Acoustic Guitars
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Santa Cruz OM/Pre War Fiddleback Mahogany
This magic Pre-War OM features a Master Grade set of fiddleback Mahogany body and an Old Growth Sitka Spruce top as well as Advanced X Adirondack Spruce bracing attached with hot hide glue all of which add up to killer mahogany tone! An Ebony peghead overlay and Tortoise body/neck/fingerboard binding are custom features that add to the elegance of the instrument. The neck feels great and it's 1 3/4” nut width gives you plenty of room for fingering chords. It comes with a hard shell case.Sold
Bourgeois OOO Vintage
This beautiful tap-tuned OOO 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. It comes with it’s original hard shell case.Sold
2021 Martin D-10E Sapele Top
This 2021 Martin D-10E is the Sapele top variant. It's in excellent shape having been lovingly cared for by its previous owner. It features a built in sound hole tuner, and comes with a gig bag.Sold
2021 Taylor BTe-Koa
Perfect for fireside jams, basement practice sessions, and practicing on the go, the Baby Taylor has delighted players with its comfortable size and tuneful sound for years. We’ve refreshed this versatile ¾-size guitar with back and sides of layered Hawaiian koa and a solid koa top whose striking visual character makes this model as fun to show off as it is to play. Whether you’re a beginner in need of a small starter guitar or a seasoned pro in need of a travel companion, the BTe-Koa has you covered.Sold
2021 Taylor Baby Mahogany (BT2)
The Baby Taylor has long been a gateway for new learners into the world of the acoustic guitar, and with the all-mahogany BT2, players now have another option in both look and sound. A solid top gives this three-quarter-scale guitar a surprising sonic punch for its size, and the slim, comfortable neck makes it easier to hold down the strings to form notes and chords. An ideal beginner's or kid's guitar but also great for experienced players who want a decent-sounding travel guitar, the BT2 is a fun-sized blend of musical excitement and utility. It includes a soft gig bag.Sold
1995 Gibson J-200
The iconic J-200 has been played by everyone from the Everly Brothers to Pete Townsend to Emmylou Harris. This one has been played some but is in great gig-ready shape with an LR Baggs Lyric pickup already installed.The action is nice and low on it and the frets are in great shape. The guitar shows play but no signs of abuse. There is light buckle-rash on the back and there are two fully-repaired top splits. We’ve also tried to show a shot of the typical drying lines at the end of the fret board that seem stable to us. All in all, a very nice Gibson! It comes with it’s original hard shell case.Sold
1975 Martin D-28
This nearly 50-year old beauty D-28 is fully serviced and ready to play. The action is low and the tone is awesome! It has received a neck reset, new bridge, new pickguard and a full fret replacement all performed by renowned luthier, Pat DiBurro of Exeter, NH. Now, it’s all buffed up, clean and ready for it’s next 100,000 miles with it’s new owner. It comes with it’s original hard shell case.Sold
Bourgeois D Vintage / HS Heirloom Series
This Heirloom Series Dreadnaught has a great combination of step-up features that lend it great looks and authoritative tone. It features a genuine Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce top and top-grade Indian Rosewood sides and back and bone bridge pins. It has a Mother of Pearl logo set in a Madagascar head veneer. The 1 23/32” width nut and 2.2” bridge spacing give you a sleek feel for playing traditional and contemporary styles. It comes with a deluxe hard shell case.Sold
Bourgeois D Country Boy - Professional Series
Nothing beats a Bourgeois Country Boy for great traditional Mahogany tone. This beauty features an Aged Tone Sitka Spruce top and genuine Mahogany back and sides. The long scale, satin finished neck feels fast and easy with a 1 23/32” width nut. Of course a hard shell case is included.Sold
Bourgeois D Vintage / HS Heirloom Series
This Heirloom Series is our most popular Bourgeois Dreadnought with features that lend it great looks and a winning tone. It features a genuine Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce top and top-grade Indian Rosewood sides and and Animal Protein glue construction. The 1 23/32” width nut and 2.2” bridge spacing give you a sleek feel for playing traditional and contemporary styles. It comes with a deluxe hard shell case.Sold
Bourgeois SD - Standard Series
Look no further if you're after a killer Slope D. This Country Boy SD has the sound you are looking for in a Sinker Mahogany Slope thanks to a beautiful Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce top. It’s as easy on the fingers as it is on the eyes thanks to a satin finished neck with a 1 23/32” nut width. A hard shell case is included.Sold
2021 Taylor 114e
The 114e features our popular Grand Auditorium body style, whose physical dimensions have made it a popular choice for its appealing performance versatility. Layered walnut back and sides are topped with a solid Sitka spruce soundboard, which together produce signature clear and balanced tone with a pleasing projection and midrange focus. The 1-11/16-inch nut width is slightly narrower than the standard 1-3/4-inch width of other steel-strings in the 300 Series and up, making it easier for developing players to navigate the fretboard. And with Taylor’s onboard Expression System 2 pickup, the guitar is ready to plug in whenever you are. The guitar ships in a durable lightweight gig bag.Sold
Taylor 812ce 12-Fret
The Grand Concert’s intimate body size and 24-⅞-inch scale length make for a comfortable playing experience that fingerstyle players are bound to love. The 12-fret version of the 812ce yields a slightly different character than the 14-fret because the bridge position is closer to the center of the lower bout and because the bracing profile was modified to emphasize a bolder attack. Players can expect plenty of the Grand Concert’s signature articulation with a slightly meatier, more robust tonal output. Recently integrated with the 800 Deluxe Series, this year’s edition of the 812ce 12-Fret includes a radius-style rosewood armrest for enhanced playing comfort. It features our V-Class bracing design, which bolsters this small-bodied guitar with added projection and sustain, bringing out more of Indian rosewood’s harmonic complexity. If you like a slightly darker, punchier quality in a small guitar, the 812ce 12-Fret is a great choice. With hard shell case.Sold
Taylor T5z Classic - Koa sn1209101196
Along with its chameleonic tone-shifting powers and cross-genre versatility, our T5z Classic has always borne a minimal, functional aesthetic that reflects its musical utility. Here, we’re kicking up the visuals with a stunning Hawaiian koa top rich with organic variegation and natural hues—a style usually reserved for Custom or Pro T5z models. Musically, the T5z Classic is as bold and pragmatic as you’d expect from our line of hollowbody hybrids, with a comfortable neck that feels easy in the fretting hand whether you’re playing cowboy chords or flying lead licks. The five-way switching system allows you to shape your tone around three pickups—an acoustic body sensor and two humbuckers—so that you can bend between warm acoustic sounds and searing electric sizzle on a dime. Details for this model include a handsome shaded edgeburst top treatment, a satin finish and two F-holes on an unbound body, showcasing Hawaiian koa’s natural beauty. Small Diamond fretboard inlays in Italian acrylic and satin black tuners round out the visuals. This model ships in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case.Sold
Taylor 912ce 12-Fret
Refined sonic and aesthetic details abound on Taylor’s rosewood/spruce 900 Series, whose tone receives a major upgrade from newly added V-Class bracing. The 912ce’s compact Grand Concert body is a lap-friendly delight, while the slightly shorter 24 7/8-inch scale length makes bending strings and fretting chords even easier. The new bracing scheme delivers improvements to volume and sustain, making this small-bodied guitar a powerhouse in both practice and performance situations. Tone-optimizing features include customized wood thicknesses for the Grand Concert shape, along with protein glues for the bracing and bridge and a thin (3.5 mil) gloss finish. The result is a guitar that’s incredibly responsive to a light touch, with impressive midrange warmth and sustain. Between the balance, articulation and broad tonal range, fingerstyle players will love exploring the guitar’s sonic palette. The guitar ships with ES2 electronics and a Venetian cutaway in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case.Sold
2020 Epiphone J-45 Inspired by Gibson
Mint condition, comes with original hard shell case. This Epiphone J-45 Inspired by Gibson has a sonic boom to it and comes in the handsome J-45 trim (Sunburst & Ivoroid Binding)Sold
Bourgeois Legacy Series Custom Victorian OMS
Wow, Bourgeois has done it again! Here’s a looker and a player! Premium Koa and Aged Tone Italian Spruce Aged Tone Italian Spruce make up the tone engine of this beauty. It has a long scale and a 1 3/4” nut width. The Rope Style Rosette and Peppermint Rope purfling against Ziricote binding give the guitar a cool and elegant look. It comes with a hard case.Sold
Bourgeois Heirloom Series Vintage 00-12
This sweet 00-12 Vintage HS features and Aged Tone Adirondack Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back and sides and a 1 ¾” nut. It’s the perfect size instrument to play for comfort but with it’s tapped-tuned sound, it might make you think that it’s a bigger guitar! It comes with it’s hard shell case.Sold
Bourgeois Heirloom Series Custom Style 42
We love OO Style 42 guitars, we think it’s the classiest look! This Fully-Aged tone package custom model features Aged Tone Swiss Moon Spruce and Madagascar Rosewood. Its short scale makes it play easy and its 1 3/4” nut give you room to finger chords without feeling crowded. If you’ve been looking for a rich-tones, super-comfortable guitar to play, look no further! It comes with a hard shell case.Sold
Santa Cruz 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 an incredible tone thanks to 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. It comes with a hard shell case.Sold
Santa Cruz OO 42 Style guitar - Tier 1 Brazilian Rosewood - PRE-ORDER
PRE-ORDER DEPOSIT ONLY-It just doesn’t get any better than this! The photos and videos here are of the shop-owner’s OO-42 cutaway, his #1 guitar that was modeled on a 1926 OO-42 that he had a long time ago. It is perfect for all kinds of finger-style. It plays like a dream and is very responsive to changes in touch and has rare and inspiring tone. The guitar that is available now for pre-order has identical specs. It boasts Tier 1 Brazilian Rosewood (see photo of the set that we selected)sides and back and Adirondack Spruce top and bracing attached with hot hide glue. It has a round neck profile, 1 13/16” width nut, 2 5/15” bridge spacing and a 24.75” scale for incredible ease of playing, even on difficult arrangements. The guitar boasts “42” style body and fingerboard inlays. The Cutaway allows great fret-access on this 12-fret model and lends a modern touch to a very traditional look.Sold
Bourgeois D The Championship
The Championship is one killer Mahogany Dread! It features an Aged Tone Adi top, Sinker Mahogany back and sides and a 1 23/32” nut for easy playing. Bourgeois' hand-voicing technique makes this guitar sound robust and balanced. It comes with it’s hard shell case.Sold
Bourgeois D Panama Red
This gorgeous dread features a gorgeous set of Panamanian Rosewood that we personally selected at the Bourgeois shop with Dana Bourgeois’ guidance. We also selected a great sounding Aged Tone Adirondack top to compliment the Panamanian Rosewood. It plays easy with a 1 23/32” nut and has a rich and balanced tone. It comes with it’s original 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.