Of course if you can find a good deal on a used guitar, there might an exception to the $300 rule.

You can tell whether a guitar is a laminate top or solid wood top by feeling the top. Laminate tops will feel and look glossier and smoother than pure wood.

Fender and Yamaha both make several models of acoustic guitars that are rated highly for beginners on a budget. Washburn, Epiphone, and Takamine all make great acoustic guitars for those with a little higher budget. These are great brands for intermediate players. Taylor and Martin make many high-end acoustic guitars. These guitars will be more expensive but for good reason.

Acoustic-electric guitars often have a built-in tuner as well, which many people find useful.

Classic style guitars are often used for classical guitar playing. Guitarists who do a lot of finger picking sometimes prefer them because they have a lot of clarity and balance between the highs mids and lows. Dreadnaught guitars project more than classic guitars. Some describe them as boomy sounding. This is the most commonly played type of acoustic guitars for singer-songwriters, folk artists, and rock artists. Jumbo guitars are kind of like a cross between the shape and quality of classic guitars and the size and loudness of dreadnaught guitars.

If you don’t have a friend knowledgeable in guitars with you when you go to the store, you can also ask someone who works at the store for help. The people working at the music shop will likely have a wealth of information on guitars and can help you find a guitar that’s right for you.

Spruce is the most common type of material for acoustic guitars. It has a bright tone and remains clear even when played loudly. Cedar is favored by finger pickers because it delivers warm, rich tones that work well with fast picking. Mahogany has a strong sound that some describe as punchy. It is often used by blues players. Maple is very transparent and doesn’t color the tone of the strings very much. Rosewood has an overall darker tone, with rich highs and mids and strong lows.

Knock on the guitar’s body. An echoing sound usually means it will have greater bass, if a less echoing sound is produced it will normally sound bright. Check the action height. This is how far the strings are from the fretboard. The higher the action, the more difficult it will be to play. Look for a guitar with low, even action. Check the intonation. This means how well the guitar is tuned up and down the neck. Check this by playing an open D chord and then the same chord on the 14th fret. If it sounds out of tune, there may be a problem.

Play every note on the fretboard and listen for rattling or dead spots. Rattling could be sign that the bridge is loose and dead spots could be sign that the fretboard needs work. Look at the neck from the side. It should be practically straight. A little bowing is okay, but a lot is not. Where the neck connects with the body should be flush, and if you push gently on the neck, it shouldn’t give at all. Gently push down on the body, all around. Listen for creaking, which could be a sign that the glue on the braces inside the guitar is loose.