Choosing an Acoustic Guitar

Buying an acoustic guitar can be a daunting task for those with little or no experience with the instrument. Whether you are an experienced electric guitarist or an absolute beginner looking to start playing acoustic, chances are you aren't really sure what to look for in an acoustic instrument. With nearly limitless choices in price, woods, size, style, electronics, and more, a bit of guidance can go a long way toward helping the aspiring acoustic guitarist decide what he or she would like in an instrument. Having personally spent a great deal of time trying to find the right instrument for myself over the course of a decade, I would like to offer my perspective on choosing an instrument based on what kind of music you intend to play.

Knowing what kind of music you would like to play on the acoustic guitar goes a long way in helping you decide which style of guitar might work best for you.  Most types of music that feature acoustic guitar playing have a preferred style of guitar that has been used by many performers in the genre. Often, the reason for this is that a certain sound works better for some styles than others. Lets take a look at each of the available types of acoustic guitars within each genre of music.

Bluegrass And Related Styles

For example, in bluegrass and related genres, a large "dreadnaught" style guitar, such as the classic Martin D-28, is the preferred choice of many performers in the style. This type of guitar is designed to produce a good amount of acoustic volume along with having a tone that places emphasis on the bass range of the instrument, both of which are important for providing the powerful rhythm accompaniment so essential to the bluegrass style. Though the Martin D-28 is the gold standard model for this genre, the "dreadnaught" body type found on this guitar also happens to be the most popular acoustic guitar design, meaning that many manufactures offer similar sounding instruments at a variety of price points.

Fingerstyle

For those interested in playing music more focused on fingerstyle playing, including folk, acoustic blues, and solo fingerstyle guitar, a smaller bodied guitar, such as an "OM," "000,"  "00," or smaller body size is often preferred for these styles.  The main benefit of the smaller body size, other than playing comfort, is the fact that smaller bodied guitars tend to have a more balanced tone; that is, compared to a large bodied guitar like the aforementioned "dreadnaught," these guitars are neither overly bassy sounding nor are they overly bright sounding. The clarity of sound that results from this design is what makes them ideal for the genres they are most often used in. These types of guitar are VERY versatile; you can hear them being used in everything from country to pop, with a pick or fingers. I even personally used one for playing jazz for a few years.

Another Side Of The Blues

Perhaps the haunting, metallic sounds of players like Son House or Bukka White are what you seek as a blues player. If this is the case, you may want to look for a resonator guitar. These metal bodied instruments were popular in the 1920s and 1930s for one obvious reason- they are LOUD. There are two main types of this guitar you will run into: the single cone and the tricone. The "cone" is a speaker shaped device made of spun aluminum and acts as an amplifier for the strings. Single cone guitars are both less expensive and more suited for blues playing; they tend to sound more punchy and "in your face" than their tricone cousins, which have a sweeter tone often associated with early Hawaiian and jazz music.

Classical, Flamenco, and Brazilian

If you are interested in playing Classical, Flamenco, or traditional Brazilian music, you will probably prefer a nylon string guitar. Keep in mind, though, that there is no one "nylon string guitar." The majority that you will encounter will either be designed and built for classical playing or for flamenco playing. The main differences here are in wood choice and construction. Classical guitars are almost always more heavily built than flamenco guitars, hence the often richer, sweeter tone. Flamenco guitars also have a few other unique additions, including the "golpeador," a pickguard attached to either side of the strings on the body to prevent wear and tear from the often vigorous and intense flamenco playing style.

Jazz, Swing, And Gypsy Jazz

For acoustic jazz guitar styles you'll find two different instrument designs that are popular with each school of playing. For swing and early big band playing, the guitar of choice is an archtop. With its elegantly carved cello like body and F shaped sound holes, this type of guitar is an icon of the 1920s through the 1940s. Modern versions of this type of instrument are hard to come by, with only two companies (that I am aware of at the time of writing) making instruments of this type for under $2000.00. Most people are familiar with the electrically amplified version of this type of guitar, but those are not acoustic instruments.

The other type, the gypsy jazz guitar, is easier to find, still being produced by a variety of manufacturers. This type of guitar was made famous in the 1930s by Django Reinhardt, one of the most famous jazz guitarists of all time. This design, like that of the archtop's, is simply a different approach for making a louder guitar prior to the advent of amplification.  It is surely due to the perennial popularity of the style of music Django pioneered that instruments of this type have remained easily available.

Guitars For Rock And Pop

So what about guitars for rock and pop music? This is where choosing an acoustic guitar becomes purely a matter of player preference, as there is no single classic design used in these genres. A more important factor here is the inclusion of good electronics on acoustic/electric guitars so they can be used on stage at loud volumes. Probably one of the most popular manufacturers of this type of guitar for the past twenty years or so is Taylor. These guitars are good sounding acoustically, and the on board electronics on most models offer good amplified tone. There are many acoustic electric guitars available from a wide variety of manufacturers at different price points.

Choose What YOU Like

There are many other things to consider when buying an acoustic guitar, including wood, presence or lack of electronics, price, and more. Hopefully this guide has helped point you in a general direction towards the type of guitar that might suit your favorite type of music. Remember though, you can use ANY of the guitar styles mentioned here in ANY type of music. That part is up to you and your ears to decide. Good luck on your search, and have fun getting started on the acoustic guitar!