- Baritone guitars offer a unique playing experience and help you handle low tunings like a champ.
- We look at the 7 best baritone acoustic guitars on the market with tone, style, and value.
- Also, check out our roundup of the 7 best baritone electric guitars.
- And our super informative post: “All About: Baritone Guitars“
A baritone guitar lets you go places standard guitars can’t. With their longer scale length, heavier body, and heavier internal bracing, acoustic baritones offer a big sound that can fill a whole room.
They are a great option for solo work, as evidenced in Pat Metheny’s One Quiet Night, one of the best-selling recent jazz records that put the range and depth of baritone guitars on full display.
In addition, through the use of a capo, you can make a baritone guitar sound like a standard guitar, so you can still play many popular songs with ease.
Baritone can also refer to a singer’s voice.
(If you’ve just started on your quest for a new acoustic guitar, make sure you read 5 Critical Things To Look For When Buying An Acoustic Guitar!)
What Are The Best Baritone Acoustic Guitars?
Our choice for the best baritone acoustic guitar is the Alvarez ABT60E. It features great craftsmanship for a full sound and a great playing experience, at a nice price point. The Guild BT-240E is a good choice for those short on cash and our best value for this article.
And for those discerning players that need the best, our premium choice is the Taylor 326ce, which features superb build quality and gorgeous sound.
For those looking for something really good but off the beaten path, try out the Lakewood J-32 Baritone, with German quality.
With that out of the way, here are our candidates for the 7 best acoustic guitars:
- Guild BT-240E (Best Value)
- Ibanez AE275BT
- Taylor 326ce (Premium Option)
- Alvarez ABT60E (Our Pick)
- Martin Grand J-28LSE
- Lakewood J-32 Baritone
- Faith Neptune Baritone HiGloss
1. Guild BT-240E
Jumbo tone with deep, moody richness, the BT-240E Baritone offers a gorgeous layering of low-end timbre for a unique and mysterious sound.
- Fantastic playability
- Value for money
Guild has a solid tradition and reputation in the guitar world. The Guild BT-240E is a fantastic baritone acoustic for the price and sounds great both unplugged and amplified.
It’s tuned B-E-A-D-F#-B for that deeper and gorgeous sound that baritones are known for. The BT-240E is a great choice for those looking for an ideal balance of quality and cost and is our best value pick for this reason.
Features
- F-Jumbo body baritone acoustic-electric
- Mahogany back and sides and solid Sitka spruce top
- Mahogany neck, Pau Ferro fingerboard
- Guild/Fishman Sonitone GT-1 with volume and tone controls
- Scalloped X-bracing for resonance, sustain, and longevity, durability
Review
The Guild BT-240E Baritone acoustic-electric is an F-Jumbo body guitar with mahogany back and sides as well as a solid Sitka spruce.
This selection of woods produces a nice blend of low-end and midrange that delivers great projection and volume. The BT-240E is tuned to B-E-A-D-F#-B, five steps from standard tuning.
This baritone guitar features a mahogany neck with a Pau Ferro fingerboard and offers fantastic playability and response.
For an amplified sound, the BT-240 E comes with a Guild/Fishman Sonitone GT-1 with volume and tone controls to help get that nice and authentic baritone acoustic tone. The volume and tone controls are mounted directly on the soundhole for easy access.
Guild built the BT-240E with its famous scalloped X-bracing. This pattern uses crisscrossing, overlapped braces in the body that support better resonance and sustain.
To top it off, a genuine bone and nut saddle and a Pau Ferro bridge support resonance and tone. Overall, another solid instrument from the expert builders at Guild.
2. Taylor 326ce
This 6-string Grand Symphony baritone’s natural husky tonal register sits nicely under vocals, letting you comfortably hit notes that might otherwise be hard to reach — all without having to transpose or retune.
- Rich tonal character
- Fantastic build quality
- Onboard feedback suppression
Taylor needs no introduction when it comes to acoustic guitars. Their instruments are among the most desired in the acoustic guitar community, and the 326ce Baritone is no exception.
With years of expertise and stellar reputation, Taylor brings the best to the construction and details of the 326ce, with superior craftsmanship. This is our premium choice for our list of best baritone guitars.
Features
- Tropical mahogany top
- Tasmanian blackwood back and sides
- Tropical Mahogany neck, rounded C profile
- West African ebony fingerboard, 15″ radius
- 27″ scale length; 1.75″ nut width
Review
The Taylor 326ce Baritone-6 LTD features a natural husky tonal register with the fantastic build quality we associate with this brand. This instrument features a Grand Symphony body style which is deeper, fuller, and louder than a Grand Auditorium or a dreadnought.
In selecting tonewoods for the 326ce Baritone-6 LTD, Taylor went the extra mile by using tropical mahogany on the top to deliver a distinctively dry and woody tone with clarity and focus.
Taylor also used Tasmanian blackwood with its nice midrange qualities, for the back and sides of this baritone guitar.
Taylor’s onboard Expression System 2 electronics offer a rich tonal character that allows the instrument to bloom without any bottom-end muddiness when plugged in.
This system features a 3-section proprietary pickup located behind the saddle. Because of where it’s positioned and how it’s integrated into the guitar’s saddle, the ES2 pickup provides a remarkably clear and accurate sound.
Besides a master volume control, a pair of tone controls allow you to tweak highs and lows to dial in your sound. The Expression System 2 also features a discreet polarity switch for onboard feedback suppression. Overall, the Taylor 326ce Baritone is a fantastic baritone guitar and the absolute best money can buy on this list.
3. Ibanez AE275BT
With its 27" baritone scale length, the Ibanez AE275BT acoustic-electric guitar speaks with a rich, bold voice. Especially if you're a recording singer/songwriter, a baritone is a perfect complement to a standard acoustic guitar when layering multiple parts.
Ibanez is renowned for offering great guitars and basses for musicians of all budgets and styles. The AE275BT acoustic baritone guitar offers great quality at a low cost, which has been one of the cornerstones of Ibanez for years.
This is one of the better choices for baritone acoustic guitars in an affordable price range and comes with renowned Ibanez quality and construction.
Features
- 27″ baritone scale length for deep tonality
- Built-in Ibanez pickup and preamp system
- Solid Sitka spruce top for projection and articulation
- Comfort Grip neck and rounded fretboard edges
- Real bone nut and saddles for better tone and sustain
Review
The Ibanez AE275BT acoustic-electric guitar features a 27″ baritone scale length for a rich, bold voice. The AE275BT features a solid Sitka spruce top that allows for impressive projection and detail and offers a deep baritone guitar sound.
Besides high-quality tonewoods, the Ibanez AE275BT comes equipped with a natural bone nut and saddle that transmits strings vibrations better than basic plastic for better definition, detail, and sustain.
The AE275BT features Ibanez Advantage bridge pins to preserve your tone better than common plastic bridge pins, and a notable sound difference.
This baritone acoustic guitar features a Comfort Grip neck profile with rounded fretboard edges, which make this neck feel especially smooth and easy to play.
This baritone guitar comes fitted with a built-in Ibanez pickup and preamp system for plugging right into an amp or sound desk. In short, this is one of the best-value baritone guitars.
4. Alvarez ABT60E
Tuned from B to B, the ABT60E is pitched between a dreadnought and acoustic bass to give you deep tones with easy playability. Chord shapes and scales are the same as a standard six-string but the voicing is lower.
- Great clarity
- Powerful sound
- Great on the eye
Alvarez is a very well-respected name in acoustic guitars circles. The ABT60E is a great baritone guitar with splendid construction and tone.
Additionally, it comes at a relatively affordable price tag. This is one of Alvarez’s best-selling models and you’re about to find out why. The ABT60E is our top pick for the best baritone guitar on this list.
Features
- Solid A+ Sitka Spruce on top, and
- Mahogany on back and sides
- Mahogany neck, 50/50 Semi-gloss finish
- Bridge: Bi-Level Rosewood, and rosewood fingerboard
- Real Bone nut and saddle
- Premium Die-Cast tuners
Review
The Alvarez ABT60E is tuned from B to B and pitched between a dreadnought and acoustic bass. Chord shapes and scales are the same as a standard six-string but the voicing is lower, for a full baritone guitar sound and experience.
For plugging in, the ABT60E features an SYS550 system designed by B-BAND. This pro-level EQ and pickup system reproduces the guitar’s sound closely and with great clarity.
B-BAND uses a patented under saddle electret film pick up that eliminates synthetic or processed sounds frequently heard with piezo or other pickup styles.
The result is a very true, acoustic sound. The SYS550 system also has an accurate, backlit chromatic digital tuner.
The Alvarez ABT60E features hand-selected solid tops; forward-shifted scalloped bracing and a fantastic player experience.
Additionally, this Alvarez baritone guitar also features an FST2M bracing system, bi-level bridge, real bone nut, and great quality tonewoods.
The FSTM is a forward-shifted X brace design with both the X braces and asymmetric tone bars scalloped. Moving the system forward allows for a larger soundboard, which is optimized with a solid maple bridge plate for both strength and energy.
This guitar offers a warm, open, and powerful sound, and both the treble and bass registers are present and balanced.
The solid A+ grade Sitka spruce are hand-selected from quarter-sawn wood to ensure consistent quality while looking great as well. Overall, this is a fantastic instrument and our pick for best baritone guitar in this list.
- Check out our post on the best Alvarez guitars
5. Martin Grand J-28LSE
This finely crafted instrument truly shows off the features and outstanding tonal qualities that D-TAR delivers, as well as the best characteristics that Martin guitars offer.
- Gorgeous look
It is a bit hard to have a best-of-list of acoustic guitars and not have a Martin in there. This company has been at the forefront of acoustic guitars for decades, and this baritone guitar is proof of why.
The Martin Grand J-S28LSE is a solid instrument that builds on the tradition and reputation of this great company.
Features
- 27.5-inch scale neck
- Solid East Indian rosewood body
- Solid Sitka spruce top
- Martin’s standard ”X” bracing
- D-Tar Wave Length Multi-Source pickup system
Review
The Martin Grand J-28LSE features a 27.5-inch scale neck and is fitted with bigger strings supplied by Martin under the Cleartone banner with .014 to .070 gauge.
The J28LSE body is made from solid East Indian rosewood and the top is a solid Sitka spruce. It is finished in Martin’s standard, gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, for a gorgeous look.
The top of this baritone guitar features Martin’s standard “X” bracing and progressively scalloped tone bars and an ebony fingerboard.
The J28LSE also features a low-oval neck made from select hardwood (usually mahogany or Spanish cedar). The fingerboard width at the nut is 1-3/4-inch, and the fingerboard width at the 12th fret and bridge is 2-1/4 inches.
This Martin baritone guitar is equipped with a D-Tar Wave Length Multi-Source pickup system composed of an under-saddle pickup and a small Omni mic mounted at the lip of the soundhole.
Here you will find two controls. One varies the mic’s volume, the other is a master volume control for both.
The D-Tar system features an AA battery compartment located inside the soundhole, which requires moving the fifth and sixth strings to change the battery, a definite disadvantage for this guitar.
Overall, the J28LSE is a great guitar worthy of the Martin name.
6. Lakewood J-32 Baritone
The incredibly beautiful 32 series build has a gorgeous select rosewood back and sides with a European spruce top and boasts some real tasty finishing touches.
- Superb craftsmanship
- Warm, full, and projecting sound
- Great playability
Lakewood put Germany as one of the top makers of premier acoustic guitars, for both nylon and steel strings.
With superb craftsmanship and true German build quality, the Lakewood J-32 baritone guitar is one of the best baritone acoustic guitars in the market today.
Features
- AAA European spruce top, ebony fingerboard
- Indian rosewood AAA sides and Cedro neck
- Soundhole rosette: Wood core with abalone purfling
- Flat headstock
- 48 mm (1.89 inch) Neck width at nut, 680 mm (26.8 inch) Scale length
Review
The Lakewood J-32 is a gorgeous baritone guitar with superb German craftsmanship. This beautiful baritone guitar features AAA European spruce top and Indian rosewood sides for a warm, full, and projecting sound that can fill the room.
The J-32 also features an ebony fingerboard, Cedro neck, and a wood core soundhole rosette with abalone purfling.
Besides having superior sound, playability, and gorgeous looks, the Lakewood J-32 comes with an L.R. Baggs Anthem pickup system that faithfully reproduces this instrument’s warm and filling acoustic sound.
The J-32 also features a flat headstock, 48 mm (1.89 inches) neck width at nut, 680 mm (26.8 inches) Scale length, Lakewood ProTune I gold tuners, and High-gloss body finish.
To top it off, this Lakewood baritone guitar comes with a satin-gloss, filled grain finish and ships with a Hiscox Lakewood hard case to protect it and safely transport it.
Overall, the Lakewood J-32 is a superb instrument with gorgeous sound and fantastic playability.
7. Faith Neptune Baritone HiGloss
Featuring one of our favorite shapes – the baby-jumbo Neptune – the new Baritone features a longer neck and scale length (700mm) and is fitted with longer, higher gauge strings allowing it to be tuned to a lower register.
- Features longer, higher gauge strings
- Fantastic clarity
Faith Guitars was founded in 2002 by a small team of seasoned guitar experts based in Shropshire, England, and led by renowned British luthier, Patrick James Eggle.
They are a new player in a very crowded market, but the quality of their instruments has put them on the map.
The Faith Neptune Baritone HiGloss is their first baritone model and features their baby-jumbo shape, a longer neck and scale length (700mm), and is fitted with longer, higher gauge strings.
Features
- Solid Engelmann spruce top
- Solid rosewood back and sides
- Patrick James Eggle X-Brace pattern design
- 5 mm abalone with fiber border rosette
- 16″ Fingerboard radius
Review
The Faith Neptune Baritone HiGloss features a longer neck and scale length (680mm) and is fitted with longer, higher gauge strings allowing it to be tuned to a lower register.
A longer scale length means lower registers can be achieved without the strings turning floppy. The longer neck allows the use of heavier gauge strings which in turn means you can tune each string much lower than usual, yet maintain the correct, playable string tension.
With this guitar, you can tune to A D G C E A (a 5th lower) or a B E A D F♯ B (a 4th lower).
The HiGloss Baritone features an all-over high-gloss finish that is particularly effective in aiding the natural resonance of the Neptune body shape while ensuring a fantastic level of clarity, string articulation, and volume.
The Faith Neptune Baritone HiGloss features solid Engelmann spruce for the top, solid rosewood for the back and sides, and solid flamed maple binding.
The bracing material is hand scalloped quarter-sawn spruce with a Patrick James Eggle X-Brace pattern design. Other features include a 5 mm abalone with fiber border rosette, mahogany neck, and satin neck finish.
The Faith Neptune Baritone HiGloss comes with a 16″ Fingerboard radius, 2-way truss rod, and Macassar figured ebony with abalone dots bridge pins.
(The Yamaha THR3IIA is the perfect amp for your electric-acoustic guitar! Check out our full review here.)
- Wondering the differences between Martin 00 and 000 body sizes? Check out our complete guide here.
- You may also want to check out our acoustic guitar shopping guide!