Best 3/4 Size Guitars

Most guitars are regular size, but there is a problem with these instruments for some players. Younger children may find it hard to hold a full-size dreadnought acoustic, making it difficult for them to learn to play properly which leads to frustration and eventually quitting.

Older players may find a regular-sized acoustic to be uncomfortable while playing it. Acoustic instruments tend to be quite large, and for some, they may find a smaller size guitar to be more beneficial. 

The ¾ sized guitar is ideal for first-time students or those that find a regular acoustic too uncomfortable to hold or play. These guitars give you the same great tone as a regular acoustic guitar, but they are a smaller size. It’s easier to sit down or stand up to play guitar with a ¾ size instrument.

These instruments are also ideal if you do a lot of traveling and don’t have much room. This type of instrument is small enough to fit into a travel compartment, and it won’t take up as much space with your luggage as a full-size guitar does. They are ideal for apartments or dorm room where you have limited space for a cumbersome guitar case.

This guide will help you find a great 3/4 size acoustic guitar. This type of instrument is the perfect solution for those that want a smaller size guitar or for those that are starting and looking for their first guitar.

1.Yamaha JR1 FG Junior 3/4 Size Acoustic Guitar

Best Beginner ¾ Size Kit

• Build:
  Laminate Spruce Top
• Playability:
  Simple for beginners to play
• Tone Quality:
  Decent tone
• Suitable:
  Beginners/Students
  

This guitar features a spruce top along with a mahogany body. This gives the instrument a warm tone. It’s well-constructed, and we’ll last the player a long time. It’s modeled after the famous Yamaha FG Series, so you’re getting a high-quality guitar in a smaller and more comfortable ¾ size.

It’s got a Nato neck and a rosewood fingerboard. This is smooth on the fingers, and you’ll glide effortlessly up and down the neck. The smaller size makes it ideal for younger students who struggle with a full-sized guitar.

The bridge is Rosewood, and it’s for solid machine heads to stabilize the tuning of the guitar.

It’s the perfect instrument for finger-picking, playing guitar chords, and learning your first songs.

The ¾ Yamaha FG Junior Is a great 3/4 size guitar that provides a solid and dependable tone. It’s small enough to take with you for traveling, to guitar lessons, or to enjoy at home.

Pros: 

• It comes with lots of accessories
• Good tone
• Easy to transport

Cons:

• It lacks the tone of a full-size guitar

2.Fender FA-15 3/4 Size Steel String (w/Bag)

Best ¾ Guitar For Lessons

• Build:
  Sapele/Agathis/mahogany
• Playability:
  Easy hold and play
• Tone Quality:
  Solid tone
• Suitable:
  Beginners and students
  
  

The Fender FA-15 ¾ sized guitar is ideal for student, beginner, or those that travel. It’s made with Sapele, Agathis, and Mahogany wood for a good tone.  The Agathis top gives the guitar a good tone. The smaller ¾ sized body makes it comfortable to hold even for younger children.

The guitar has a C-shaped neck that fits your hand comfortably, and it’s the perfect guitar for learning your first chords or songs. It’s got a solid rosewood bridge, Fender-style machine heads, and a synthetic bone nut.

The guitar comes with a trial subscription to Fender Play which is an online lesson service. Take lessons as you learn how to play on your new Fender FA-15 ¾ sized guitar.

This is the perfect guitar for any beginner, student, or anyone that wants to play a smaller than normal-sized guitar. It’s comfortable to play, sounds great, and won’t take up much room.

Pros:

• Easy to play
• Nice Fender tone
• Gigbag
• Lessons included

Cons:

• Could use a better case

3.eMedia My Guitar Beginner Pack 3/4 size Acoustic Guitar

Best ¾ Guitar Kit for Kids

• Build:
  Spruce Wood
• Playability:
  Easy nylon strings
• Tone Quality:
  Good tone
• Suitable:
  Young Beginners
  
  
  

The emedia ¾ sized guitar is the ideal option for a younger guitar student. The guitar is an easy-to-play nylon-string guitar, so it won’t hurt the delicate fingers of younger kids who are starting out on guitar.

The guitar itself is simple to use as it has easy playing nylon strings.. The included software has a tuner, so it should be simple for you to tune the instrument up. If you don’t know how to do this yourself, you can always ask a guitar technician at your local store.

This guitar package comes with plenty of accessories. Included in the package are a gig bag, strap, lessons, and a pick. All of this helps the beginner student get started playing the guitar right away. The interactive lessons contain a lot of helpful information for the younger player.

For the beginner starting out on the acoustic guitar, the eMedia kit will keep them entertained. It’s a great instrument to use until the student is ready to move on to a better guitar.

Pros:

• Lots of accessories
• Easy to play
• Low cost

Cons:

• Limited appeal to older students

4.Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar

Best Pro-Style ¾ Size Guitar

• Build:
  Rosewood/Spruce/Mahogany
• Playability:
  Easy to play
• Tone Quality:
  Superior tone
• Suitable:
  Great for all players

One of the better 3/4 size guitars on our list is the LX1 Little Martin. This small-size acoustic guitar gives you that Martin tone that you are after, yet the guitar is comfortable the play and doesn’t take up a whole lot of room.

This is the perfect instrument for any student or if you are traveling and need a smaller size guitar because you don’t have a whole lot of room. It’s also an excellent instrument to have in an apartment or dormitory where space is limited.

The guitar features solid wood construction with Rosewood, spruce, and Mahogany. You get an excellent tone no matter what you’re playing. It’s got a nice Tusq saddle to stabilize the tuning and comes with quality Martin machine heads.

You can’t go wrong with the LX1 Little Martin. You get superior Martin tone in a smaller-sized guitar which is ideal for any player, whether beginner or advanced.

Pros:

• Easy to play
• Nice Martin tone
• Ideal for students

Cons:

• A little expensive

5.BT1 Baby Taylor ¾ Sized Acoustic Guitar

Best Well-Rounded ¾ Sized Acoustic Guitar

• Build:
  Solid Sapele/SpruceEbony
• Playability:
  Easy playing
• Tone Quality:
  Well-rounded tone
• Suitable:
  Great for all players
  
  

The BT1 Baby Taylor is a ¾ sized guitar that plays great and has a fantastic tone. This guitar is suitable for all players and has the sound that you want out of a smaller-sized guitar. The solid spruce top gives this instrument an excellent projection throughout a room.

The neck is solid Sapele with an ebony fingerboard that feels like Rosewood. The neck is smooth no matter what you’re at, and the chords are comfortable. The guitar is also a great finger-picking instrument.

It’s got an ebony bridge, two strap buttons, and Taylor diecast machine heads to round out the hardware. The guitar ships with a gig bag.

For those that want a dependable ¾ size guitar for many different applications, the BT1 Baby Taylor is a solid choice. It’s simple to play and has a professional-sounding tone that you don’t find in other ¾ sized guitars.

Pros:

• Great look and construction
• Excellent tone
• Good price

Cons:

• A bit expensive

6.Oscar Schmidt OG1B 3/4 Size Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

Best ¾ Sized Dreadnought style Acoustic 

• Build:
  Spruce/mahogany
• Playability:
  Easy playing dreadnought 
• Tone Quality:
  Great tone
• Suitable:
  Any player

The Oscar Schmit OG1B ¾ size guitar is a nice dreadnought style smaller-sized guitar. It’s easy to hold thanks to the smaller size and has the tone you want out of this type of guitar.

The top is spruce wood which gives the guitar some nice resonance, and it’s got a mahogany body. The black color is attractive, and it has some nice-looking trim around the sides and soundhole.

The neck is Mahogany, and it’s got an easy-to-play rosewood fingerboard. Chords and single-note lines won’t be a problem when you play this instrument. It’s got a rosewood bridge and standard diecast tuners.

This low-cost ¾ sized dreadnought is the ideal choice for beginners or anyone that wants an easy-to-play smaller-sized guitar.

Pros:

• Dreadnought style
• Easy to play
• Low cost

Cons:

• It may not appeal to all players

6.Luna Safari Series Muse Spruce 3/4-Size Travel Acoustic Guitar

Best ¾ Sized Acoustic Guitar for Traveling

• Build:
  Spruce/Mahogany/Rosewood
• Playability:
  Easy playing guitar
• Tone Quality:
  Great tone
• Suitable:
  Great for travelers or beginners

The Luna Safari Series ¾ size guitar may be your next travel companion. The guitar sounds great, is easy to play, and offers portability thanks to its ¾ size. This instrument is also ideal to take to guitar lessons.

The guitar is made with a mahogany body and top for a great tone. The top of the instrument is made with spruce wood which gives it extra resonance. The solid wood construction means that this guitar sounds a lot better when compared to other 3/4 size guitars.

It’s got a smooth playing Rosewood fingerboard, so it will be comfortable whether you’re playing chords or single-note lines. The bridge is made with Rosewood, and it comes with regular diecast machine heads.

This guitar comes with a gig bag, so it’s easy to take with you when you were traveling, going to lessons, or want to store it when not playing. It’s a well-rounded guitar for many playing situations.

If you’re looking for a quality 3/4 size guitar, I recommend the Luna Safari Series. It comes in at a great price, and it provides you an excellent quality is the guitar that you can rely upon each time you play it.

Pros:

• Solid tone
• Gig bag
• Portable

Cons:

• It may be too small for some

Buying Guide

Is a ¾ Guitar Better Than a Regular-Sized Guitar?

A ¾ size guitar is not necessarily better than a regular size guitar. The main reason you want to play this type of instrument is that it’s easier to hold, lightweight, and can be comfortable compared to a full-size acoustic guitar such as a dreadnought.

A younger player may not be comfortable with a full-size guitar. This is where a smaller guitar can come in handy. You still get excellent tone and playability with this size of the instrument.

You will sacrifice some tone with a 3/4 size guitar. It’s probably not the ideal option for performances or recording. If you planned to do this a lot, you might want to pick up a full-size instrument. 

Do I Need Lighter Strings on a ¾ Sized Guitar?

I recommend that you don’t go any heavier than a light set of strings for a 3/4 size guitar. These instruments usually music can’t handle the extra tension that medium strings place on them. A lot of the smaller 3/4 size guitars are student guitars, and they will have nylon strings which are easier to play. 

While you may be able to get away with using medium strings on a 3/4 size guitar, light strings are the better option. These light strings are a lot more comfortable, and this can be ideal for younger students whose fingers have not developed fully enough for heavier strings

Are There Any Advantages to Own a ¾ Size Guitar?

One of the main advantages that a 3/4 size guitar gives you is that it is lighter when compared to a full-size acoustic guitar such as a dreadnought. This means it will be lighter to play whether you are sitting down or standing up. It won’t feel as cumbersome as a full-size instrument.

Another advantage is that it’s a lot more portable. You can take it with you two lessons, traveling, or wherever you go. You won’t have to worry about carrying around a large guitar case which, in some cases, can be quite cumbersome. If you have limited space available, a 3/4 size guitar can be a great option.

One of the other advantages of owning this type of instrument is that it won’t cost a lot of money when compared to a full-size guitar. A lot of these guitars can be found for only a couple hundred dollars. If you are new to playing guitar, then you’re going to save a lot of money If you pick one of these up.

Are There Any Disadvantages to Owning a ¾ Sized Guitar?

The disadvantage to owning a 3/4 size guitar is that you won’t have the full acoustic volume when compared to a full-size instrument like the dreadnought. You will still get a decent tone, but the volume won’t be as loud when compared to larger instruments.

Most of the 3/4 size guitars don’t come with pickup systems or preamps, so if you want to do some recording or play live, you may have to buy a different instrument or buy yourself a pickup to use with the guitar. This means that you’ll have the added cost of buying that pickup.

Some players may also find that the smaller size guitar to be a bit too small for their needs. These instruments are usually designed for beginner students such as children. The guitar is smaller, so they can hold it easier. Older adults may find that the instrument is too small for them and will want to pick up something a bit bigger.

What Else Do I Need for my 3/4 Size Guitar?

I recommended picking up a decent hardshell guitar case or a gig bag if your instrument doesn’t ship with 1. You will want your instrument to be protected from damage. Other things you need to pick up our extra guitar strings, picks, guitar tuner, and a guitar strap. If you have these basic accessories, you should be good to go.

Should I Get a Nylon or Regular 3/4 Steel String Acoustic?

A nylon-string ¾ size guitar can be ideal for a first-time beginner. The strings are easy to press down, and they won’t hurt your fingers. This type of guitar is also great for a younger student. Nylon string guitars can cost a lot less, which is a plus if you’re on a budget.

The downside is that that the nylon string guitar isn’t as loud as a steel-string acoustic. You can’t strum the nylon string like you can a steel string, so it’s not a good choice for chords or campfire playing, for example. Older players will probably prefer the ¾ size steel string over the nylon string.

FAQs 

My Guitar Doesn’t Play Right What is Wrong?

A ¾ size guitar may not play right out of the box. These are because these instruments are lower-cost when compared to other acoustic guitars. Your instrument may need some adjustment with the action or truss rod

 You can do this yourself if you have the skills to do it, but I would take the guitar to a guitar technician. They can set the action for you, adjust a truss rod, and get the guitar into playable condition.

 Another thing you can do to make the instrument play a little bit better, it’s to change the strings often. You should be changing them at least once a month. This will ensure that you get an even tone and a nice sound out of your guitar.  The older the strings get, the worse your tone is going to be, so plan for frequent strange changes.

Is a ¾ Size Guitar Right for Me?

You should look at a 3/4 size guitar as a beginner instrument. It doesn’t have the tone or the volume that a regular acoustic guitar has, but it is still playable and sounds quite nice.

These instruments make good options for taking to lessons or when you are traveling. They’re also ideal for those players that find larger-size guitars to be a bit cumbersome to hold and play.

If you have smaller hands, for example, you may find that the 3/4 size guitar fits you a little bit better when compared to a large instrument such as a dreadnought. It really does come down to your personal preference. You can try one of these instruments out to see if it works for you. This guide has plenty of great 3/4 size guitars that would make excellent options.

Can I Record with a ¾ Size Guitar?

Most of these instruments don’t come with a pickup, so you will need a guitar with a pickup, or you’ll have to have an amplifier with a microphone to record with this type of instrument. While you can probably do some simple recording with the 3/4 size guitar, it won’t have the projection and volume you need that a regular acoustic instrument does.

How Do I Care for My New Guitar?

It’s important to care for your 3/4 size guitar. All instruments should have frequent string changes, which should be done about once per month. This will ensure that the guitar sounds great no matter when you are playing it

Always put the guitar back in its case or gig bag when you’re not using it, so it doesn’t suffer any damage. Get yourself a guitar polishing cloth and some polish and clean your guitar at least once a month to remove dirt and debris.

Conclusion

This concludes this guide to the best ¾ size guitars. These are excellent instruments that are lower cost when you compare them to full-size guitars. They have a decent tone as well as excellent playability. They are lighter and a lot more portable, so you can take them with you wherever you go.

They make excellent options for beginners or those that find larger-size guitars to be cumbersome to play. There are quite a few options in the market when it comes to 3/4 size instruments, so you should find something that meets your needs. The guitars listed in this guide make excellent options for anyone looking for this type of instrument.

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