Choosing the Right Guitar

Perhaps you want to play guitar, but have yet to get one. Perhaps you already play, but learned on what was made available to you and now feel ready to make the investment for a new one. Have no fear, I can help!

Not all Guitars are the same. Make an educated purchase!

Because this article could go on and on, I am going to focus on acoustic guitars only for now.

Like everything else we shop for, there is a big variation from one brand or style of guitar to another. To a large extent, you truly do get what you pay for in regards to guitars. There are a couple exceptions to this rule, but I will get to that in a moment. The first thing you need to do is decide what your shopping budget is. If you want a guitar that will keep you interested in playing for years to come, you will probably want to save up several hundred dollars at the very least.

Next you will want to consider the body style. A very popular body style is the dreadnought. This is popular with many performers because the lower bout of the guitar is big and produces a good volume, while the neck scale is medium and can easily be handled across various styles of playing. Another style is the jumbo. This is a very big bodied guitar with both bouts being large and deep. Often, the neck is scaled longer, and the guitar will produce big booming bass, clear resonant mids, and sunny, crisp, highs. Parlor sized guitars are small, even-waisted guitars with a short scale, thin body, and large sound hole. They are moderate in volume, comfortable to play, and reminiscent of days gone by.They made their mark with their popularity at it's height around the turn of the century. Of course, within these varieties there lies even more variations and hybrids.

What gives an Acoustic Guitar It's Tone?

Just like individual people, each guitar has it's own sound. Of course, There are things that make a guitar fit into a certain tonal category. The wood used to make the guitar defines what the essence of the guitar voice is, along with body shape, inner bracing tactics used, and the style of strings selected all having a part, as well.

What kind of woods should you be looking for?

If you like deep rumbling bass and smooth mids, you would be happy to consider a guitar with a mahogany back and sides. If you like well rounded bass, punchy mids, and bright highs, check out a guitar with a rosewood back and sides. A guitar with a maple, koa, or cherry back and sides will be generally bright and crisp, with ringing highs.

The guitar top will generally be spruce. Sometimes the variety of spruce will be indicated, such as Engelman spruce, Sitka spruce, or Adirondack spruce. At times luthiers opt to use other species of wood for the top to change the tonal style of the guitar, and they will match the variety to compliment the voice of the wood chosen for the back and sides. Some variations used for the top are cedar (red or white, but more often red), and mahogany, among others. There are even some graphite topped guitars, and tin topped guitars out there.

Is String Selection Important?

Selecting guitar strings is as personal as choosing a new pair of sneakers. Light gauge strings are exactly that...smaller in diameter, a bit more bright sounding, easier to bend and manipulate, and always the right choice for your antique guitar, or guitars with notably thin tops, weak bridges, or cracked tops. You will undoubtedly try different gauges and brands as you continue in your playing.

What manufacturers should I trust?

Some of the most desired brands on the market are pricey, but well worth it. Names to consider when shopping for a quality instrument are some of the classic builders like Martin, Gibson, Taylor, Guild, and Yari. These will easily price into the thousands of USD, but there are some fine guitars that play like top end for much less. You would be surprised by the quality of sound, playability, and athstetics of name brands like Carvin, Court, Seagull, and some of the mid-grade Yamahas and Alvarez guitars for under a thousand dollars.

It is up to you to find the one that makes you happy!

It will take some review reading, a little web surfing, some intuition, and a whole lot of guitar shop visits to find the one slab of wood that makes you the happiest. Don't settle for the first one you try...make your rounds, and bring someone with some guitar experience along with you for the best success. Don't be shy about strumming away and asking questions, after all, it is a big investment when it comes to buying a new guitar. All in all, it's up to you to find the one that makes you happy!