15 Acoustic Guitar Builders You Need to Know: From Boutique to Big Brands | 2024 List!
Join us as we share our list of the 15 best guitar builders today (in no particular order). From iconic names to rising stars, this list covers a wide range of styles and approaches, all dedicated to producing the finest acoustic guitars available at differing price points!
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00:00 – Intro
01:50 – Furch
02:55 – Yamaha
04:01 – IRIS
05:16 – Gibson
06:56 – Lowden
08:25 – Eastman
09:55 – Taylor
12:17 – Bedell
13:11 – Boucher
14:58 – Alvarez-Yairi
16:48 – Bourgeois
18:00 – Thompson
19:14 – Atkin
20:52 – Collings
22:20 – Martin
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Originally posted by UCgToABlTkcQP-ojGXd1g1SA at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3bHhJZJv5Q
The Godin brand acoustics are favorably priced and highly competitive in quality, sound, and playability to more expensive Martin and Gibson models. I have a Metropolis LTD Havana Burst HG EQ that is on par with my '79 D-35 and '75 Gurian.
great list, definitely some heavy hitters here. surprised moar guitars didn’t sneak on though—The ella model is one of the most unique acoustics i’ve ever played. super lightweight, huge projection, and just insanely responsive. feels more like an instrument you collaborate with than just play. might be a little too under-the-radar still but 100% one to watch.
Larrivee
What about Gallagher Guitars? I know you sell them and I nearly bought one from y’all at IBMA this year.
I just received my new Eastman AC322CE today. I'm blown away by it's quality. Eastman absolutely belongs on this list. I've gone over it very carefully and it is as good as it gets. It really is flawless. From the bracing to the binding. The finish to the fret work. I couldn't find anything to complain about. And the cherry on top is the book matched figured mahogany back. It literally looks like a flamed maple Les Paul top, and has the 3D movement like it too. It is just beautiful! I was also surprised by the quality of the hard case too. Very highly recommended. In my opinion…no one makes anything like this for the money.
I have a Bedell and I tell folks all the time Eastman makes a great guitar. If I wanted a super nice sounding guitar but did not want to spend $2-3K I would buy an Eastman in a heart beat! I have played them and I'm always impressed with what I hear and not sure anyone beats them for sound at the price point! And I'm a tone snob.
You talk about Boucher but no mention of Godin or Seagull? WTF???
Let's get a 2nd video: comparing the sound of each dread!
Nice to see a couple of British makers getting a shout, but you missed Fylde. I know everyone will be saying 'you missed so & so', but there are two reasons I mention Fylde over the many well-known UK brands: longevity – Roger Bucknall has been building under the Fylde label since the 70s; output – Roger was one of the first single handers to build guitars on anything like a mass scale, bringing some level of automation to the work. This is exactly how modern day 'boutique' instruments are made. Otherwise,. thank you for a really interesting list.
So I loved this video, don't get me wrong, I just think having a list alone really fell flat without at least a short representation of what each of these brands sounds like.
Huss and Dalton not mentioned at all is just mean.
Surprised that Takamine did not make the cut
Absolutely, Larrivee was the first major alternative to Martin. He was the first to show that there was another path. Bruce Cockburn in his finger style phase, way back in the 70’s switched from Martin to Larrivee. Some of the biggest individual luthiers – Laskin and Manzer were Larrivee apprentices. I can go with, Santa Cruz ans Froggy Bottom would be on my list but not yours but the omission of Larrivee is just wrong.
Zaar Guitar new comer
Guild????
A more intetesting list might be Most Influential Luthiers of the last 30 years. Do Gibson and ????Martin???? even come into that conversation? So many of the newer boutique brands and the qualify asian brands have driven the acoustic industry. Can we say the same for the legacy brands?????
There was a guy in Georgia.. smooth stone guitar… his website is down now tho..
Although you went through as many great guitar builders that was well deserved mentioning, I think you should added one more. That would be Richard Hoover with Santa Cruz Guitars. You know as much about Mr. Hoover as I do. He is very knowledgeable about tonewood and resonate frequency. I know that you may not have had enough time to make mention, but I would've made time to. They just may be someone there watching this and if you ever want to get them as one of their dealers. I would've. Still a great informative video. Thanks guys!
My dream guitar is a custom build from Michael Bashkin.
Another Gold Medal episode. Thanks!!
John, Molly Tuttle is now touring with a Martin as well as her Thompson and Pre-War (?).
Thankful to own two of the brands on this list, Eastman, and Yamaha, both of which I bought from TAC.
Yamaha is the best dollar for dollar. Especially in the acoustic world.
Omissions of various types: Santa Cruz, Larrivee, Guild, Huss & Dalton, Goodall – impossible to only have 10.
Omitting Larrivee from this list is a joke.
We don't say K–bec We say Qua bec
I'm surprised Wayne Henderson and Santa Cruz isn't on the list.
I've owned quite a few guitars over the last 50 years. I have had some that didn't even have a name on them that played great and some high end guitars that just didn't get it. As much as the sound is the way an instrument feels in your hands and I would say without a doubt that Taylor has my vote for the best feel. I have an 810 and it just feels magical in my hands and sounds like a beast. Another of my favorites is my Blueridge 180A. This guitar is basically a Martin D45 for a great deal less. It plays and sounds great and specs out just like the D45. When I say a great deal less I'm talking $1500 vs $9600. I'm a lefty so finding finding guitars was a challenge for many years but they are quite common now if you have the stomach to spend that kind of money. I always said if I could ever afford it I would own a Martin. That was the goal of any young player but I must say in my opinion that after owning a D28 all my years of lusting were wasted. Unless you get a custom shop now they are just another guitar. Sorry guys but I'll put my Blueridge up against any standard Martin out there.
Gallagher, goodall, Santa Cruz
Nicely done video, thanks. Of course, you did not include my Santa Cruz guitars but I do have a Martin OM28V so we are still ok…kidding.
nice list, no argument here
Good list but it should have been top 16 Builders
I would have added Guild to the list!
Let’s do the 15 worst. I’ll start.
1. Esteban.
Great list, and I agree with the statement of fact that there are so many builders right now that produce a good instrument. The gap between a 1k guitar and a 2k or 3k guitar is not that big anymore. Time is being put into producing good instruments, and the tech these days make it easier for "off brands" to give you something worth looking at when you consider where to spend your money. As a result, I have a decent collection going and only because I was willing to step outside of the "big brands" to try other options. Even though the big brands use the same tech, they just charge much more for it.
Great list of guitars. I love the Bedell parlors