Description of types of acoustic guitars

The acoustic guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments. Today there are a great many of these models that are suitable for both beginners and experienced guitarists. Acoustic instruments come in many varieties. We will talk about them in this article.

The acoustic guitar is a stringed musical instrument that many professional guitarists got their start with. Such models are suitable not only for learning beginners, but also for experienced musicians. You can find many different modifications of these tools on sale.

Acoustic guitars are primarily divided according to their shape and size. These important indicators differ significantly when it comes to different types of enclosures. Let's find out what they are and what characteristics they have.

• Dreadnought. Acoustics of this shape are rightfully recognized as the most popular, perfect for installing metal strings. There are a lot of guitars of this type in stores. They are characterized by a heavy large body, a wide lower part, and the same wide "waist". The neck in these musical designs is made thin, has a rounded working side. Very often, a characteristic cutaway is made under its base to make playing the last frets more comfortable.

• Jumbo. Acoustic guitars with this body are similar in size to a dreadnought. However, their shape becomes more rounded. Jumbo is a modification that is great for stringing strings and playing with a pick.This body shape is typical for guitars on which you can play melodies in most possible styles.

• Small jumbo. This is the same jumbo, but with reduced dimensions. This type is characterized by a not very deep body, as well as a neck with a cutout for ease of playing at the upper frets.

• Auditorium. A musical instrument with such a structure is suitable for performances in audiences, not very large concert halls. The designs of these acoustic guitars are not made too long. There are only 14 frets on the fretboard, so the huge size makes no sense here.

• Auditorium grand. And this modification of acoustic guitars is larger than in the case of a standard auditorium body. True, if you compare the auditorium grand and the dreadnought, you will notice that the first is smaller. And also in the design of these copies there is a cutaway.

• Folk. The dimensions of the acoustics with such a structure correspond to a smaller version of standard dreadnoughts. There is a narrow neck that attaches to anchors. The instruments in question do not sound so loud, but they are compact, so it is convenient to play them.

• Travel. The most common length of travel guitars is 80 cm. Their average weight reaches 1 kg. Such acoustics do not sound too loud, but for a small company it will be enough.

• Parlor. These are instruments that are suitable for playing in small spaces. They have a body of reduced dimensions, a wide neck (approximately 48 mm). Acoustics with a parlor enclosure are characterized by a very clear sound.

Acoustic guitars are divided into different types according to the material from which their body bases are made. Let's consider what such tools are most often made of.

• Array. Mainly, professional grade acoustic guitars are made from natural solid wood. The more valuable the wood is, the higher the cost and class of the product will be. Solid guitars do not tolerate high humidity, as well as sudden temperature jumps.
• Array in the top deck only. Acoustic guitars made in this way produce quite a good sound. They are inexpensive. Such copies are great for the learning process at a music school or at home.
• Plywood. These are the most inexpensive instruments, they have a body of sufficient strength, but they are distinguished by weak sonic characteristics.

In many cases, the practical Sitka spruce, which grows in the forests of North America, is used for the manufacture of hull parts. Its wood is soft and light. Thanks to the use of this natural material, a delicate sound is provided that only gets better over time. True, this breed is fragile, so hulls covered with hard varnishes are made from it.

The second very popular wood species used in guitar making is cedar. If we compare it with spruce, then it is worth noting that cedar can contribute to a warmer and softer, but the same sonorous sound. The tree species in question has a brownish tint, but the fibers here are pinkish. This is the base material from which the body elements of classic guitars are assembled.

Mahogany is often used in the production of acoustic specimens. It is a reddish-brown tree with a characteristic longitudinal wavy print. Instruments made from the specified material sound low, soft and even. In most cases, African or Honduran mahogany wood is used in production.

A popular material is rosewood. It is one of the tropical tree species. Rosewood guitars deliver spacious, deep and crisp sound. But mahogany models can show better quality on some notes.

Popular acoustic guitars are divided not only by body shape and material of manufacture, but also by other important characteristics. We are talking about the number of strings on the neck, as well as the presence of such a component as a pickup. Let's consider what types of acoustic guitars exist, if we divide them according to the indicated characteristics.

Different models of modern acoustic guitars are equipped with different numbers of strings. On sale you can find musical instruments on the fretboard of which from 4 to 12 strings are fixed. In different modifications of acoustics, their number varies, as does the material of their manufacture. For example, rigid metal strings can be safely installed on acoustic guitars such as dreadnought, jumbo.

The most common nowadays are acoustic guitars with 6 or 7 strings. It must be said that in their direct design, they practically do not differ in anything from copies supplemented by 12 strings.

There are premium acoustic guitars on the market today that have a built-in pickup. This component happens:

• piezoelectric;
• with an equalizer;
• magnetic;
• with volume control.

Choosing a good acoustic guitar is not difficult. Let's consider what you should pay attention to when searching for “your” instrument.

• First, you need to decide for what purpose the guitar is being bought - for performances on the grounds or for home play. Different acoustics models will be suitable for different conditions.
• It is necessary to look after a musical instrument of a certain type. The different body shapes for acoustic guitars have been listed above. Each of them has its own structural features and dimensions. Someone finds it more convenient to use instruments with a narrow neck, and someone with a wide neck, the size of which, for example, reaches 52 mm or more. Many people are comfortable playing jumbo-type models, while others prefer a Western guitar or a dreadnought. To understand which copy of which modification will definitely suit you, you should first hold it in your hands, try it in the game. If you feel that you are comfortable using the tool, then you can think about purchasing it.
• It is necessary to understand the rest of the quality characteristics of the tool. It is necessary to find out how many strings it contains, what materials its structure is assembled from, whether there is a pickup or not. It is advisable to choose just such an acoustic guitar, the characteristics of which will fully correspond to your playing skills on this instrument.
• It makes sense to take a close look at your acoustic instrument before purchasing. Make sure the guitar is free of chips, kinks, scuffs, even the smallest scratches or poorly fixed hardware. If there are such disadvantages, it is better to refuse the purchase.
• Buy a guitar that you like the design of. There are both classic and unusual bright instruments in stores.
• It is recommended to buy good acoustics in specialized music stores.