The Best Acoustic Guitars of 2025! These are the guitars that got our attention at the 2025 NAMM Show

The NAMM Show came back at its usual winter time and place this year with some of the major manufacturers such as Gibson, PRS and Fender that had been absent since the outset of the pandemic returning in at least in some fashion to Anaheim, California amid the tragic backdrop of the L.A. fires, which continue to wreak havoc on the City of Angels. Those traveling south on I-5 Wednesday — including the Santa Cruz Guitars crew and me — arrived just as a new fire popped up in the northern mountains, forcing folks to turn around at the “grapevine” and go the long way around.

But the show went off without a hitch and turned out to be well worth the trip, even as the same mountains were covered with snow on the way home! The following is a quick snapshot of what I found on the acoustic guitar front walking the show floor. Three trends seems to be taking shape or continuing onward: value-conscious efforts to curtail rising costs and the glut of guitars hanging on store walls as the great guitar boom of the pandemic era goes bust; more unique offerings to suit an evermore customized consumer base; and exciting developments in the ongoing acoustic-electronics arms race.

MARTIN GUITAR

Billy Strings Signatures and John Mayer-inspired Doubleneck

Martin had the most new acoustic goodness on display and it was too difficult to single one out, so here’s two, well, actually three. Martin and Americana golden boy Billy Strings have two new signature collaborations, the D-28 Billy Strings ($3,799 street) and the D-X2E Billy Strings ($899 street). The former is crafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania from solid East Indian rosewood with a spruce top and while the latter is built in Mexico with high-pressure laminate Brazilian rosewood. Both feature a modified low oval neck profile that feels just right playing the kind of blazing bluegrass that Strings purveys in his singular improvisational fashion. The American one has a much fuller sound, as one would figure.

The Grand J-28E DN ($7,999 street) features a six-string neck and a 12-string neck on a single 14-fret Grand J body made with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. According to product honcho Fred Greene, Martin made a doubleneck 6-and-12 about a decade ago that was gathering dust in a case on the shelf until John Mayer got wind of it and started using it on tour. Fans asked for one they could get their hands on one, and here we go. It took some getting used to playing with the different arm angles, but I could see having a ton of fun with this son of a gun! martinguitar.com

COLE CLARK

True Hybrid TL1

The True Hybrid experience becomes far more attainable with the brand new TL1 priced at $1,999 on the street. According to CEO Miles Jackson, “The pickups and the core design remain the same as on the TL2 ($3,599) and TL3 ($5,299 street), but the body of the TL1 is assembled in China rather than in our home base in Melbourne, Australia. That brings the cost down significantly to make the True Hybrid significantly more affordable in these trying economic times.”

The TL2 earned an Editors’ Pick Award in ’23 and a spot in GP’s Gear of the Year. The TL3 upped the ante in 2024 with improved magnetic pickups and dazzling aesthetics. The TL1 looks classically cool with its sunburst finish on a thinline grand auditorium made of Queensland maple back and sides and a bunya top. It’s loaded with Cole Clark’s PG3 acoustic pickup system plus a magnetic system in a humbucker/single/single configuration with dual outputs designed to feed an electric amp and an acoustic amp or P.A. The patent-pending magnetics are specifically balanced for optimal performance with phosphor bronze acoustic strings. The TL1 becomes available April 1. coleclarkguitars.com

Santa Cruz Guitars

Custom H Cutaway

Santa Cruz Guitars brought the custom shop to the masses, and they always bring something truly unique to the NAMM Show. The ultimate display of custom cool was a collaboration with Ventana Surfboards consisting of Burl 6’0” board and an H Cutaway guitar made of Hawaiian koa with a San Lorenzo River sinker redwood top and a headstock overlay of white oak taken from the Western Flyer—the boat John Steinbeck chartered into the Sea of Cortez! Both companies share a commitment to sustainability and they share resources for their handcrafted endeavors. Ventana routinely repurposes offcuts from the Santa Cruz shop in its surfboards. Avid surfer Andy Powers dropped by the Santa Cruz booth to see this pair for himself ($25,000 retail for the custom H Cutaway; $20,000 for surfboard; $48,500 for the one-of-a-kind set) while we were browsing the booth. The cutaway H body with a tone that belied its size was a joy to hold and play. SCGC also exhibited guitars paying tribute to the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery and to the legacy of Frank Ford in collaboration with the shop he co-founded, Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California. They all looked, played and sounded unique. Once again, Santa Cruz proved it can create an ultra-custom instrument incorporating practically anything a player can dream up that will resonate with rich overtones and stand the test of time as an heirloom piece. santacruzguitar.com ventanasurfboards.com

Taylor Guitars

Gold Label Collection

For the first act of its 51st year in business, Taylor introduces an entirely novel design. The Gold Label Collection is built to deliver the sound and style of an old soul while being equipped with modern conveniences such as the holistically in-tune quality we’ve come to appreciate in the era of current company captain Andy Powers. The body style is Taylor’s first-ever Super Grand Auditorium, which is slightly larger than their flagship and with different curves. The Gold Label Collection also marks the introduction of a new neck-height adjustment system to customize your setup. For anyone that’s ever appreciated the looks, playability, and plug-in-and-play ability of a Taylor yet yearned for a tone that’s a bit less bright on top and warmer in the mids with a bigger bottom end, the Gold Label Collection might make a Taylor player out of you. It begins with two 800 Series models, available in either Honduran rosewood or Hawaiian koa. Both feature Sitka spruce tops available either in either natural or sunburst finishes with street prices ranging from $4,499 for rosewood in natural to $4,999 for koa with sunburst. It’s easy to foresee the Gold Label concept catching on and being added to other series as well. Look for a full review of the Gold Label 814ce SB very shortly. taylorguitars.com

Fishman

Multi-Voice Acoustic Pickups: Jon Gomm Signature Series Powertap Earth Pro and Fluence Acoustic

It was only a matter of time until Fishman would bring its Fluence Multi-Voice magnetic pickups to the acoustic market, and that time is near. We got a taste on the Fender Highway Series, and these build on that tradition with the curved pickup fitting perfectly in the sound hole, up and out of the way by the end of the neck. Acoustic Fluence is still a fluid situation, so we’re not exactly sure what models are coming but one key common factor is the voice option. Voice 1 will be a Rare Earth humbucker on all models, while a little switch will select a model-specific second voice. I love the organic, Sunrise-style sound of Fishman’s Blackstack passive magnetic pickup, and was thrilled to find it on one of the many different display models that also included Matrix, P90 and Single Coil. Stay tuned to GP to see what gets released when.

In the meantime Fishman’s got multi-voice seekers covered in a big way with the new Jon Gomm Signature ($379.95 street). They teamed up with the modern percussive fingerstyle singer-songwriter to create a unique multi-faceted system consisting of a Rare Earth Mic Blend magnetic sound hole pickup and a Tap body sensor. Endpin jack-mounted preamp with optional second jack for multiple output options (stereo breakout adapter) included. fishman.com

Ibanez

Blackouts

Ibanez rolled out three new Blackout models, allowing players of all stripes to rock a badass acoustic rock look and sound without going broke. The AEG721BOT ($399 street) is a 7-stringer with a featuring a low B string sure to bring the bass. It features a Venetian cutaway, while the 6-string AEWC621BOT ($399) features a deeper and sharper Florentine-style cutaway. The Tele-shaped thinline TCY621BOT costs just under two-and-a half bills at $249 on the street. Pretty sleek stuff for not too much cash. ibanez.com

Breedlove

Myrtlewood Models

Nobody loves wood more than acoustic aficionados, and no other manufacturer does more good things with the versatility of myrtlewood than Breedlove. It’s native to the Pacific Northwest, and the pride of Bend, Oregon found a couple of particularly spectacular logs that they’ve dubbed the “Rain” and “Outrageous.” Breedlove has minted them into around 100 guitars of various shapes and sizes that are simply stunning to behold. They fall in the $4k to $5k price range. Find out all about them at breedlovemusic.com

Gibson

Murphy Lab Heavy Aged Collection

Gibson goes deep down down the relic rabbit hole with the Murphy Lab Heavy Aged Collection. Put your eyes, ears and hands on these beauties and it feels unbelievably similar to a vintage instrument, but one where everything works extra well. It’s not only a matter of the finish, as Gibson has painstakingly measured how and where players wear various areas of the fretboard. There’s a whole collection to choose from and probably more coming. I found two favorites: The very unique 1939 SJ-100 Heavy Aged ($8,999) featuring a thermally aged red spruce top and mahogany back and sides that delivered a wonderfully warm sound with beautiful bass; and the 1960 Hummingbird Heavy Aged ($7,699) in Washed Cherry Sunburst that felt light as feather with a lovely, lively tone. gibson.com

AEG-1 Acoustic-Electric

L.R. Baggs is celebrating its 50th Anniversary by doing something completely different—a guitar! Lloyd Baggs began his career building guitars, and now he’s built one a one-of-a-kind thinline around the big Baggs news at last year’s NAMM, the dual-element HiFi Duet pickup. The AEG-1 comes in three styles. All have Indian rosewood backs, with the primary distinction based on three different top materials: Torrefied Sitka Spruce, Natural Engelmann Spruce, and Sunburst Sitka Spruce. We got an advance of the AEG-1 Sunburst ($1,599 street) and gave it a full review. lrbaggs.com

Godin

“Opal Ocean” Multiac Nylon

The Limited Edition Ocean Burst and Opal Burst ($2,699 street) were designed for Opal Ocean, a Melbourne-based guitar duo comprised of Alex Champ and Nadav Tabak. Based on Godin’s Mundial model, upgrades include L.R. Baggs electronics, black tuners, and striking finishes. I plugged the Opal Burst into an Acus amp—a nice Italian line of amplifiers that Godin is now distributing in North America—and it sounded as beautiful as it appeared. godinguitars.com

Washburn

Deep Forest Burl

It’s always practical and fun to keep an eye out for the most affordable guitar that looks fantastic, plays well and sounds good. I walked over to lots of eye-catching new models for quick auditions. Washburn’s Deep Forest Burl ($249 street) with its comfortable grand auditorium cutaway body and fabulous Exotic Burl top wins the best value award from the floor of the 2025 NAMM Show. washburn.com

Kala

Light Tone Color-Changing Ukulele

A plastic soprano ukulele that lights up and changes color is just plain fun! Every little kid would love to have one. Big kids too. Only $59 on the street. kalabrand.com

Borghino Guitars

Shakti Deluxe ($41,600 street)

This deluxe recreation of John McLaughlin’s famous Shakti acoustic with its extra set of sympathetic strings was the highlight of the Boutique Builders section of the NAMM Show floor, which is always full of exotic excellence. The limited edition jumbo flattop created in conjunction with McLaughlin comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the Shakti maestro and maker Mirko Borghino who was on site showcasing his incredible work of musical art. borghinoguitars.com