Acoustic Guitars
SoldBourgeois Touchstone Dreadnaught
This big-sounding Touchstone Series Dreadnought 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 23/32” nut width and Bourgeois neck carve make this guitar easy and fun to play. It comes with a hard shell case.
SoldSanta Cruz OOO Model Guitar
Nothing sings like a Santa Cruz OOO and this one is as sweet and warm as they make them thanks to its Sinker Redwood-Mahogany tonewood combination! It's 1 3/4" width nut, 2 3/16" spring spacing and long scale combine to make this one of the most comfortable guitars to play that you can find. Other custom features on this model that make it special are its Adirondack Spruce bracing attached with hot hide glue, maple body, fingerboard and peghead binding, script logo headstock inlay, 2 mm. ivoriod dot fingerboard inlays, bone bridge and end pins and nickel Waverly tuners with ivoroid knobs. It only takes one strum on this OOO to hear the Sinker Redwood/Mahogany difference! All other specs are standard as listed on Santa Cruz guitars' website. A deluxe hard shell case is included
Sold2022 Martin D-35
This D-35 is in excellent to almost new condition and looks like it has no play on it. The D-35 is a great choice if your looking for a Dread with a little more bass and power than the D-28. A distinctive three-piece back and antique white binding around the fingerboard sets the D-35 apart from Martin's other Dreads and Expressive quarter-inch straight bracing gives it balance and power for any situation. Premium East Indian rosewood, spruce, and a timeless Dreadnought shape have made it the choice for pickers, strummers, and players from Johnny Cash to Seth Avett. With original hard-shell case.
SoldBourgeois OM Country Boy Heirloom Series
This OM's beautiful sunburst Bearclaw Figured Aged Tone Sitka Spruce top is an instant tip-off that this is one special guitar! Matched with a premium set of Mahogany this guitar just sings! The 1 3/4" nut width, long scale neck makes this guitar perfect for both fingerpicking and flatpicking. The cut-through bridge, Brazilian Rosewood headstock veneer, 1930's style purfling, ebony bridge pins with pearl dots and Waverly Relic Butterbean tuners add to the elegance of this very special instrument. A deluxe hard shell case is included.
Sold2022 Bourgeois Adirondack Spruce 00-12/C Cutaway
This super-sweet little guitar is just perfect for fingerstyle and light picking with a quick, warm response thanks to its Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce, Premium Indian Rosewood and Animal Protein glue. The short scale neck with a 1 3/4" nut width plays like butter and the cutaway makes high fret access easy. Cosmetic features like Herringbone purling, a Madagascar Rosewood headstock veneer and nickel Waverly Butterbean tuners add a touch of understated elegance to this instrument. It comes with a deluxe hard shell case.
SoldNorthwood 00 12-Fret Quilted Maple & Englemann Spruce
This gorgeous Northwood 00-sized 12-fret guitar is a sight for sore eyes. This guitar features an absolutely stunning set of quilted maple that paired with this find Englemann spruce top give this guitar a beautiful, clear and dynamic tone. Built by John McQuarrie who developed his chops working for Larrivee guitars in the 80s and 90s, this instrument is finely crafted from the finest materials. Starting with the pale abalone pearl purfling around the top of the guitar and soundhole along with stunning rosewood bindings, this guitar is elegant and refined. We love the full body light cremona sunburst that makes the fine wood selection on this guitar really pop. Nut measures 1 13/16" and the scale is a comfy 24.75" with a 2-5/16" spacing. With a fine ebony fingerboard and pyramid bridge, paired with a bone nut and saddle this guitar has a fine response and resonance. To top it all off the tuning machines are beautifully engraved and feature ebony buttons to match the fingerboard and bridge. Comes with a hard shell case.
Sold2002 Tinker OM by Ed Bond of Halcyon Guitars
Here we have a hand-made guitar from Ed Bond of Halcyon guitars in BC, British Columbia. This guitar features an excellent set of Sitka Spruce and East Indian rosewood on the back and sides and boasts a rich, warm and full tone far beyond this guitars paygrade. If you are looking for an affordable hand made guitar with lots of character and a beautiful tone, this guitar is for you. To tie the whole guitar together, this instrument features flamed maple bindings on the body, neck and backstrip. The nut width is 1 3/4" and the scale is 25.75", also includes a hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois Brazilian Rosewood OM Sunburst Vintage Heirloom Series
Every detail of this OM Brazilian was meticulously spec'd by Ben here at Northern Lights taking inspiration from a 1930s style OM-28 but with a modern twist adding an understaed bear-claw Adirondack top and sunburst. The Brazilian Rosewood back and sides is the perfect match for the Adirondack top achieving that classic tone that we all love. Other choice vintage appointments include a cut-through saddle, vintage zig zag back strip and herringbone purfling/ivoroid binding. A short pattern slotted square and diamonds on the fretboard and a classic rosette. Did I mention the sunburst?! Absolutely stunning. But let's not get totally lost in the fact this guitar is a looker. It is a sounder too, oh what a sound. Excellent dynamic range, pure articulation and a mature tone/feel. What more could you want? How about a classic deluxe Bourgeois hard shell case with crushed mint green interior. There you have it folks, the complete package!
SoldSanta Cruz FTC
“The FTC looks and sounds like nothing else out there and on this evidence, you’d be hard pushed to find anything, regardless of price, that looks and sounds better – or even comes close.” – Acoustic Magazine Having had such a wonderful time restoring a 1980s FTC for Eric Clapton in 2015, it was an easy choice to put the carved back, flat top F cutaway model into production once again, offering players a most unique instrument that has the projection of an archtop. This custom fingerstyle FTC Model features Flamed Maple sides/back, a European Spruce top, tapered Adirondack bracing with hot hide glue, Ivoroid / Black / Ivoroid body, fingerboard and peghead binding, black back strip, Ivoroid rosette, purfle combo top border, deco fretboard inlay, Tobacco sunburst finish, Schaller Imperial tuners. It is set up with SCGC Parabolic Mid Tension strings and comes with a deluxe hard shell case.
Sold2019 Santa Cruz Custom OOO Model - African Blackwood
Words can't do this guitar justice, this is one of the best sounding OOO's we've had come through the shop, a real winner! We are the original sellers of this one-owner guitar. It has the following custom features that make this guitar so special: a cutaway for great upper-fret access, African Blackwood back/sides and Bear Claw Moon Spruce top with Adirondack bracing w/hot hide glue for superior tone, beautiful Koa body, neck, peghead binding, gorgeous 42 Style abalone appointments (on the rosette, top border and fingerboard extension), Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge for great tone and feel and gold Waverly tuners w/black knobs. All other specs conform to the standards listed on the Santa Cruz website. The guitar is in excellent condition with one very small, touched up ding on a corner of the headstock. It plays like a dream and is ready to be enjoyed by its next lucky owner. This magical guitar is a delight to play! It comes with its original hard shell case.
SoldCollings 002H T
The Traditional Series 12-fret 00 takes a vintage-inspired approach to voicing and construction designed to produce a strong fundamental response and open feel, with rounder highs and less overtone complexity compared to the signature Collings sound. The combination of an open slotted peghead, shorter 24 7/8" scale length, and pyramid bridge paired with our ultra-thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish and newly redesigned neck support make for a woody and articulate voice that exemplifies everything we love about the T-Series. With a longer upper bout than its 14-fret counterpart, the 00 offers rich, balanced tone with excellent note separation, making it a fine choice for fingerstyle guitarists, singer-songwriters, or anyone else looking for a balance of comfort, volume, and responsiveness. W/Hard shell case.
Sold2021 Santa Cruz OMG - Brazilian!
The OM Grand has everything that an OM has plus a more volume, bass and punch. The wood combination on this guitar can’t be beat, Brazilian Rosewood/Moon Spruce with advanced X Adirondack bracing/hot hide glue. The 1 3/4” nut width makes it roomy and comfortable to play. It is in excellent to near mint condition with only light signs of play. Koa on the bindings and tail strip add beauty and the abalone rosette, purfle combo top border, Brazilian overlay with abalone logo, diamond & squares short pattern fingerboard inlay, gold Waverly tuners with Snakewood knobs and Ebony bridge/end pins with abalone dots all are custom features that put the experience of playing this guitar over the top. It comes with hand-tooled leather cowboy hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois 000 Vintage Professional Series
This beautiful tap-tuned 000 delivers real vintage tone thanks to an Aged Tone Sitka top and master grade Indian Rosewood back. This short scale guitar is easy to play and features a 1 ¾” nut width and satin finished neck. It comes with its original hard shell case.
Sold2018 Larrivée LV-10E Deluxe
This is a great fingerstyle guitar with a beautiful tone. It is in very good condition, well broken in, with signs of play but it plays great with nice low action and has great full and balanced tone with plenty of volume. The LR Baggs I-mix system has high-quality natural sound and lets you easily mix between its I-Beam and undersaddle piezo. It comes with its original hard shell case.
Sold2020 OO Eric Skye Custom
This custom Eric Skye OO model is the perfect fingerpicking guitar with a 1 13/16” width nut, 24.9” scale length and custom 2 1/4” string spacing. The tone is hard to beat thanks to an Adirondack Spruce top, Adi bracing attached with hot hide glue and a gorgeous set of Cocobolo back and sides. It is in excellent/near perfect condition with the lightest fret wear, and a near perfect top and comes with its original hard shell case.
Sold2019 Bourgeois OM Large Soundhole
This gorgeous Mahogany OM is in excellent condition with only very light signs of play. It features Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce top along with Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce bracing attached with animal protein glue. It is also gig ready with a great-sounding K&K Pure Mini pickup installed. These large soundhole models are legendary and this delightful instrument will exceed your hopes and expectations! With its original hard shell case.
Sold2019 Guild M20E
This all-mahogany concert size guitar plays great and is just perfect for gigging with an LR Baggs Anthem pick-up installed. The guitar is in very good condition with some signs of play and minor fret-wear and comes with its original hard shell case.
Sold1968 Fender Telecaster
Here's a great vintage player's axe with 45 year old wood! Why spend $25,000 to get a museum piece that you can't take out to play? The neck set-up feels and plays great and this instrument is loaded with vintage vibe and feel that just can't be reproduced! The instrument is in good condition, the finish is quite checked and has real patina and the back of the neck is bare wood. Full disclosures: We think the pots may have been replaced in 1974 and 1982. We are told that these are the original pickups and were rewound by Lindy Fralin with correct spec wire. He determined that they are from '68 or as late as ’71. The serial number plate was changed early on but is period correct to replace the damaged original. Also, the tuners, selector tip and the included hard shell case are not original. This sweet axe can only bring you pleasure (and compliments)!
SoldIris RCM-000 Maple
What a sweet instrument this Maple 000 RCM is, with a nice comfy 1 11/16" nut and a short 25" scale length it is easy to play and easy on the ear. Iris guitars out of Burlington, VT knock it out of the park once again with a gorgeous figured maple back and sides far above the pay grade of this modestly priced instrument. And in the right light you see that the Sitka top has a generous amount of bear-claw to it. A true beauty. I love the glassy, crisp and clear tone of this instrument bringing an exquisite definition and clarity to every note. Comes with a TKL hard shell case.
Sold2023 Iris DF Smeck Burst
This demo model guitar is listed at a closeout price as we are no longer an authorized dealer for Iris guitars.
Sold2023 Iris DF Natural
This demo model guitar is listed at a closeout price as we are no longer an authorized dealer for Iris guitars.
SoldCollings CW Mahogany
This CW Series dreadnought is designed for maximum power and volume. It features an Adirondack top and bracing, no tongue brace, an enlarged soundhole and Honduran Mahogany back and sides. It features a 1 23/32” nut width and a 2 1/4” belly bridge. Named after the well-loved Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, the Collings Winfield is a highly modified version of our standard dreadnought that features options commonly requested by flatpicking specialists. The combination of the stiff Adirondack spruce top with enlarged soundhole, supported by a top bracing pattern based on the earliest 14-fret dreadnoughts, make the CW a bluegrass powerhouse. Everything about this model is designed to provide plenty of headroom and projection for aggressive playing, but not at the expense of good tone. With hard shell case.
SoldCollings OM2H T A
The OM has become the most popular 14-fret model with fingerstyle guitar soloists who choose to play on steel strings yet flatpickers also find it appealing too. This OM2HT A features a 1 3/4" nut width along with a 2 5/16" bridge spacing and 25 1/2 scale length make for luxurious playing comfort. The Adirondack Spruce top with Vintage Toner and Indian Rosewood back and sides give the guitar a warm and rich sound. The Traditional Series or "T-Series” guitars represent an exciting vintage-inspired tonal variation on the distinctive Collings sound, designed and crafted to showcase the most desirable characteristics present in coveted pre-war instruments. Bracing and tone woods are adjusted for weight and thickness to create a voicing characterized by warm, rounded highs and a present low midrange, while retaining a quick attack and strong projection. It comes with a hard shell case.
SoldBourgeois OMS Country Boy Heirloom Series
Fingerstyle perfection in Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce and Mahogany! In the late 1920s, 12 fret, slotted head guitars began their historic transformation into the still-dominant designs of the 1930s. Left behind, however, were larger upper bouts, longer air cavities and optimal bridge placement at the center of the widest part of the lower bout. The OMS combines a large upper bout,a long air cavity and optimal bridge placement at the center of the widest part of the lower bout with a slotted headstock and a 25.5” scale neck to create a design coveted by fingerstylists – and not a few flatpickers.
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.