Everything You Need to Know About Acoustic Guitars

Did you know that the history of the acoustic guitar dates back to 2000–1500 BC? There’s evidence that it was used in some shape and form in the Middle East, Asia and India. Over the years, it went through a lot of changes to get the instrument that we have today. Nowadays, the acoustic guitar is one of the most popular and widely used instruments all over the world.

What’s an Acoustic Guitar?

This is a type of instrument that belongs in the string category. It’s a fetter instrument that makes sounds through vibrating strings over a hollow chamber of the guitar’s body. The vibrations travel through the air on their own and don’t need an electrical amplification.

The hollow body does all the work, the sound box, to be more precise. The soundboard adds to the amplification as well. There’s a selection of responsive and user-friendly acoustic guitars you can choose from. They suit many different playing styles and skill levels.

Number and Types of Strings

When it comes to the number of strings, most of them have 6. There is one variation, and it’s the 12-string guitar. In this case, each string is doubled with another string. The purpose is to create the same sound but with a very rich chorus effect. These guitars can produce sound with fingers or with a pick. Which one you use depends on your personal preference, the music style and the guitar you’ll use.

These guitars can have 2 types of strings, nylon and steel. Nylon string guitars are made of hollow wood (most commonly spruce) and have a big sound hole. They also have a wide and flat neck which puts the strings wide apart. When played, they give a mellow tone and a strong resonance in lower frequencies.

Steel-string guitars are mainly used for folk, country, rock and bluegrass music. They have a similar body as the nylon ones but can often vary in size and shape. Every size has a name:

• Range;
• Parlour;
• Grand concert;
• Auditorium;
• Dreadnought;
• Jumbo.

Spruce is the most common top material, but some, like the resonator, are made of metal. Steel-string guitars have a narrower neck that’s often made of rosewood. Besides the standard steel strings, the strings can be made of aluminium or nickel. They create a brighter sound than the others.

Playing Styles

Strumming Chords

This is the most common way of playing an acoustic guitar. Strumming the chords means rhythmically playing the chords to accompany other musicians or a singer. All the notes are sounded simultaneously (almost every time) with a sweeping upward and downward movement of the hand.

Flatpicking

The goal of flatpicking is to create more intricate music than strumming chords by using a pick to play the guitar. Flatpicking involves playing chords and single notes in sometimes complex sequences. This allows a single flatpicking guitarist to deliver the sound of both melody and support. This is the way to play the guitar solo.

Fingerstyle

In this style of playing acoustic guitars, the musician uses the fingers instead of a pick. This gives you more control over the notes you want to play and how they sound. One person can play the bass notes, melodies and chords at the same time giving the audience a full performance.

Types of Woods They’re Made of

When you want to buy an acoustic guitar online, take note of the material it’s made of. The type of wood that’s used can make a big difference in how it sounds. Every part of the guitar can be made of different woods to give you the perfect combination for your tastes and music style.

Back and Sides

The density of these woods will determine the guitar’s vibrations and how it resonates. Lighter woods give softer tones, and harder ones create more sustain. Rosewood has greater density. It gives you warm and resonant tones. The sound and appearance can vary depending on the type of rosewood used: Brazilian, East Indian or cocobolo.

Mahogany provides a loud sound, pitchi mid-range and bright treble response. These guitars are good for studios. Sapele is similar to mahogany but it’s darker in appearance. Maple is very popular, looks amazing, has more sustain and a focused sound. Koa creates well-balanced tones and walnut will give you softer tones as time goes by. There’s also sycamore which is easy to handle but can absorb sound.

Tops

The top part of the guitar has a strong influence on the sound and its shape. Spruce and its many varieties are the main materials used for guitar tops. They have a classic, timeless look and nice patterns. It will give you a crisp and articulate sound you can use in many music genres.

Western red cedar has a beautiful dark colour. It will give the tones a darker sound and rich overtones. Mahogany tops have an emphasized mid-range and less harmonic complexity. Koa tops and soundboards have a gorgeous reddish colour and natural compression which allows the overtones to stand out.

Fretboards and Bridges

The wood used for the bridges and fretboards doesn’t have a major influence on the guitar’s sound, but it still can influence its melody. Rosewood is a common choice because it provides a warm and rich sound with tamed highs and nice overtones. Ebony is dark and high-density. It will give you a strong attack followed by a smooth and long sustain.

Richlite is very similar to ebony. It’s a composite material and has a black appearance. Granadillo is close to East Indian rosewood when it comes to looks and tones. Katalox is very nice to look at. It has sort of a purple tone and can vary in colour from dark to light. People often use it as a substitution for African Ebony.