spruce top, meranti back and sides, nato neck, and nylon strings. It has beautiful natural finishes and a rich tone that any beginner would love.

The Yamaha Student Series CGS guitar is the perfect guitar to inspire new guitarists to learn and enjoy their new instrument. Yamaha has been evolving since 1887, and they have been designing guitars for over 60 years. They know what it takes to make a quality instrument, and the Student Series CG is no exception.

Yamaha Student Series CGS is a great guitar for beginners, kids, or anyone who wants to learn. This guitar combines tradition with cutting-edge design to offer a high-quality instrument at an affordable price. It’s perfect for students of different ages and skill levels. The CGS offers a great tone, classic looks, and an easy-to-play neck.

We recommend this for any beginner who needs an affordable ¾ acoustic guitar.

Pros and Cons:

  • Affordable student model.
  • Easy to play, feels nice.
  • Fairly loud tone, a good projection for a nylon ¾.
  • Low-quality bridge.

– – –

5. Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar

Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar

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Product info

Taylor is another famous name known for offering the best quality high-quality acoustic guitars possible. The Taylor BT2 also comes in a somewhat broader dreadnought body form to ensure versatility to its users. The combination of a solid mahogany top with a Layer Sapele not only provides a clear sound but also adds to the appearance of the guitarist. The instrument is equipped with a good rosewood bridge fully equipped with a compensated saddle manufactured by NuBone. The die-made tuner set isn’t all that good but still works for tuning and intonation. From the lowest rung of the frequency range to very high the situation goes tight.

The Taylor Baby Taylor BT2 6-string acoustic guitar is a timeless classic that’s perfect for beginners. The acoustic guitar has a mahogany top for a warm, rich tone. The layered Sapele back and sides provide rich resonance with less feedback. It has a 1 11/16 inch neck width which provides hours of comfortable playability.

For those who are looking for a guitar with a full sound but don’t have enough room for a full-sized guitar, the Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor is the perfect fit. It features all-solid wood construction with a Thinline design to give you the same tone as full-sized guitars.

The sound from a smaller guitar is not as rich as a larger acoustic guitar. However, it’s still good enough.

Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar. It’s not just for babies anymore! This guitar is surprisingly loud for its size. It does lack a bit on the low end, compared to my other acoustic, but has a nice, crisp mid-to-high range sound. Its size and the bolt-on neck do make a noticeable impact on the resonance.

Pros and Cons:

  • Superior Taylour builds quality.
  • Rich, dynamic sound.
  • Excellent feel and playability. 
  • Acoustic-electric guitar options are available.

– – –

6. Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar

Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar

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Product info

The Martin LX1 Little Martin is the ideal travel guitar, featuring a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, Stratabond neck composed of maple and rosewood, shortened 3/4 scale, chrome small-knob tuners, Tusq saddle.

Introducing the new Martin LX1 Little Martin. With a stylish 3/4 scale length, shortened neck, and easy-to-play neck shape, the LX1 is perfect for players of all levels. The mahogany pattern HPL (high-pressure laminate) textured finish looks great and will not scratch or dent easily. This guitar has 20 frets.

The Little Martin is an acoustic guitar with a smaller, shallower body than is typically seen in steel-string Taylor guitars. The shape of the LIttle Martin is derived from the traditional Western concert guitar, but its size and proportions are similar to the ukulele with a body length of 20 inches (51 cm), an 11-inch (28 cm) lower bout, and a 14-inch (35.5 cm) upper bout.

The Martin LX1 Little Martin is an excellent starter guitar. It is small but has a big sound with just the right amount of power and clarity that will leave your audience in awe. The mahogany HPL back, sides, and top provide a natural warmth in every note you play.

You can sometimes find an acoustic-electric guitar version of this instrument. These include a pickup for amplification, and make your guitar play even louder!

Pros and Cons:

  • Renowned Martin builds and sound quality.
  • Superior tone.
  • Feels extremely nice to play, superly refined.
  • Bright, clear sound.

– – –

How to Choose the right 3/4 acoustic guitar that fits your needs?

What to look for when buying a small guitar.

Size and Shape

The Dreadnought is the most commonly used acoustic guitar and is the most versatile. At the opposite end of the scale is the jumbo acoustic that delivers a greater volume. It is simpler to play and its small sizes make it more portable in a smaller format.

The larger the size of the guitar the louder the volume and the softer the tone of it.

A mixture of all the above can be found in this great beginner guide for acoustic guitars.

Sound

Different guitars are designed to produce unique tones. Some guitars have a warm and rich sound, while others are bright and thin. It all depends on the style of music you want to perform. I usually strive to choose the most dynamic-sounding guitar I can find. This guarantees that you have a diverse set of tones to choose from while jamming.

The kind of strings chosen has a significant impact on the sound. Nylon-stringed guitars sound deeper and more relaxed than steel-stringed ones. A three-quarter size guitar with lighter strings will have a comparatively bright tone. Thicker strings create a darker sound.

 Dreadnaughts sound different from cutaways, and the depth and design of the body also have an impact. Listen to many guitar models to choose which tone type you like.

Think about High-Quality Materials

The wood used to make a guitar influence various things, including weight, tone quality, and durability. You may spend hours researching the various wood varieties used in guitars, so simply go with what feels and sounds best to you.

Think about the cost-to-quality ratio.

This is determined by your financial situation. In an ideal scenario, you should purchase a guitar at the very top of your price range to assure the highest quality. It actually depends on what you need, but make sure you acquire a guitar within your budget.

Acoustic vs. electric acoustics:

Many Washburn acoustic guitars have electronic pickups built-in. This makes it possible to amplify the guitar without the need for a microphone. If you believe that the loudness of an unplugged acoustic guitar is too low for your purposes, try an electric-acoustic model.

Washburn often employs a high-quality preamp system, which delivers a powerful amplified sound. 

FAQ’s

Is a ¾ Size Guitar Right for Me?

For beginner’s instruments, you should choose a 3/4 size guitar. It lacks the tone and loudness of a standard acoustic guitar, but it is still usable and can sound lovely. Smaller guitars are more suitable for younger players than conventional guitars.

These instruments are ideal for carrying to lessons or traveling with. They’re also perfect for guitarists who find larger-size guitars difficult to grasp and play.

If you have tiny hands you may discover that a 3/4 size guitar suits you better than a huge instrument like a dreadnought. It really boils down to personal choice. You should experiment with one of these devices to see whether it works for you. If the ¾ guitar size feels too small for you, have a look at full-size guitars.

Can I Record with a ¾ Size Guitar?

You can record with ¾ sized guitars, provided you have the right equipment. You can even achieve a good sound with your recordings if you use a decent quality instrument.

Most of these instruments do not have built-in pickups or preamps, which means that you will either need a guitar with a pickup, or you will have to use a microphone if you want to record with this sort of guitar. It is possible to record with a 3/4-size guitar, but it will lack the projection and loudness that you want from a conventional acoustic guitar.

Some of the guitars on this list have built-in pickups, which makes them easy to record with. Alternatively, you can use a microphone with an audio interface or recording gear.

How much should I spend on a beginner acoustic?

You can find some decent smaller guitars for beginners at around $150. It is fine to spend less than this too, but this price will get you a good quality instrument, with a balanced sound. We’d recommend you avoid some below $100 non-branded options. You’ll soon get used to the mediocre feel, and face problems like poor tuning stability, poor articulation, and poor sounds. 

In fact, set a budget from $150 to $250 and you can walk away with a guitar that you play for several years without needing to upgrade. Keep your budget up a bit and you’ll be able to expect good features, improved sound and you may find built-in pickups as part of the package.

Conclusion

Martin LX1 Little Martin

Overall, we thought the best 3/4 acoustic guitar was the Martin LX1 Little Martin.

This mini guitar is truly fantastic. With a highly refined rosewood fingerboard, exquisite mahogany wood back and sides, and adjustable truss rod, this guitar is capable of producing a great sound

You can also look at the Martin LX1E for an electrified version of this guitar. It includes a built-in guitar tuner, volume, and tone knobs, and is capable of being plugged into amplifiers like an electric guitar.

Don’t underestimate these mini guitars! This steel-string acoustic has a mellow sound that can compete with a full-size guitar. Whilst this is a relatively expensive guitar, every penny is well spent. If you’re in the market for a professional-grade new guitar, the Little Martin could be one of the best small guitars for you!

You can find the Martin LX1 Little Martin online today!For more guitar reviews, check out our post about the best Washburn acoustic guitars.