Acoustic Guitars: Introduction and Basic Information

There is so much information about acoustic guitars online that we are just going to give you a no-frills basic guide here. You may wish to click our recommended links for more reading at the end of this article.

Acoustic guitars are simply guitars that produce their sound acoustically though the sound-hole and not electrically through magnetic pickups.

The 2 most main types of acoustic guitars are the classical and the steel string acoustic guitars.

Some acoustic guitars are equipped with small electret transducer pickups or “mini microphones” under the bridge, mated to an onboard small preamp equalizer unit so that they can be connected to an amplifier or PA system during performance, this does not make them an electric guitar, they are known as acoustic-electric guitars.

CLASSICAL
Classical Guitar: Strung with nylon strings (3 pure nylon thinner strings and 3 metal-wrapped nylon bass strings), this is also known as the Spanish Guitar.

Mainly used for playing classical music, this is the type you would use for the ABRSM graded classical guitar exams. Nylon strings also produce very nice mellow tones that can be used for rhythm playing in folk, latin, and pop music.

In Singapore, many places teach strum + sing using this type of guitar although it would be more appropriate to use the steel string acoustic guitar. Teachers explain that learners here find steel strings too painful for their fingers.

From Spain, there are also “Alto” (smaller body, brighter toned) and “Bajo” (bigger body, bassy tone) classical guitars used for classical guitar ensembles. Some local schools such as RI and NJC have classical guitar ensemble CCA groups.

We don’t carry classical guitars in our showroom. We only offer them for bulk purchase and hence the models we feature on our product pages are mainly beginner and intermediate level models. We do however have some nylon-strung slim body acoustic with pickup meant for playing jazz and pop music in a stage band.

STEEL STRING ACOUSTICS

Steel string acoustics are our main product line at the retail, as our main consumers are church-related players, strum & sing players and musicians.

Steel string acoustics are commonly available in 3 main body shapes:

1. Dreadnought ( Large)

2. Medium-Jumbo or Grand Auditorium ( Medium )

3. Grand Concert or “OM” or “OOO” ( Small )

The Dreadnought is so far the most popular as it produces the loudest volume with deep bass and clear trebles, great for strumming.Although the smaller shaped ones are more comfortable to hold especially for Asians, they are generally more popular with ladies and also with performers who must buy the cutaway version fitted with a pickup and EQ system.

Here is a link to view more acoustic guitar shapes at Taylor Guitar’s website:

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/features/shapesandcutaways/Shapes.aspx

WOOD TYPE

Guitar tops are usually made with Spruce or Cedar. The soundboard is the top piece and is the most important in determining the quality of an acoustic guitar’s tone.

Cheap guitars use laminate or plywood on the back, sides and top. As guitars get more expensive, “Solid Tops” made out of solid wood are being used.

The top end acoustics feature solid top, back and sides. Its best to purchase at least a sold top, since most of the acoustic guitar’s sound comes from the top wood.

Mahogany, Ovangkol, Maple and Indian Rosewood are commonly used for guitar back and sides and they all sound different. We recommend the 2 following links for a good read on guitar woods:

http://ezinearticles.com/?African-Timbers-Used-For-Acoustic-Guitar-Making&id=567227

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Articles/Guitars_Wood_And_Tone/

http://www.joelguitars.com/joel-guitar-wood.html

BRANDS, MODELS & WARRANTY

We usually offer Yamaha, CORT, Ibanez and Takamine guitars at our retail shop and depending on the shipment, different brands and models arrive at different times of the year but we always try to update our product page weekly so stock situations are updated as accurately as possible. Occasionally when we get a good deal on other popular makes such as Taylor, Alvarez, …etc, we will also update their availability on our product pages. One thing’s for sure, all our guitars are setup to the best playability at our guitar workshop before we present them on display.

Whichever brand or model we will, you can be assured that we have already picked the best price-performance combination for you the customers.

We choose our guitars very carefully for quality, good construction, durability, level of allowance for adjustments, ability to adapt well to our local climate, and most importantly value for money. After all, we package all our acoustic guitars with a 12 –month comprehensive warranty including all neck adjustments and even bridge uplift! No other music company in Singapore offers that kind of detail and dedication!

For a more thorough and complete guide to acoustic guitars, we recommend the following sites:

http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/acoustic/buying-guide.php

http://www.acoustic-guitars.net/

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Articles/Purchasing_An_Acoustic_Guitar/

Any questions regarding guitars can be directed to the following emails: raymond@luthermusic.com / info@luthermusic.com