Acoustic Guitars
Sold2004 Goodall Grand Concert Aloha
Made in Hawaii, this super-sweet little guitar is in excellent condition and is just waiting to make beautiful music in your hands! It is in excellent condition and plays easy with great action. The Koa and Spruce combine to give this small guitar a bigger sound than you would expect form a guitar this size. It comes with it’s original hard shell case.
Sold2003 Santa Cruz D-12
This beautiful 12-Fret Dread is in excellent condition with great tone and great action. From Santa Cruz: “Building a guitar with 12 frets clear of the body creates more air volume, which allows greater amplitude and sustain. The hand tuned X-bracing ensures an increased bass response, while the top voicing and 4-1/4 inch sound hole size combine to achieve great presence in all ranges. This eliminates the tendency of the traditional dreadnought towards boominess at the expense of midrange and treble. The controlled integrity of Mahogany sides and back impart clarity and definition to the guitar’s complex acoustic presence. The D-12’s sheer volume, complexity, and incredible sustain make it a truly inspiring stage partner.” With original hard shell case.
Sold2002 Collings D2H
This beauty is in excellent condition with great tone and great action and is just waiting to get picked on! The square-shouldered 14-fret dreadnought is the most popular steel-string acoustic guitar body shape in the world. Collings brings a new tonal clarity to the depth and warmth usually associated with such a large, deep-bodied guitar. Although its bass response makes the dreadnought ideal for vocal accompaniment, Collings versions are also renowned by bluegrass flatpickers who must compete with inherently louder instruments such as banjos and fiddles. It comes with its original hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois The Soloist OM/C
The cutaway Soloist is the perfect Fingerstyle guitar with a cutaway to give easy access to upper frets. We hand selected the set of German Spruce used for this guitar as well as the Master Grade Fiddleback Cuban Mahogany back and sides for superior tone. The long scale and 1 3/4” nut solid and roomy. It comes with it’s hard shell case.
Sold2020 Bourgeois The Coupe 00-12/C Custom Heirloom Series
This is a 00 you can love! The body size and short scale length combined with a 1 ¾” nut width and 2 5/16” bridge spacing make this model super-comfortable to play! The Indian Rosewood back and Bearclaw Figured Aged Tone Sitka Spruce top look beautiful and provide a tone that is clear, rich and balanced. It is in near mint condition and comes with a deluxe hard shell case.
Sold2005 Larrivée LV-03 Rosewood
This is a great fingerpicker for a great price! It’s nice and clean, sounds great, has nice low action and is gig ready with a great pickup. It comes with its hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois OM Vintage Touchstone Series
This all-new Touchstone Series guitar features an Old-Growth Alaskan Sitka Spruce top and East Indian Rosewood back and sides and is hand-voiced in Lewiston, Maine. The 1 3/4” nut width and Bourgeois neck carve make this guitar easy and fun to play. It comes with a hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois D / The Championship Sunburst
The Bourgeois D Championship Sunburst with Full aged tone package is the ultimate Mahogany Dread! The full Aged Tone Package with Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce and Sinker Mahogany give this guitar a rich, warm, loud vintage tone. If you need a Dread that got it all, this may be the one that you’ve been waiting for all along! With hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois OOO Country Boy Professional Series
Nothing beats this OOO for tone, comfort and versatility! The combination of an AT Sitka top, Mahogany back and sides, a short scale and 1 3/4” nut width add up to a guitar that is easy to reach chords on and sounds great flat picked or fingerpicked. With hard shell case.
SoldTaylor GS Mini Rosewood
The GS Mini has long been a popular choice for guitarists of all styles and backgrounds thanks to its compact frame, welcoming feel and bold tone. This model is made with layered rosewood back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top that pumps out rich sound with surprising projection and clarity for a smaller guitar. Its scaled-down size means the GS Mini is easy to take with you to lessons, jam sessions and performances, and its powerful voice stacks up well with vocals or other instruments. This acoustic-only version features a comfortable Taylor neck for easy fretting and ships with a lightweight gig bag.
Sold2020 Martin OM-28
This beautiful sounding OM-28 is in near mint condition with only the lightest signs of fret wear. The tone is 100% pure Martin...rich and warm. It is gig ready with a pair of K&K pickups installed on the guitar with stereo out. The K&K double helix soundhole pickup can be removed if desired without damaging the top. The other pickup is a Pure mini transducer mounted under the bridge adhering to all install specifications from K&K Sound. It comes with its original hard shell case.
Sold2015 Gibson L-00 Vintage 1932
Now available, a wonderful Gibson L-00 1932 Vintage model guitar. Vintage is a wonderful descriptor for this guitar as it has a nice chunky V neck and a beautiful purple interior Harptone case. The torrefied top adds warmth and richness to the tone. This guitar has a lovely tone, rich and full with plenty of bottom end. It plays easily with nice medium low action. The overall condition is very good to excellent, with the only ding/dent worth noting at tip of the headstock where guitars sometimes get bumped. Otherwise this guitar has been gently handled with little visible fret-wear. If you are a fan of that pre-war sunburst look on a real Gibson guitar this one is a showstopper. I love the extra chunk in the neck and the way the V fits nicely into the crook of my hand. Being a 1 3/4" nut width most players will find this highly attractive. 25" scale length provides a comfortable reach while retaining an excellent string tension. Whoever ends up with this guitar is going to be lucky!
Sold2019 Martin 00-18 Authentic
Good eye! You've spotted a wonderful 2019 Martin 00-18 Authentic. This instrument features a lovely light weight and a wonderful warm, buttery tone. To top it all off it comes with an extra deluxe, period correct Harptone case with forest green velvet interior and a lush faux leather exterior. But enough gushing about the case, more about the guitar! This guitar features a wonderfully grained Adirondack spruce top giving this guitar amazing dynamic range. I would describe this guitar as being near mint condition, with little to no visible fret-wear and light wear on the pick-guard where one might drag their finger while picking (no visible pick marks on the guitar). There is only one tiny ding on the back of the guitar not even the size of the blunt end of a pin. Just beautiful condition for a used instrument. Everything about the way they put this guitar together is intentional and classy so much so that it truly earns its title of Authentic. I love the slotted headstock with no-logo rosewood headstock veneer. The Rosewood body binding ties the look together as being both understated but also deluxe. Many of our clients seek a guitar that is comfortable to play yet retains good bass and volume, the 00 size ticks all of those boxes. There have been many copies of these 00-18 guitars, but there is only one Martin and they do it right. The neck on this guitar has a slight V to it, just enough to fit in the crook of ones hand and the 1 13/16" nut width has a nice extra space to get your fingers in there. The 25" scale length and 12-fret construction makes it easy on the left arm reach. Overall a wonderful,
SoldSanta Cruz Style 1
SCGC’s ability to achieve surprising volume and presence in a smaller-bodied instrument gives this super-responsive Style 1 a much bigger sound than you would expect from a guitar this size. This Cocobolo/European Spruce beauty has a 1 3/4" nut width, 2 3/16" bridge spacing and a 24.75" scale length for easy fingering! It also features Adirondack Spruce Bracing attached with hot hide glue and a custom Cocobolo peghead overlay. It comes with a hard shell case.
Sold1998 Martin OM-28 VR
This great-sounding Vintage Reissue is in excellent condition with only the lightest signs of play, virtually no fret-wear and no dings, dents or scratches. It has just received a neck reset with a new compensated bone saddle so it plays like butter and its good to go, care-free, for its next 100,000 miles. It features a natural finish, East Indian Rosewood body with herring-bone binding, Sitka Spruce top, Mahogany neck, twenty fret ebony fingerboard and diamond-shaped inlays. It was kept in a smoke-free environment and it comes with its original hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois OM Signature Deluxe Legacy Series
This beautiful OM Signature Deluxe features an Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce top and Reserve Grade Brazilian back and sides. DB signature appointments include Koa binding and Dana Bourgeois’ signature three-color herringbone. The tone is enhanced by Aged Tone Finish and Aged Tone Bracing attached with animal protein glue. This OM has it all, the best in tonewoods, build and tone and is an instrument that you will be proud to own and play. With hard shell case.
SoldTaylor 652ce Builder’s Edition
This remarkably balanced maple 12-string blends the comfort, precision and utility of an electric 12-string into an inspiring acoustic form. A reverse-strung setup produces a fuller, meatier sound that’s exceptionally pitch-friendly, while compact dimensions and electric guitar-inspired contouring elevate the playing comfort.
Sold2021 Bourgeois Banjo Killer
Looking for a slope D with some guts? Well, look no further. What makes the Banjo Killer a notch above the rest of the pack? It has a Brazilian Rosewood bridge-plate inside of the guitar that makes this one of the most powerful and articulate dreadnoughts on the planet. Developed in collaboration with Brian Sutton, the Banjo killer has long established itself as a premier Bluegrass instrument and a standard of the Dana Bourgeois product line. This guitar has meat, girth, punch and tone in spades. This guitar features a stunning set of figured Mahogany and a gorgeous torrified Bearclaw spruce top. Over all condition of this guitar is barely touched with little to no signs of play wear except for a minuscule scratch on the headstock overlay when the guitar was re-strung. This guitar comes with its original deluxe Bourgeois hard shell case.
SoldNational Reso-Phonic NRP B Series 14 Fret Deluxe - Black Rust
This is one of the coolest, gig-ready that National makes! Based on the Duolin, the thin-gauge steel is period correct and features flat-cut f-holes, traditional sieve cover-plate and a formed back. The body is finished with a multi-stage, hand textured finish. The mahogany neck has a fully adjustable truss rod. But it's the trademarked sound that makes this guitar so special. The sound is powerful and loud while still being deep and warm and the Lollar pick-up sounds great! w/ National hard shell case.
Sold2018 Peter Dolan 00-18 - Adirondack & Honduran Mahogany
This is the first Dolan guitar to ever grace our shop. This small bodied guitar has a beautiful tone and was constructed with love and attention to detail. Starting off with the exceptional materials this guitar was appointed with. Old growth Adirondack top and old Honduran Mahogany back and sides make the tone of this guitar rich, lively and lush. The guitar is bound in Honduran Rosewood with a matching headstock veneer. The slotted headstock and slotted headstock make this guitar that much more comfortable and tonally responsive. There is checking in the lacquer finish on the guitar top. Comes with a hard shell case. Dolan Guitar ser. #41 Woods & Trim Top Wood: Ancient Red Spruce from Maggie Valley, NC Harvested in 2015 with the Hampton brothers and John Arnold. Back/Sides: Honduran Mahogany My dad's mahogany bought in 1976 Fingerboard: Ebony Neck Wood: Mahogany - UC UC= carbon in a U shape Kerfed Lining: Spanish Cedar Bridge: Ebony Pyramid through saddle Bracing Style: 12 fret Bracing Wood: Red Spruce (top); Red Spruce (bottom) Rosette: Gurian/18 copy Binding: Honduran rosewood Perfling: Gurian/18 copy Backstrip: Ebony Tail Piece Accent: Ebony Fingerboard Bindings: None Fingerboard Inlay: Mother of Pearl Headplate (wood/style): Honduran Rosewood/slotted peghead Headplate Bindings: None Headplate Inlay: None Backplate: None Nut: bone Saddle: bone Bridge Pins: Ebony Pickguard: Tortoise Style celluloid Fret Markers: Mother of Pearl Tuners/Tuners Finish: Waverly 3 on one ivoroid buttons Guitar finish: Lacquer Glue: All hot hide glue Volute: No Strap buttons: No Measurements Body Size: OO-40H replica of John Arnold's 1934 Martin 12 fret slothead Serial #: 41 Date: 2/23/2018 Scale: 24.9in. Nut Width: 1 13/16in. String Spacing: 2 5/16 in. Frets to body: 12
SoldCollings CJ35 Sloped Dreadnought Sunburst
This Sunburst CJ model features a drop-in saddle. The CJ35 incorporates a non-scalloped bracing configuration featuring three tone bars and a short 24 7/8" scale length. This design provides the CJ35 with a beautiful balance of deep piano-like bass and powerful full-bodied highs, complimented by a focused dynamic range for exceptionally even note projection. The CJ35 is one of Collings’ most versatile large-bodied guitars, equally well-suited for a variety of playing styles. With hard shell case Top Wood: Sitka Spruce Back and Sides: Mahogany Body Shape: CJ Nut Width: 1 3/4” Scale Length: 24 7/8”
SoldBourgeois DS-12 | The Championship | Aged Tone Series
Wow! This elegant 12 -fret Dreadnought features a master grade set of Sinker Mahogany. The top is Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce withe Aged Tone bracing attached with animal protein glue. All standard features of the Aged Tone Series. That winning combination of Sinker and AT Adi give this guitar a meaty, throaty and mature tone. The long scale and 1 23/32” width nut give the neck a great traditional feel and the Aged Tone finish adds to the great traditional tone of beautiful sounding Dreadnought. With hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois OM/C Vintage Heirloom - Cutaway, Indian Rosewood & AT Adi
You've found it! This sweet cutaway Bourgeois OM is everything you'll need to sound great fingerpicking or flat-picking. Special features on this guitar include a cutaway and a beautiful gloss neck (alla Collings). The Indian Rosewood and Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce combine to give a clear, warm, balanced, present tone. The 1 3/4” width nut and long scale make this neck perfect for playing a wide variety of styles, from Bluegrass and folk to Jazz and Blues and the cutaway gives you great higher fret access. With a hard shell case.
Sold2020 Santa Cruz Custom Firefly
If you’ve been looking for the perfect sounding smaller bodied instrument with a short scale for easy reach, you’ll love this guitar! It’s small with a 24” scale and 1 11/16” width nut but it has incredible tone from its exquisite Redwood top with Adirondack bracing attached with hot hide glue and its top-grade Indian Rosewood back. Its looks are complimented with tortoise body, peghead and fingerboard binding. This little beauty is in excellent condition and comes with a hard shell case.
Sold1995 Taylor 712
The phrase, "they don't make em' like the used to" applies well to this guitar. Built in 1995, this guitar has a beautifully tight grained spruce top and a lovely set of East Indian Rosewood. This guitar was brought to us by the original owner who handled it gently over the years. It is in excellent condition and comes with its original Taylor hard shell case along with some original literature in the case. Tonally it is crisp, articulate and plays nice both finger-style and with a pick. There is light fret-wear at the folk chord position with lots of life left in the frets. This is going to be a great guitar for someone looking for a guitar with a comfortable form factor without compromising volume and tone.
Sold2021 Santa Cruz OOO Redwood
This OOO features an exquisite Redwood top and master grade East Indian Rosewood back and sides. It has Adirondack bracing attached with hot hide glue for an extra boost in tone and dynamic range. The short scale neck has Santa Cruz’s low profile carve for super-smooth playability. Other custom features include: - Snakewood body binding - Black fingerboard binding - Unbound peghead - Snakewood back strip - Snakewood rosette - Single black top border - Diamonds & Squares Long Pattern Inlay with additional diamond at 3rd fret - Nickel Waverly tuners with Ebony buttons This sweet and responsive guitar is in near-mint condition and comes with its original hard shell case.
SoldSanta Cruz OOO Custom Sinker Redwood
This custom Sinker Redwood / Mahogany OOO has a warm and resonant tone and is super-responsive to your touch. The tone is enhanced by Adirondack Spruce bracing attached with hot hide glue. The guitar’s other custom features include maple body, neck and peghead binding, Waverly tuners 4073 buttered bean with ivoroid buttons, Bone bridge and end pins, a Script logo and 2mm dots in ivoroid. The 1 3/4” nut and short scale make this guitar feel almost unbelievably comfortable to play. It comes with a hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois OM Vintage Heirloom Series
Wow! We were excited to select the Figured Indian Rosewood on this gorgeous OM which makes this a very special guitar. Paired with an Adirondack Spruce top, the tone on this guitar is hard to beat. The long scale neck and 1 3/4” width nut make the guitar a breeze to play. It comes with a hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois SD - The Standard
Here’s a sunburst Slope D that will exceed your expectations and put a smile on your face! With an Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce top and select Walnut sides and back, this guitar yields the big, traditional tone that we all crave from an SD. The short scale and 1 23/32” nut makes this guitar smooth and easy top play. It comes with a hard shell case.
Sold2021 Taylor 912ce Builders Edition
Rich, Articulate and Ultra-responsive and gig-ready! Indian rosewood and Lutz spruce pair up on this beautifully contoured Grand Concert body, whose smooth curves were inspired by electric guitars. The sleek feel is matched by a fast front-end response, with powerful highs, well-manicured lows, and stunning clarity and balance. This used guitar is in mint condition and comes with its original hard shell case.
Sold2014 Bourgeois 2015 NAMM Soloist
Bourgeois guitars pulled out all the stops on this Soloist built for the 2015 NAMM Show. This gorgeous sounding, well cared for guitar is in near mint condition with only slight signs of play. The top is an incredible set of Bearclaw Figure Swiss Spruce and is mated with Premium Brazilian Rosewood on the back and sides. It’s neck feels great and the cutaway affords easy access to higher frets. It was kept in a smoke-free environment and comes with its original hard shell case.
SoldSanta Cruz Firefly Model
If you’ve been looking for the perfect sounding smaller bodied instrument with a short scale for easy reach, you’ll love this guitar! It’s small with a 24” scale and 1 11/16” width nut but it has an incredible tone thanks to its exquisite Cedar top with Adirondack bracing attached with hot hide glue and its top-grade Cocobolo back. A matching Cocobolo headstock overlays beautifully matches with the body wood. It comes with a hard shell case.
SoldSanta Cruz OM/Pre War Model - Sunburst!
We love this beautiful sunburst OM Pre-War! Once you pick it up, you won’t want to put this European Spruce and Cocobolo beauty back down again! The advanced X and scalloped top bracing attached with hot hide glue adds to this guitar’s complex traditional tone and warm low end. Its 1 ¾” nut width and 25.375” scale length make this a super comfortable guitar to play. It comes with a hard shell case.
Acoustic Guitars for Sale at Northern Lights Music - Best Quality Brands
Discover top-notch boutique acoustic guitars at Northern Lights Music, featuring sought-after brands such as Santa Cruz Guitars, Bourgeois Guitars, and Collings Guitars. Whether you're searching for a brilliant Brazilian OM or a warm mahogany dreadnought, we have the perfect guitar for you. Can't find what you're looking for in our inventory? Our featured brands are custom shops that can build a guitar to match your imagination and budget. Looking for an affordable option or just starting out? We also offer high-quality, budget-friendly acoustic and electric guitars from Taylor Guitars, Seagull Guitars, and Yamaha Acoustic Guitars.
What is an Acoustic Guitar and its Characteristics
An acoustic guitar is a type of stringed instrument that uses a hollow body and a soundboard to produce sound, instead of relying on electronic amplification. The soundboard is usually made of wood, and the body can be crafted from wood or synthetic materials. Steel strings are typically used, but acoustic guitars can also be strung with nylon or other types of strings. Acoustic guitars can be played with a pick or fingers and are popular in various music genres, including folk, country, blues, and classical.
Reasons to Choose an Acoustic Guitar
Acoustic guitars have a lot to offer, attracting players for different reasons. The rich and warm sound that an acoustic guitar produces is often described as "full" or "rounded," and is appreciated by many players. The versatility of the instrument allows it to be played in a variety of styles and genres, such as folk, country, blues, and classical. The simplicity of an acoustic guitar is also appealing, as it does not require electronic amplification or other equipment. Furthermore, the portability of acoustic guitars makes them convenient for playing at home, with friends, or on the go.
History of the Acoustic Guitar
The acoustic guitar has a rich and diverse history that stretches back centuries. The modern acoustic guitar is derived from various stringed instruments developed in different parts of the world. The lute, one of the earliest known stringed instruments, was developed in ancient Egypt and was popular in Europe during the Middle Ages. The lute was a pear-shaped instrument with a long neck and a hollow body and was used to play melodies and accompaniments.
The guitar as we know it today is believed to have evolved from the lute, and it was first developed in Spain in the 15th century. Early guitars had four courses (pairs) of strings, which were tuned in fourths and were played with the fingers. They were used to play a wide range of music, including folk, popular, and classical. Over time, the guitar has undergone many changes and has been adapted to meet the needs of different musicians and musical styles. Today, the acoustic guitar is a popular instrument used in various music genres, including folk, country, blues, and classical.
Best Guitars for Beginners
There are many great options for beginner acoustic guitars, and the best one for you will depend on your budget, playing style, and preferences. A budget-friendly option for beginners is the Yamaha FG800, known for its excellent sound quality and playability. The Yamaha FG800 has a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides, which give it a warm and full sound. For those who prefer a North American-made guitar, Taylor is a great step-up option. Try out a few different guitars to find the one that works best for you and your playing style.