8 Dreadnoughts Around $500

The dreadnought is big. Outside of its portly proportions, this form remains a top-seller a century after its birth. For all of the talk about how fun it is to play parlor guitars and other small-bodied instruments, the dreadnought still casts a tall shadow across the landscape.

That is why we decided to look at this perennial guitar at its most popular—and competitive—price point. We invited guitar makers to submit their best examples selling for around $500. 

The makers assembled here—Breedlove, Eastman, Epiphone, Martin, Seagull, Takamine, Taylor, and Yamaha—have either distilled the essence of the classic dreadnought in a new design or used its form as a canvas for experimenting with woods, finishes, and contemporary features like cutaways and electronics.

After spending hours with these beasts, I can safely say that what you can take home for $500 these days is remarkable—a far cry from the subpar budget offerings of yesteryear. Every guitar has unimpeachable fretwork, quality hardware, and a setup that is ready to go from the first strum. All sound huge and respond best to a flatpick or fingerpicks. They like to be driven powerfully, which makes a lot of sense, as guitarists clamoring for loudness originally dictated the dreadnought’s large size.

Not every one of these guitars is perfect for every player—you have to find an instrument that speaks to you—but this group shows that there are ample options for an affordable dreadnought that you can rely on for years of inspiration and fun.

Classic Dreadnought Specs

From 12-fret bodies, to shifting internal braces, to cutaways, the framework of the dreadnought has lived through many variations. Below are the typical specs for a 14-fret D-shape guitar.

Scale length 25.4″
Nut width 1-11/16″ or 1-3/4″
Bridge string spacing 2-1/8”
Body length 20″
Lower bout width 15-5/8″
Body depth 4-7/8″

Breedlove Pursuit Dreadnought E

The Look
With its dark, richly figured sapele top and abalone rosette inlay, the glossy Pursuit is an eye-catching guitar that does its own thing in the dreadnought format. The plastic tortoiseshell binding around the body adds an elegant touch that helps set it apart.

The Feel
Having a not-too-slender and not-too-chubby okoume neck, the Breedlove’s neck was one of my favorites of this roundup. It’s also one of the heaviest guitars in this group, likely due to its robust construction and onboard electronics.

The Sound
Playing similar instruments made from different woods can sometimes feel like using different EQ settings on your stereo. In this case, the Breedlove’s solid sapele top seemed to lend less of a midrange cut than the typical spruce soundboard, leaving me with a full-range tone, from low-end thrust to high-end sparkle. This thick, even sound was conveyed nicely through a Henriksen Bud combo amp.

SPECS

Body Solid sapele top; layered sapele back and sides; East Indian rosewood bridge with bone saddle, gloss finish

Neck 25.5″ scale okoume neck with 20-fret East Indian rosewood fingerboard, 1.75″ wide nut, chrome open-gear tuners

Electronics Fishman ISYS+ USB with USB port

Other D’Addario EXP16 coated phosphor-bronze strings (.012–.053), gig bag

Pricing $499 (MAP)

Made in China, breedlovemusic.com

Eastman AC120

The Look
With its plain appointments, matte finish, and lack of pickguard, the AC120 really nails the workhorse dreadnought vibe. Eastman cut its teeth by raising standards in the violin-family world, and they’ve shown the same dedication to building smart-looking flattop guitars out of fine tonewoods since jumping into this competitive field a few years ago.

The Feel
The AC120’s setup and feel were buttery smooth. The string heights allowed all of the notes to ring freely up and down the neck and the generously proportioned C-shape neck felt plush to my hands. The only improvement I could want would be a softer edge on the top’s binding, which dug into my picking hand’s forearm.

The Sound
With a hearty scoop taken from the mids, the Eastman’s big bass and lacey treble came closest to vintage dreadnought tone. Dropping to open-G tuning and fingerpicking through some easy slack-key pieces produced a massive sound, not unlike, say, a church organ.

SPECS

Body Solid Sitka spruce top with laminated sapele back and sides; rosewood bridge with bone saddle; black plastic binding

Neck 25.4″-scale mahogany neck with 20-fret rosewood fingerboard; 1-3/4″ bone nut; pearl dot inlays

Other Padded gig bag; D’Addario EXP16 strings (.012–.053)

Pricing $550 (MSRP); $439 (street)

Made in China, eastmanguitars.com

Epiphone Masterbilt DR-400MCE

The Look
Epiphone recently revived the Masterbilt name from its 1930s heyday. Since then, the company has stormed the affordable guitar scene with contemporary versions of classic archtops, as well as modern flattops that show an extraordinary level of detail. This cutaway dreadnought—the only all-solid-wood offering in our lineup—has a feast of features for the live performer.

The Feel
The softly sculpted fingerboard edges and plump neck profile were comfortable for long picking sessions. Soloists will dig the cutaway for shenanigans on the higher frets.

The Sound
Open chords have a big tone with a clear and warm bass, making the Epiphone a strong performer for acoustic playing. Of the guitars with built-in electronics, the Masterbilt had the crispest electric tone, so I found myself using the tone thumbwheel to dial down some piezo zing.

SPECS

Body Solid Sitka spruce top with solid mahogany back and sides; torrefied FSC-certified blackwood bridge with compensated bone saddle; tortoiseshell pickguard; satin faded cherrysunburst top and natural finish back and sides

Neck D-shape mahogany neck with 20-fret torrified FSC-blackwood fingerboard; 25.5″-scale; 1-11/16″ bone nut; pearloid dot position markers; nickel open-gear tuners

Electronics Shadow NanoFlex undersaddle pickup with eSonic HD preamp

Other Installed strap buttons; Cleartone strings (.012–.053); hardshell case (optional)

Pricing $665 (MSRP), $399 (street)

Made in China, epiphone.com

Martin Dreadnought Junior

The Look
If the words dreadnought and junior seem incompatible, you probably haven’t played Martin’s somewhat downsized version of its best-selling body type. Given that the company effectively defined the very large body a century ago, it makes sense that this guitar ticks off the boxes that say dreadnought to my eyes. It’s only when you get a little closer that you might notice that the soundhole is a little large to its proportions.

The Feel
The shorter scale and downsized body of the Dread Jr. didn’t make me miss the full-size guitars. Typical of the excellent work from Martin’s factory in Mexico, the Dreadnought Jr. has a wonderful setup and is easy to play. This may be the guitar for players seeking dreadnought tones from a smaller body.

The Sound
While the instrument didn’t necessarily have the massive stage-filling output of a full-size guitar, it did produce a solid tone, with a stronger midrange than the other dreadnoughts here. The wood choices and finish also gave it a drier, woodier voice, compared to the brighter timbres of its glossier counterparts.

SPECS

Body Dreadnought Jr. 14-fret; Sitka spruce top and sapele back and sides; Sitka spruce X-bracing; Richlite bridge with compensated Tusq saddle; faux tortoiseshell pickguard

Neck 24″-scale hardwood neck with 20-fret Richlite fingerboard; 1-3/4″ wide Corian nut; chrome sealed-tuners

Other Soft gig bag; Martin SP Lifespan 92/8 phosphor bronze strings, medium-gauge (.013–.056); available left-handed

Pricing $699 (MSRP); $499 (street)

Made in Mexico, martinguitar.com

Seagull Coastline Momentum

The Look
Gorgeous wild cherry back and sides, rounded upper bouts, and a narrow headstock give this cedar-topped, slope-shouldered dreadnought a unique yet classic look. A herringbone rosette and small tortoiseshell pickguard add vintage touches.

The Feel
While most of the test guitars here go for a close riff on dreadnought neck shapes, as noted in a recent review (June 2017), the Seagull’s thick and wide profile lends itself well to fingerpicking. Paired with the laminated cherry body, you’ve got a rugged guitar that’s built to last.

The Sound
The Coastline’s acoustic tone was tight and responsive, with more-present midrange frequencies than the mahogany guitars assembled here, not to mention a projective punchiness. The cedar top seemed to mellow and warm the maple-like snap of the cherry back and sides. Run into a Henriksen amp, the Seagull had a warm sound that, while not rich with overtones, was very pleasing and would work great in a group situation, where tones that are more fundamental-heavy excel.

SPECS

Body Slope-shouldered dreadnought; solid cedar top with laminated wild cherry back and sides; Adirondack spruce bracing; rosewood bridge with compensated TUSQ saddle; high-gloss finish

Neck One-piece silver-leaf maple with satin finish; 21-fret Indian rosewood fingerboard; 25.5″ scale; 1.8″ TUSQ nut; high-ratio sealed tuners

Electronics Fishman Sonitone electronics with volume and tone controls

Pricing $605 (MSRP), *$499 (street)

*As of 2020, the street price is $579.

Made in Canada, seagullguitars.com

Takamine GD93

The Look
Elegant appointments like maple headstock, neck, and body binding give Takamine’s GD93 the glamorous appearance of a boutique guitar. The instrument also stands out as the lone contender here with a three-piece back—and an eye-catching one at that—with luxuriously quilted maple wedged between two respectable pieces of rosewood.

The Feel
Light-gauge strings made the GD93 likely to lure electric players to the acoustic side. Once there, they are bound to be drawn to the shapely, full-bodied neck.

The Sound
As the only guitar here with rosewood back and sides, the Takamine sounds like it’s jet-propelled. Paired with a solid spruce soundboard, the rosewood might also be able to take credit for shifting the mid-scoop of the standard dreadnought’s smiley-face-EQ tone to the lower-midrange. Think of it as more like a Martin D-35 style than the mahogany D-18 types gathered here.

SPECS

Body Solid spruce top with laminated rosewood sides; three-piece rosewood/quilted-maple back; maple binding; rosewood bridge with split synthetic-bone saddle; gloss natural finish

Neck Mahogany neck; 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with 12″ radius; maple binding; and dot abalone inlays; 1.6875″ synthetic bone nut; gold tuners with black buttons

Price $738 (MSRP); *$479 (street)

*As of 2020, the street price is $519.99

Made in China, esptakamine.com

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