BEST ACOUSTIC GUITARS INFO
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All You Need To Know About The Acoustic Guitar – The different types, shapes and even some fun facts.
Guitars have evolved a lot since the time in history we assumed they existed. It is believed to be a native instrument of many countries in the world, and that just makes the instrument quite baffling.
This might be the reason why there are many forms of the instrument in the world today. However, it would be reasonable to have a glance at the history of the instrument before concluding on whatever hear-say fact we have heard.
HERE IS A LIST OF OUR TOP ACOUSTIC GUITARS FOR BEGINNERS
YMC 38" Coffee Beginner Acoustic Guitar Starter Package Student Guitar With Gig Bag,Strap, 3 Thickness 9 Picks,2 Pickguards,Pick Holder, Extra Strings, Electronic Tuner -Coffee
$46.95 in stock
Free shipping
Amazon.com
Features
- Perfect for Beginners and Students.Complete 38 Inch Acoustic Guitar Set in Coffee,Great gloss finish.
- Right-hand design,Linden Binding and Full Wood Construction with Chrome Geared Tuning.
- The steel string Guitar is perhaps the most versatile and common Guitar type and is featured in many different styles of music including Country, Jazz, and Rock.
- The set includes:YMC Vizcaya 38" Acoustic Guitar;Gig Bag;Guitar Strap; 9pcs ABS Picks(0.46mm 3pcs,0.72mm 3pcs,1.0mm 3pcs);Pick Holder(color maybe vary);2 Pickguards: Teardrop Shape(maybe already stick on guitar),and Hummingbird;A Full Set of Extra Strings(A set of 6 strings: E1,B2,G3,D4,A5,E6),and extra 2 thin strings (E1,B2);Electronic Tuner.
- The guitar is equipped with 2 strap button end pins , which can be easily and safely used by the player.
This beautiful YMC 38" Coffee Acoustic Guitar set is ideal for the beginning student.
The 38-Inch Acoustic Guitar is a small-scale acoustic guitar that is not only affordable,but designed with the beginner player in mind. The smaller size makes it great for children or those with a smaller build,and the dreadnought body has the looks and feel beloved by some of the greatest guitarists around.
The Acoustic Guitar has a loud and bright ringing tone that clearly projects to the listener.
The steel string Guitar is perhaps the most versatile and common Guitar type and is featured in many different styles of music including Country, Jazz, and Rock.
This steel string YMC Guitar is 38 inches in length and has a wood frame.
The Guitar also features linden binding and chrome geared tuning,easy of tuning and to keep the tuned strings held in position.
This Acoustic Guitar set also features everything you need to get started with your Guitar.
The set Includes:
38" Acoustic Guitar,
A Nylon Gig Bag...
LAGRIMA Acoustic Guitar Beginners with Guitar Case, Strap, Tuner & Pick Steel Strings (Blue)
Amazon.com
Features
- SIZE-38" Blue acoustic guitars is an ideal acoustic guitar kit for beginners, kids, teenagers & adults
- MATERIAL-Blue 38” acoustic guitar made to deliver fantastic sound with an all-wood construction, steel strings and a glossy smooth finish
- FEATURE-High Precision Knob & Metal and ABS material to ensure a solid tune,Surface coating design preventing fingers being hurt
- DIMENSION-Guitar Dimension: 38.6"L x15.4"Wx2.4"H; Small and lightweight guitar for easy learning
- GREAT STARTER KIT-This beginner guitar kit will supply everything a beginner guitar player needs, including guitar, gig bag case,picks, strings;If there is any questions please feel free to contact with us,our experienced customer service team will response in 24 hours
Unique blue ,you will love it at first sight.It is a ideal acoustic guitar for beginners.It is the ultimate starter kit for the musician in you. Crafted with all wood construction, steel strings as well as a gloss finish, and including a nylon carrying case for portability, an extra set of strings for replacement. The delicate acoustic guitar will be surely given you a real pleasure to play.
Specifiction: Style: Modern Type: Acoustic Guitar Color: Blue Material: Wood Product Size: 38.6"L x15.4"Wx2.4"H Package Content: 1 x nylon case 1 x tuner 1 x picks 1 x strap 1 x set of stringsFender FA-115 Acoustic Guitar Bundle with Gig Bag, Tuner, Strings, Strap, Picks, and Austin Bazaar Instructional DVD
Amazon.com
Features
- Everything you need to start playing straight out of the box
- Full-size dreadnought body for full and vibrant tone, suited for all styles of music
- 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays
- Rosewood bridge with compensated synthetic bone saddle
- Laminated spruce top
Everything you need to start playing straight out of the box. Bundle includes Fender acoustic guitar, gig bag, tuner, strings, strap, picks, Austin Bazaar instructional DVD, and polishing cloth. The guitar offers warm, vibrant, acoustic Fender sound in your hands at a great price with a choice of convenient and practical features that will have the beginning guitarist in your house strumming away in no time. All bundles are designed to include everything the beginning guitarist needs to get started on the right track. Whether it's to get the ladies or hang out and learn some of your favorite tunes, this pack is perfect for children and teens, as well as adults who are looking for a quality, inexpensive way to try their hand at a new hobby.
Jasmine S35 Acoustic Guitar, Natural
$99.00 in stock
8 used from $91.08
Free shipping
Amazon.com
Features
- Features a Spruce Top
- Laminated Nato back & sides.
- Satin Finish
- Chrome covered Tuning Machines
- Rosewood Fretboard
The best deal you'll find in a great acoustic guitar, the Jasmine S35 features a Spruce top and Mahogany back & sides with a satin finish. Contemporary styling and time-tested construction methods produce an instrument that is built to last and, most importantly, sounds powerful and clean on all strings, from treble to bass. Chrome covered tuning machines and a rosewood fretboard are also featured.
Yamaha FG830 Solid Top Folk Guitar, Natural
$289.99 in stock
3 used from $266.79
Free shipping
Amazon.com
Features
- Solid sitka spruce top
- Nato back & sides
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Rosewood bridge
- Diecast tuners
Rich overtones and improved sustain thanks to the rosewood back and sides deliver improved sound through greater depth. The appearance, with abalone inlay around the sound hole, is more luxurious and an obvious step-up.
HISTORY OF THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR
The acoustic guitar is a noble and ancient instrument. It has a history that can be traced back to more than 4,000 years ago.
There have been a lot of theories about the ancestry of the guitar, although the modern acoustic guitar is believed to have evolved from a long line of stringed musical instruments. One of these beliefs is that the guitar developed from the Vihuela – a medieval instrument, into the ancient lute.
Another belief is that the Gitterns were the first small sized guitar-like instruments during the Spanish middle ages. The gitterns at that time had a round back which was similar to that of the lute. Guitars that looked like the modern types today were not seen until the Renaissance era – this was the time the guitars took shape and size of the current modern acoustic guitar.
WHICH WAS THE 1ST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT TO RESEMBLE THE GUITAR?
The earliest instrument that has some resemblance with the modern guitar in terms of the structure was the Vihuelas, and this was within the Spanish musical culture. The Vihuelas were string instruments that were seen in the 16th century in the Renaissance.
Later on, the Spanish writers made a distinction for the instrument and divided it into two categories of vihuelas.
1. The vihuela the de arco is the instrument with more similarities with the violin.
2. The vihuela de Penola is the guitar that is played by hand or by using a plectrum. If you play it by hand, you would call it a vihuela de mano.
This vihuela de mano shared a lot of similarities with the Renaissance guitar because it was strum at the sound hole as the sound chamber created or amplified the sound.
The Six String Vihuelas
The categorization of the vihuelas continued until 1790 where a six-course vihuela was created. This type of vihuelas had six strings tuned in unison, and it became the main model of guitar used in Spain.
There old 5-course guitars were getting outdated and converted to 6-course guitars to meet the increasing demand. In the book of Fernando Ferandiere; Arte de tocar la gutarra espanola por musica (Madrid, 1799) described the standard Spanish guitar has an instrument seventeen frets and six strings.
Here the first two strings were tuned in unison and were called the terceras. These two strings were tuned in what we know as modern day ‘G.’ it was at this time the acoustic guitar began to resemble the modern day acoustic guitar that we know.
THE 1ST SPANISH GUITAR MAKER
In 1850, Antonio Torres Jurado the Spanish guitar maker made the form and structure of the modern guitar. He increased the size of the body of the guitar and altered its proportions. He also invented the breakthrough fan-braced pattern!
Bracing, today is the internal pattern of wood reinforcements that support and secure the top and back of the guitar to prevent it from collapsing under tension and help boost its sound. One can only say that Torres did a great job in terms of design.
His design improved the tone, volume, and projection of the acoustic guitar, and it has remained that way ever since.
WHO INVENTED THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR?
From the history of the acoustic guitar above, it is clear that the inventor of the modern acoustic guitar is none other than the Spanish guitar maker; Antonio de Torres Jurado.
He built the first acoustic guitar that we recognize today, and this was around the 18th century. No one knows whether the first guitar ever was from France or from Italy. All we know is that Torres Jurado turned them into the guitars we know today.
At the end of the 1930s, amps were invented and changed the game for acoustic guitars completely.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR FACTS
- Antonio de Torres Jurado is the father of the modern acoustic guitar known as the classical guitar
- The guitar became the most popular instrument in the world in the early 1900s.
- Classical guitars are usually the main instrument in a lot of genres such as blues, country, folk, flamenco, jazz, mariachi and soul.
- The guitar is the most commonly played instrument in the world, after the piano.
- The types of guitar include acoustic, renaissance, baroque, flat top, classical, twelve string, resonator, acoustic bass, dobro, etc.
- Capos are attached to the fretboard of acoustic guitars, and they are used to change the pitch of the guitar.
- Guitar picks are used to play acoustic guitars with steel strings, while guitars with nylon strings are played with the hands only.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR BODY SHAPES
The common shapes the acoustic guitars have are the:
✅ Range
✅ Dreadnought
✅ Parlor
✅ Auditorium
✅ Grand concert
✅ Jumbo
The Range is the smallest size acoustic guitar body shape.
It is called the mini-jumbo sometimes, and it is 3/4 times the size of the jumbo. It has a rounded back to improve its projection despite the smaller body. It is a great option for a player that can’t handle a largely sized guitar.
The Dreadnought is the classic body of the guitar.
It was styled by Martin Guitars to ensure it has a pronounced deep sound than most classical styled guitars. This guitar has a very resonant bass and has been used for over a century. It has a large body, but the waist is not as pronounced as that of the auditorium and concert guitar. This is why it is great at producing mid-range frequencies that easily cut through other instruments.
The Parlor body acoustic guitar
The Parlor body guitar has a small compact body and is known to have a punchy sound with a delicate tone. Its small body makes it very comfortable for small-sized players of the instrument.
The Auditorium body acoustic guitar
The Auditorium body is very similar to the dreadnought but has a highly pronounced waist. Its tones stand out more due to the shifting of its waist.
The Grand Concert body acoustic guitar
The Grand Concert body is a mid-sized guitar body and is not as deep as the other full-sized guitars. It has a full waist and has a fully controlled overtone. This is why it is often used in recordings – its sound projection is phenomenal.
The Jumbo body is the largest body shape on acoustic guitars.
Its size allows it to produce more punch and volume. This is why its low end is more pronounced than the other ends. It is designed to compete with and to produce deep tone like the dreadnought.
It is the innovation of the Gibson brand, and has more resonant space for a greater volume level and sustain. All these wonderful features are limited to its size because only large-sized players can handle it well.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR TYPES
There is a fine line between the modern and historical guitars, especially in their design and construction. This has led to the abundance of varieties of both the modern and historical guitars.
Here is a list of guitar types
Nylon or Gut – stringed guitars
Vihuela
Gittern
Romantic guitar
Baroque guitar
Flamenco guitar
Lute
Steel Stringed Guitars:
- Steel-string acoustic guitar
- Resonator guitar
- Twelve-string guitar
- Archtop guitar
- Battente Guitar
- Selmer guitar
- Lap Slide guitar
- Lap Steel guitar
- Parlor
- Lyre
Other type guitars:
- Pikasso
- Harp
- Banjo
- Contraguitar
- Acoustic bass
ACOUSTIC GUITAR AMPLIFICATION
In time past, the Classical nylon/gut stringed guitars had little or no projection and were not able to displace the banjo in terms of sound. However, there were advancements to help increase their volumes.
An acoustic guitar can be amplified by using different types of pickups and microphones. Although, one of the problems that the guitars faced was getting a lot of audio feedback. In the early 1960s, the parabolic bowls of the Ovation reduced the amount of feedback, and this increased the amplification of acoustic guitars.
Entering the 1970s, Ovation developed a thinner soundboard with composites of carbon with thin layers of birch laminates in its Adamas model. This model is reviewed as one of the most radical designs of guitars in history.
The Major Changes In the Guitar Design
It dissipated the sound-hole of the conventional soundboard into 22 smaller sound holes in the upper chamber of the guitar – this causes an increase in volume and a great reduction of the feedback during amplification.
Although, another method of reducing feedback is by fitting a rubber or plastic disc into the sound hole.
Guitars use pickups for amplification, and the most common types for acoustic guitars are the piezo and magnetic pickups. The piezo type is mounted under the bridge saddle of the guitar and is connected to the amp or mixer.
It is made by Baldwin and was incorporated into the body of Ovulation guitars instead of drilling it into the body manually. Combining the piezo pickup and the parabolic body of the Ovulation acoustic guitars helped the brand succeed in the market during the mid-1970s.
Today, acoustic guitars use pickups that have body sensors and systems that have an internal microphone on the body sensors.
Now that you know all about the acoustic guitars, you may also want to check out the following post about Acoustic Guitars For Beginners You can also visit our main homepage and see our wide collection of the various and leading musical instruments of the world.