Confused About Which Guitar To Buy? Here Are 5 Honest Kadence Picks

Buying your first guitar in India is weirdly stressful. You open one “best guitar” list, then another, and somehow every single one crowns a different winner. A lot of them are just chasing a sale.

So here is ours, with one big confession right at the top.

Before you read a single pick:

• This is an opinion piece, and yes, it is our own catalogue. We are biased and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
• Here is the trade to make up for it: every fact below (the wood, the size, the electronics, the price) is exactly what the guitar actually is. No made-up claims. And where a guitar is wrong for you, we say so plainly.
• We picked 5 guitars for 5 different people, not 5 versions of the same guitar.
• Prices are correct at the time of writing and are often on discount, so always check the live price on the page.
• Every pick ships with a free online learning course and is built for Indian weather (heat and humidity are hard on guitars, and that matters more than beginners expect).

Right, let us get into it.

1. Your Very First Guitar, On a Budget → Kadence Frontier

If this is genuinely your first guitar and you do not want to overthink it, start here. The Frontier is the range that put Kadence on the map, and it is still the one we point most beginners to.

Here is what you are actually getting:

• A spruce top with mahogany back and sides (a classic wood pairing that gives a warm, balanced sound). That is real wood doing real work, not a printed finish.
• A 40-inch body with a cutaway, so your hand can reach the higher frets without a fight.
• A full kit in the box: bag, strap, spare strings, and picks.
• The plain acoustic versions sit around ₹4,899 to ₹5,299. Want to plug into an amp? The electro-acoustic versions (built-in pickup and 3-band EQ) are around ₹5,499.
• Smaller hands, or buying for a child? There is a 34-inch version at ₹3,899.

Skip it if: you are already past beginner and chasing richer, more detailed tone. In that case, keep reading.

See the full Frontier range →

2. The Everyday Workhorse → Kadence Slowhand SH04

This is the one we would hand most people who say, “I am past beginner, I just want something that sounds and feels great, and I do not want to spend a fortune.” It is our best-selling Slowhand model, and that is not an accident.

• It has a 41-inch dreadnought body with our demi cutaway. In plain terms: we scooped out a small part of the upper shoulder so you can slide up to the high frets, without hacking off the chunk of body that gives a dreadnought its big, room-filling volume. Most cutaways make you choose one or the other. This one does not. (The full story of why we built it is here.)
• A black spruce top gives it a bright, clear voice.
• It has a built-in pickup and 2-band EQ, so it is ready to plug in and play out the day it arrives.
• Bag, capo, strings, cable, and picks are all included.
• It sits around the ₹10,000 mark, the easiest way into the Slowhand family.

Skip it if: you specifically want solid-wood tone that gets better with age. That is the next one.

Check out the SH04 →

3. The One You Keep Forever → Kadence Slowhand Solid-Wood PRO

This is for the player who is serious, or fast getting there. One quick bit of jargon first, because it is the whole point of this pick.

Most affordable guitars use laminate wood: thin sheets glued together. It is cheap and tough, but all that glue stiffens the wood, so the sound is a little flat, and it stays exactly the same forever. A solid-wood top is a single piece of wood that vibrates freely, so it sounds fuller and more alive. And here is the part laminate can never match: solid wood ages. Play it for a few years and the wood literally opens up and sounds better. It is the difference between a guitar that peaks on day one and one that rewards you for sticking with it.

Slowhand is the only Kadence range with solid-wood models, and there are two to pick between:

• The SH101PRO has a solid spruce top, for a bright, punchy, articulate voice.
• The SHM100PRO has a solid cedar top, for a warmer, softer, more mellow voice.

Both sit at the top of the Slowhand range, up to about ₹17,999, and both are built to be the guitar you do not replace.

Skip it if: you are a total beginner who is not yet sure you will stick with it. Honestly, starting on a Frontier and upgrading to this later is the smart path, and there is no shame in it.

Browse the Slowhand range →

4. The One That Travels → Kadence Wanderer WNE-01

For the person who wants a guitar that goes in the backpack, on the trek, to the hostel, without babysitting a full-size dreadnought.

• It has a 36-inch slim body, made small and light on purpose so it actually survives being carried everywhere.
• It has a spruce top, and it is an electro-acoustic, so you can plug in once you get wherever you are going.
• A travel bag and the learning course are included.
• It is around ₹9,499 at the time of writing.

Skip it if: this will be your only guitar and you mostly play at home. A full-size Frontier or Slowhand gives you more body and volume for roughly the same money.

See the Wanderer →

5. Going Electric For The First Time → Kadence Tennessee

Switching from acoustic to electric, or starting on electric from scratch? This is our newest range, built for exactly that person.

There are two body styles, and the choice is refreshingly simple:

• Tennessee ST: a 39-inch, solid poplar body with a maple neck, three pickups and a 5-way switch (which is a lot of different tones from one little switch), plus a tremolo bridge for expressive bends down the line. This is the do-everything option. It comes in bold matte colours: black, blue, white, orange, red.
• Tennessee TL: two pickups and a fixed bridge, so fewer moving parts and rock-solid tuning. Crisp, direct, and made for tight rhythm playing.

Both come with a padded gig bag and a cable.

One honest heads-up: an electric guitar is only half the setup. You will also need an amp, because that is where the “electric” sound actually lives. A basic 20-watt practice amp is plenty to start. Budget for it from day one, and check the live price on the page, since electrics vary by finish and combo.

Explore the Tennessee Series →

Quick Recap: Which One Is “The One”?

• Total beginner, tight budget → Frontier (from ₹3,899)
• Past beginner, want a great all-rounder → Slowhand SH04 (around ₹10,000)
• Serious player, want a guitar that ages with you → Slowhand SH101PRO or SHM100PRO (up to ₹17,999)
• Always on the move → Wanderer WNE-01 (around ₹9,499)
• Going electric → Tennessee ST or TL (plus a small amp)

That is our honest five. Whichever one wins you over, buy it from kadence.in or a trusted channel partner so you get the real instrument, the warranty, and the free course. And if you find it genuinely cheaper somewhere else, send us the link and we will beat the offer.

Now stop reading about guitars and go play one.

#Letsmusic