In order to end up with the acoustic guitar best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of acoustic guitars are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a acoustic guitar.
Research the market: Acoustic Guitar essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the acoustic guitar market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Type: There are six main types of acoustic guitars: the dreadnought style acoustic, 12-string dreadnought, the cutaway dreadnought, parlor style acoustic, classical guitar, and the jumbo guitar. The dreadnought is recognized as the standard body type of most guitars. But you can also find the smaller parlor style guitar with its wider neck or the much larger body type and heavy bass tone of the jumbo guitar. The distinct sound of nylon strings sets the classical guitar apart from the others.
Construction: Rosewood, maple, and mahogany are some of the woods used in construction of the guitar body. The soundboard (top) of the guitar can be either solid or laminated wood (cedar or spruce); this can make a considerable difference in the overall sound quality produced by the strings. Types of tuning keys, style of bridge, and whether the neck has an adjustable truss rod which can provide support for the neck and protect it from warping or twisting are other things to consider.
Accessories: Customized fretboards with mother of pearl inlays, decorative headstocks, distinctive finishes, and alternate shapes to the sound hole and headstocks are available. Also, you can have extensive equalizer settings and built-in tuners on acoustic-electric models.
Extra accessories: Shoulder strap, extra strings, picks, and soft or hard shell cases.
Cost: Relevant factors like woods used in construction, body type, customized features, and presence of electronics can affect the price of any given acoustic guitar considerably. A standard dreadnought can be half or even a third of the cost of an acoustic electric with a cutaway and pearl inlays.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in an acoustic guitar. For example, will you use the acoustic guitar only for family sing-a-longs or are you studying the instrument?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I used an acoustic guitar before? |
| | If you have used an acoustic guitar, work out what you did or didn't like about the guitar. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| Why do I want an acoustic guitar? |
| | You might want to add to your band's sound. Maybe you just want to learn to play, or even create your own melodies for song writing. |
| How often will I be playing? |
| | Perhaps you intend to be playing gigs every weekend, or just whenever the mood strikes you. This might determine how much you will spend on the instrument. |
| What type of conditions will I be playing in? |
| | Whether playing in front of large crowds or smaller, more intimate settings, or even for your own pleasure; you may want an acoustic with built in equalizers. |
| How much do I want to spend? |
| | This is the important question for most of us. We are looking for the best acoustic guitar we can get for our money. |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of acoustic guitars and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
Video Links
Buyz123.com Research Links:About buying an acoustic guitarSoYouWanna buy a guitar? Buying an Acoustic Guitar Acoustic Guitars Buying Guide Purchasing an Acoustic Guitar What to Look for In An Acoustic Guitar How to buy a used acoustic guitar Building guitarsBuilding guitar bodiesBuilding Guitars How Acoustic Guitars Work How the guitar works How Acoustic Guitars Work Tuning Acoustic guitarsGuitar Tuning How To Change A 6 String Acoustic Guitar's Strings Types of acoustic guitarsRecommendations for Beginner Guitars. Top Five Beginner Acoustic Guitars Dreadnought vs. Folk and other Body Styles