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7 Best Epiphone Acoustic Guitars: Expert Analysis 2024

The Epiphone label is a sub-brand of the internationally celebrated musical instruments manufacturer Gibson Brands Inc. It is a highly regarded reputable brand undeniably considered one of America’s most important guitar manufacturers of all time. 

We chose this list of the best Epiphone acoustic guitars by using their performance, musicality, versatility, resilience, uniqueness, and quality of play. 

The bulk of their acoustic power-electric and electric instruments cost less than $1000, and a major chunk of them are under $500. 

You can hear Epiphone’s immediately recognizable tones in countless hits, and see these fabulous guitars used beautifully by great musicians in innumerable live concerts and TV performances.

We’ve written this to help you find something that fits your musical tastes, level of experience, and budget.

Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String

I tested 7 products and found Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String. to be the best Epiphone acoustic guitar.

This Epiphone guitar has a unique voice, that stands out from the crowd. With a 12 string guitar, you get twice as much bang for your buck. 12 strings create a much fuller, more vibrant sound, making acoustic guitars sound like they are doubled up. 

The DR-212 is an excellent entry-level acoustic guitar for Epiphone, and it’s a lot of fun to play for both new players and seasoned veterans. 

I’ve always loved the Epiphone brand. They make many beautiful guitar styles. I think their electrics are great, but their acoustics are also fantastic. I really like the vibrant tone of an Epiphone. They have an excellent warm sound, that suits anybody’s playing style. 

We loved the Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String for many reasons.

There are many Epiphone acoustic guitars available, we’re here to help you find the perfect match for your needs.

Keep reading for our full exploration of the best Epiphone acoustic guitar

Alternatively, for a wider variety of brands, check out our post about the best acoustic guitars.

Or have a look at our full review of the best acoustic guitars under $400.

Best Epiphone Acoustic Guitar in Our Tests

7 Best Epiphone Acoustic Guitar Reviews in Details

1. Epiphone Dove Pro

Epiphone Dove Pro

Product info

The Epiphone Dove Pro is designed for easy playing and includes all the basics that a guitarist needs. It has a great sound and is perfect for beginners. This well-equipped guitar has a quality tone and would satisfy any guitar player.

The Dove Pro is an excellent acoustic guitar from the luthiers at Epiphone, featuring an all-solid spruce top for great tone, and all-maple back and sides for durability. It keeps the classic pickguard design, with an image of the dove itself. 

With the dovetail neck joint and slim-taper “D” profile, it’s easy to play. The Dove Pro also has a rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid parallelogram inlays. We love the look of the rosewood bridge too, it’s very unique. 

It’s time to make the change. It’s time to go electric and plug-in with Epiphone and Fishman. 

Electrify your performance by plugging this guitar in with the Fishman Sonitone electronic preamp and pickup system. It will make your gigs, rehearsals, and performances sound like a dream come true. Forget about being the quietest voice in the room when you’re plugged in.

The Epiphone Dove PRO Acoustic-Electric Guitar offers the best of both worlds: the warmth and resonance of a traditional acoustic guitar, and the convenience of built-in amplification! Ideal for live performance, practicing, recording, or just playing around the house, this guitar gives you classic sound and modern features.

Pros and Cons:

  • Cool pickguard.
  • Professional feel and sound – warm tone. 
  • Includes high-quality piezo pickups

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2. Epiphone Hummingbird PRO Acoustic/Electric

Epiphone Hummingbird PRO Acoustic/Electric

Product info

The Epiphone Hummingbird Pro is above the rest in its price spectrum without any notable downsides. This budget guitar is a homage to the Gibson Hummingbird model and retains the traditional dreadnought shape. 

The Epiphone Hummingbird PRO is the perfect guitar for beginners and professionals alike. This acoustic guitar has been made to suit all levels of musicianship and offers excellent quality at an affordable price. The Epiphone Hummingbird PRO is great for both classical music as well as rock music, so it will appeal to all sorts of musicians.

The sound is mellow and tender just enough for the validity of this hummingbird name. The guitar can project sounds when you work it and the overall tone would be ideal for country, acoustic-pop, and rock music. 

The action might need to be altered to suit your preference but the adjustable truss rod allows you to change the action on the guitar without any issues. 

The Epiphone Hummingbird Pro is a professional acoustic guitar with a slim mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. It features a classic dreadnought cutaway body and the renowned “Hummingbird” profile, along with an elegant natural gloss finish.

This is one of the better Epiphone acoustic guitars. We’d recommend this to any guitar player looking for a quality guitar. The sound quality of this instrument is fantastic, and its rich tone will please anybody who hears it.

Pros and Cons:

  • Full dreadnought tone.
  • Vibrant finish.
  • Action needed changing. 

– – –

3. Epiphone Songmaker DR-100

Epiphone Songmaker DR-100

Product info

The Epiphone Songmaker Dr-100 is a guitar for beginners and pros alike. Epiphone’s goal with the Dr-100 Songmaker was to create an acoustic guitar that would be easy enough for beginners to play but still offer the ability to create many different types of music.

The Epiphone DR 100 is very unique when compared to most guitar manufacturers in that category. Available with three finishes – ebony natural and vintage sunburst. 

The Epiphone Songmaker Dr-100 is a full-size acoustic guitar with a solid spruce top. It has mahogany back and sides with 20 frets on the rosewood fingerboard for easy playing. The neck has a 1960’s SlimTaper profile which makes it easy to play chords up high on the neck as well as

The sound of the guitar is rich and warm with just enough grit to create a consistent presence that players long for.

The Epiphone Songmaker is a guitar with a very affordable price, but it still has a lot of quality features including an aluminum body and neck, a pickup system with volume and tone controls, and an oversize 3-ring binder gig bag.

This is a guitar that you can take to your garage band practices or plugin at the pub next door. But it doesn’t have any of the bells and whistles that make some guitars worth more than this one’s price tag.

Pros and Cons:

  • Reliable acoustic guitar.
  • Includes pickup for amplification. 
  • Suitable for all guitar players.

– – –

4. Epiphone PRO-1 Acoustic

Epiphone PRO-1 Acoustic

Product info

Step up your game with Epiphone’s PRO-1 acoustic guitar. It’s the perfect guitar for the gigging musician and beginners alike. The PRO-1 acoustic guitar is built for comfort and excellent tone.

The Epiphone PRO-1 acoustic guitar was designed with the needs of the ambitious guitarist in mind. With its reduced size, this pro series guitar is perfect for the studio or small stage

The Jumbo PRO frets, EZ-Profile “D” neck, dual-action truss rod, and humidifier all work together to provide pro-level performance. Whether you’re performing at a coffee house or rocking out in your basement.

The smaller body size and reduced scale length make Epiphone’s PRO-1 Acoustic Guitar easy to handle and less fatiguing to play

This is one of the best acoustic guitars from Epiphone. It has such a cool look, feel, and sound that makes it a joy to work with. These quality guitars will serve the guitarist well. 

Pros and Cons:

  • Reliable dreadnought guitar.
  • Very affordable for a high level of quality.
  • Ideal for stage use, or as a practice guitar.

– – –

5. Epiphone Songmaker FT-100

Epiphone Songmaker FT-100

Product info

Epiphone has it all with this Songmaker FT-100 acoustic guitar. The dreadnought body is comfortable for both beginners and more advanced players. It also includes several useful accessories. With the FT-100, you’ll never have to worry about the basics: this guitar does them all for you!

The neck is made of Mahogany SlimTaper C-profile with chrome hardware, the body is made of Layered Mahogany with a Select Spruce top, and the headstock is made of Epiphone Dovewing from the 1960s.

It’s easy to play. It makes sense. You wouldn’t expect much for the low price, but these guitars deliver.

Despite the inferior machine heads, it keeps its tune. Epiphone made a great entry-level guitar.

The strings that come from the factory are not the best quality, so you might consider replacing them to upgrade your sound.

At this price, it’s a steal. If you’re a beginner, this is a great buy, and your fingers will love the fantastic mobility. In addition to the Epiphone Songmaker FT-100 acoustic guitar, the Player Pack also includes an Epiphone gig bag, an Epiphone strap, an Epiphone set of picks, and a clip-on chromatic tuner.

Pros and Cons:

  • Great sound and quality for a low price.
  • Includes accessories.
  • Decent tuning stability.
  • Need to replace the original strings. 

– – –

6. Epiphone EJ200CE Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Epiphone EJ200CE Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Product info

The Epiphone EJ200CE packs the best vintage design into a modern package. 

These beautiful stringed musical instruments stand out from the crowd with unique and functional features. 

This is an acoustic-electric guitar with a history. Inspired by the classic “Jumbo” guitars of the ’50s, this design has been updated with Shadow’s eSonic-II Stereo Pickup System for an incredible amplified electric sound. This acoustic-electric guitar produces a magnificent tone, plugged or unplugged.

It’s built with a classic “Jumbo-200” style design, made from the finest maple wood. It features a cutaway for upper fret access, which feels fantastic on the stunning inlaid fretboard. 

The Grover Rotomatic machine heads with an 18:1 tuning provide accurate tuning and easy string changes. You can play this guitar for hours on end without returning. 

A classical guitar with a Jumbo body, the Epiphone EJ200CE is the perfect instrument for beginners looking for an affordable way to learn. The Epiphone EJ200CE is a jumbo acoustic guitar with a full-bodied sound that would suit any guitarist. The quality is close to some Gibson guitars.

Pros and Cons:

  • Cool jumbo body style.
  • Cutway for upper fret access.
  • Built-in electronics.
  • Strong tuning heads for excellent tuning stability. 

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7. Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String Guitar

Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String Guitar

Product info

The Dr-212 is one of the best 12 string acoustic guitars in the beginner to intermediate range. Forget about the best Epiphone guitars, this is one of the best acoustic guitars, period. 

With the Epiphone DR-212, you get a beautiful mahogany body, solid Sitka spruce top, and 12 strings to make your music soar. This elegant guitar is perfect for any guitarist looking to reach new heights through its smooth playability and powerful tone.

The Epiphone DR-212 12 string Dreadnaught Acoustic Guitar features scalloped bracing and ivoroid binding, making it durable and balanced. The sound of these guitars is much louder and brighter than normal 6 string models. If you want a fuller, more expressive instrument to play with, this could be one of the best Epiphone acoustic guitars for you.

Perfect for the singer-songwriter, the Epiphone DR-212 acoustic-electric 12 string is an absolute must-have. With its budget-friendly price, this guitar is perfect for the player who wants a big sound in a smaller body. Get your hands on one today!

Pros and Cons:

  • 12 strings for a fuller, brighter sound.
  • Affordable for a 12 string model, but still great quality. 
  • Tuning takes a while to perfect. 

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Buying Guide: How to choose the right Epiphone acoustic guitar?

What to look for when buying an Epiphone acoustic guitar. 

Epiphones are great guitars that are usually significantly cheaper than the original Gibson brand. But before you buy one, you should know how to pick the right guitar.

There are three things you should consider when buying an Epiphone acoustic guitar:

The first thing to consider is the price. You want to make sure that you are not spending too much money on a guitar, after all, you may end up upgrading later down the line. 

The second thing to consider is whether or not this is your first guitar. If it is your first time playing then I would recommend starting with a nylon-stringed classical guitar. These have nylon strings which are easier on fingers and hands when learning how to play. 

Thirdly, what kind of music do you want to play?

Some guitars are better suited to certain styles of music than others. You should choose a guitar that has a sound that suits the style of music you want to play. The look of the instrument is also relevant, as the visual style of some guitars just doesn’t work for all situations. 

FAQs

Are Epiphone Acoustic Guitars Good For Beginners?

Epiphone’s acoustic guitars are good for beginners because they are playable and affordable.

Epiphone’s acoustic guitars are the perfect choice for beginners who want to start on an instrument. They are cheap but still very playable. 

It is much easier to learn chords and scales, as well as play songs, on an acoustic guitar than it is on bass or electric guitar. This makes Epiphone instruments ideal for people who are just starting with music, but don’t want to break the bank in doing so!

You may want to upgrade to a more premium guitar brand later on, for instance, some of the flagship Gibson models will massively outperform an Epiphone. 

Are Epiphone Guitars Good Quality?

Generally yes, Epiphone has almost 150 years of experience in the guitar manufacturing industry. They wouldn’t have lasted this long if they weren’t getting something right.

Innovation has led this brand to deliver consistently and constantly in the market by delivering impressive guitars. Their traditional designs are copied by many other guitar manufacturers. It’s especially well known for producing guitars of excellent quality and quantity.

Most Epiphone guitars are of good quality. They are above Squiers, but below Fenders – generally. 

There is such a wide range of Epiphone guitars, it’s impossible to say if they are all good, but for the most part, they are

The History of the Epiphone brand

Epiphone was founded in Izmir by Anastasios Stathopoulos in 1873 which continued to grow steadily in the USA. It was purchased in 1957 by its leading rival Gibson.

After its acquisition, Gibson began producing a parallel line of instruments based on more expensive Gibson models. Many of these are not made in America and many are assembled in the U.S. where they undergo a series of stringent rigorous inspections for superior quality to ensure that each instrument lives up to brand promises in excellence. 

Conclusion

Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String

Overall, we thought the best Epiphone acoustic guitar was the Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String.

This is such a cool instrument, and a lot of fun to play with. We also loved the Dove and Songbird models, but we thought the 12 string stood out from the crowd.

Just in terms of interest, volume, and expression, this guitar provides a lot more value for money than some other models. 12 string guitars just bring a cool new dimension to your performance,

You can find the Epiphone DR-212 Acoustic 12 String online today.
Still haven’t found your dream acoustic guitar? Have a look at our post about the best Fender acoustic guitars.