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An acoustic guitar for a worship team is a particular guitar. The perfect guitar for a worship acoustic guitarist needs to be budget-minded, acoustic-electric (plug into the sound system), and look great. This list of guitars is some of my personal favorites!
Why should you trust me? I have been playing guitar for 18 years, primarily in the setting of worship bands. I play acoustic guitar for my church’s worship team and enjoy acoustic guitars. While I do sing and play other instruments, the acoustic guitar is by far my favorite, and where I have years of experience.
- Guitar Type: Acoustic/Electric
- Body Material: Composite
- Neck Material: Spruce
- Pre-Amp: OP-4BT
- String Count: 6
- Exceptional on-stage and plugged in sound
- Thin body is easy to play
- Rounded, composite body is great for durability
- Struggles when not plugged in
I’ll be 100% honest; this guitar is the main reason I wanted to write this article. Ovation doesn’t get nearly the publicity it should in the worship team side of the music genre. I used to own their older Applause by Ovation Super Shallow Body (the Ruby Red AE128, for anyone asking), and it was a fantastic guitar to play in worship.
For those looking for an excellent acoustic guitar, this Elite Celebrity has it all. While the super shallow body acoustic guitars from Ovation struggle while being unplugged (they don’t quite have the oomph of a standard guitar), the shallow body is incredibly comfortable on stage, and the textured (and rounded) back of the guitar is highly durable to being moved around the stage.
If you have never tried an Ovation, the time is now; you probably will want one in your collection.
- Guitar Type: Acoustic/Electric
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Pre-Amp: DMT SL3 w/Tuner
- String Count: 6
- Quality sound at a budget price point
- Koa top looks awesome
- Great action
- Wish it had a pick guard
- Some people mention buzzing out of the box
If you hope to stick with a more traditional guitar (than the Ovation above), you might want to consider this Koa-style Dean AXS. A friend (who has more experience playing than I do) highly recommended this guitar and said it has a bright sound.
With the fantastic Koa wood top, mahogany neck, great styling, and a sound to match, it is a great deal for under $300 (well under the budget of this article).
Dean guitars are exceptionally well-known in the industry, and you can’t go wrong with one. This one is easy to play with its c-shaped neck.
- Guitar Type: Acoustic/Electric
- Body Material: Rosewood
- Neck Material: Ash Wood
- Pre-Amp: Included (Unknown model)
- String Count: 6
- Extremely low price point
- Looks great
- There are some quality issues
Cheap guitars have come a long way since I started playing! My first guitar was a First Act acoustic (it looks like they only sell children’s guitars now), and it needed to be better in the quality department.
However, that cheap guitar allowed me to learn how to play, and I could graduate to other guitars. Without that guitar, I wouldn’t be playing what I can now (especially on a worship team).
This Kadence Acoustica is the First Act of today for me. While it may not be the highest quality guitar, it does look great and can give you a fantastic platform (acoustic/electric) to start playing on your worship team and get your feet under you. The quality isn’t amazing on this one, and it will likely need to be replaced within a year or two.
- Guitar Type: Acoustic/Electric
- Body Material: Composite
- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Pre-Amp: CE304T
- String Count: 6
- Very comfortable to play
- Sounds great when plugged in
- Unique build type
- Great quality
- Sounds shallow when unplugged
If you liked the Ovation at the top of this list (I wouldn’t blame you) but need more funds to make that work, this Applause by Ovation will be your best bet.
This Standard (not Elite) has a more traditional soundhole design and isn’t quite as fancy as the normal Ovations. That said, this is like the Applause I had over a decade ago, and it was an incredible guitar and is what sold me on Ovation as one of my favorite brands of guitars.
While this guitar may have difficulty competing with regular guitars when not plugged into an amp (due to its shallow, composite body), it shines when plugged into a sound system. That is where this guitar is meant to be (perfect for a worship team), and it might make an excellent guitar for keeping at your church for playing on stage with.
- Guitar Type: Acoustic/Electric
- Body Material: Rose Wood
- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Pre-Amp: AEQ2T
- String Count: 6
- Sounds amazing for the price
- I really like the real wood finish
- High quality and value
- Sounds like there are some quality control issues
I had the chance to play this guitar a couple of days ago and was pleasantly surprised at how bright and easy it was. I also liked the exposed wood top (rather than being glossy). It felt like a much more expensive guitar than it was, which is why it quickly made my list of favorite acoustic guitars for worship.
Its smaller body makes it great for taking around the stage (and, of course, to and from church), and it has everything you need to get going (including a pre-amp and tuner). What surprised me even more is that this was an Ibanez, as I have had some iffy experiences with some of their older acoustics, so this might be changing my mind about their modern guitars!
- Guitar Type: Acoustic/Electric
- Body Material: Linden
- Neck Material: Okoume
- Pre-Amp: Barcus Berry LX4
- String Count: 6
- A great example of a dreadnaught budget guitar
- Namebrand pre-amp
- Walnut bridge (not plastic)
- Some quality control issues
You can only complete a list of great worship guitars with an excellent dreadnaught-style acoustic/electric. These more prominent body guitars are well known for their more pronounced sound and presence on the stage. Mix a great dreadnaught with Washburn; you have a winner in my books. I have liked Washburn for years, and they make some fantastic products.
This WA90CE, in particular, has some upper-scale features, such as a walnut fingerboard and bridge. I wish it came with a pickguard, as that would finish the look quite well.
This guitar plays well on stage and is likely of higher quality than the price entails.
What do you need to look for in an excellent worship guitar?
1. Acoustic/Electric
Purchasing an acoustic/electric as your worship guitar is the most crucial aspect of your shopping experience. Please buy a standard acoustic, only to find you cannot use it while playing with the worship team.
I’m not fond of the soundhole pickups, as they are bulky and finicky. Instead, do yourself a favor, and opt for an acoustic/electric now instead of later (all options above are in this category).
2. Quality sound
Budget acoustic guitars will surprise you with their sound! While many are not high quality, they play well and sound great. Generally, the main issue with budget acoustic guitars comes down to the frets buzzing.
This is due to uneven frets and can be solved by servicing the guitar (for a fee). Don’t worry if you buy one of these guitars only to find a buzz, as most new guitars need a tune-up immediately.
3. Easy to play for long periods
Finding a guitar with lower action and lighter strings will make all the difference in your worship team experience. You will likely feel fatigued if you play for multiple services and practice beforehand. I recommend buying a guitar that is easy to play (lower action) to help you get through extended playing sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you find an excellent, budget-minded acoustic guitar to play on your worship team! Whether you are a beginner or want a good basic guitar to play on stage, this list has something for everyone.
If you haven’t yet, try an Ovation, it will be well worth it!
