Epiphone DR-100 Dreadnought Acoustic
Dynamics Tone for a Low-cost Acoustic
The square-shoulder Gibson dreadnought is among the most desirable acoustic guitars for beginners. Epiphone’s DR-100, a part of the Gibson family, is the perfect beginner’s acoustic guitar that embodies the classic dreadnought blueprint. It has a spruce top on the mahogany back and sides and a mahogany neck for added stability.
The Vintage Sunburst top produces dynamic tones pleasing to the ear, and the authentic nitrocellulose finish makes it a valuable addition to your guitar collection.
| Product: | Epiphone DR-100 |
| Body Shape: | Square-shoulder dreadnought |
| Body Woods: | Spruce top; mahogany back and sides |
| Neck: | Mahogany, SlimTaper “C” profile |
| Fingerboard: | Rosewood, 12-inch radius |
| Electronics: | N/A |
| Sounds Like: | Pop, country bluegrass |
| Pros: | • Brings square-shoulder • Gibson innovation to the massesIconic dreadnought tonewood recipe delivers full, focused tone • SlimTaper mahogany is stable yet nimble |
| Cons: | The Gloss nitro finish over dark wood may cause surface scratches to become visible. |
Check it out at one of the following music dealers.
Yamaha FG800 Dreadnought Acoustic
One of the World’s Best-selling Beginner
Acoustics
Unsurprisingly, the dreadnought with plate number 1 and its predecessor are among the best-selling beginner acoustic guitars in the world as they offer much value for the price. Even experienced players often choose these guitars as practice instruments or for casual playing. They play and sound great and are usually well set up and intonated.
The plate number 1 guitar has a solid spruce top with scalloped bracing, which produces a full and dynamic sound when playing strums or ballads. The caramel-stained nato wood and tortoise teardrop pickguard delivers a nice visual contrast to the natural-stained spruce.
What makes this guitar even better is its vintage flared FG headstock and die-cast chrome tuners, adding to its value as a great starter or student guitar.
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Product: |
FG800 |
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Body Shape: |
Dreadnought |
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Body Woods: |
Solid spruce top; nato/okoume back and sides |
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Neck: |
Nato, standard profile |
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Fingerboard: |
Walnut, 15.75-inch radius |
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Electronics: |
N/A |
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Sounds Like: |
AM gold, ’60s folk |
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Pros: |
• One of the best-selling dreadnought acoustics |
|
Cons: |
Nato wood back and sides may not suit all players. Consider rosewood for FG830. |
Check it out at one of the following music dealers.
Cordoba Mini II Short-scale Nylon-string Acoustic
The Classical Nylon Sound in a Portable, Affordable Package
Are you aware of a student who is interested in learning classical guitar? If yes, then the nylon-string Mini II is an excellent choice. It is affordable, student-sized, and equipped with professional features, such as a beautiful layered flamed mahogany construction.
It could still be a great option even if you were not considering a classical guitar as your first guitar. Many beginners find nylon-string acoustics easier to play than steel strings. The strings are relatively easy to press down and produce sound, and due to their smoothness, they don’t cause severe finger pain. Nylon-string acoustics also provide a softer, more naturally compressed sound that can mask inconsistencies in strumming.
Think of the Mini II as a top-tier nylon-string guitar housed in a larger ukulele body. This guitar is enjoyable to pick up and play, especially for beginners.
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Product: |
Mini II nylon-string acoustic |
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Body Shape: |
Short-scale classical |
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Body Woods: |
Layered flamed mahogany top, back, and sides |
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Neck: |
Mahogany, “C” profile |
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Fingerboard: |
Pau ferro, flat radius |
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Electronics: |
N/A |
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Sounds Like: |
Baroque, flamenco |
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Pros: |
• A true nylon-string classical guitar within a large ukulele’s footprint |
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Cons: |
Beginners may opt for the non-flamed Mini II to save cost. |
Check it out at one of the following music dealers.