Recommended Premium Guitars

If you’re ready to invest in a premium quality instrument, I recommend Martin guitars. I grew up less than an hour away from the Martin guitar factory in Nazareth, PA and knew I always wanted to own one of these amazing instruments.

bluegrass circle
Me playing my Martin guitar with some friends

I’ve been on multiple tours to the Martin factory, and was always blown away by the quality and pride that they take throughout their whole manufacturing process. For this reason, I can honestly say that no matter what Martin guitar you choose, you will be blown away with any guitar built by this company.

However, I want to personally recommend the model of Martin that I own, which is the Martin D-18. It’s a beautiful guitar that plays better than any other acoustic I’ve ever even touched – there’s been no going back to anything else since I’ve owned it.

The Martin D-18: My #1 Favorite Acoustic Guitar

The D-18 is an excellent choice for bluegrass, folk, country, rock, or really any kind of acoustic music. Martin guitars are extremely versatile – having been used by everyone from John Prine to Tony Rice to Johnny Cash and everyone in between.

Norman Blake and Tony Rice even have an entire song about how awesome the Martin D-18 is (and it features some awesome guitar playing, of course):

I recommend getting the Martin D18 on Amazon to ensure the best price, and the fastest and cheapest shipping options. You can check it out here.

A Martin Guitar to fit your budget

So the D-18 is my favorite Martin – but as I said, anything made by this company will excel in terms of quality. If you can’t afford a D-18 and want a more budget friendly option that still feels and sounds like a premium instrument, I’d point you to the Martin D-10E:

The D-10E comes in at a significantly cheaper price point – but is still made of 100% high quality wood on the back and sides, and also is an acoustic-electric, as an added bonus. It’s a great first Martin to own, and provides some of the most bang-for-your-buck on the acoustic guitar market.

Again, I’d grab the D-10E from Amazon to make sure you’re getting the best price, and to get that beautiful guitar shipped out to you as soon as possible!

Need something even more budget-friendly? Check out my full article on the best budget guitars – where I list my favorite guitars for less than $500!