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“I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it” -- Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin).
Acoustic guitar is the most beautiful musical instrument ever made. After a hundred years of exploration and designs, now we have large numbers of guitars and each provides a completely unique sound. The ideology of guitars started back in the 16th century. With time it has evolved in numerous ways combined with modern techniques and with more unique varieties.
It can be challenging to figuring out which one would work for you, so here is your ultimate guide for buying a guitar online from different wood types, body shapes, and more. This in-depth guide will help you to ease your process to buy an acoustic guitar online.
Why Play An Acoustic Guitar?
An acoustic guitar is a self-amplifying instrument. The body of a guitar acts as a large speaker cabinet, while different body shapes and sizes respond differently, producing a varied sound that suits different guitar players. Buying your guitar online depends on whether you are gigging out, at home, recording or looking for a collectable.
So let’s take a look at the few most common acoustic types which can help you to buy an acoustic guitar online
STEEL STRINGS ACOUSTIC GUITAR
This is the most common type you will see day to day. Steel strings give you much fuller and rich sound. It has the depth and clarity which works well with singers or songwriters.
NYLON STRINGS ACOUSTIC GUITAR
The oldest style by far, these can be found in different traditional and classical music styles. They work well for young children as it doesn’t hurt the fingers. Considered to be the best acoustic guitar for beginners.
ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Electro-acoustic guitar allows amplifying the sound of acoustic guitar with the help of guitar amplifiers or direct input to the PA system. Playing solo or in a group, you can make sure you’re heard well in the mix.
HYBRID ACOUSTIC GUITAR
It's not a very common type of guitar, but it does something amazing. Hybrid guitars incorporate both regular acoustic pickup as well as electric guitar pickup in the same guitar. It allows you to push your boundaries of a normal acoustic guitar.
12 STRING ACOUSTIC GUITARS
12 Strings guitars are mostly used in blues, jazz and folk music. 12 strings are paired up in six courses which produces an amazing natural chorus effect.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR TONEWOOD
The tonewood depends on what kind of music you like to play on your guitar. The top wood, the back, the sides, and the neck describe the overall tonality of the acoustic guitar. Tonewood can be responsible for only certain aspects of the tone of the guitar. The maker, the skills, the design and the quality of wood used in the making are also very equally important.
The lower cost guitars are made out of a selection of laminated wood, whereas expensive guitars get a solid top made out of a single piece. Laminated wood tops are glued one on top of the other to gain the same thickness as the solid top. The solid top will get you more resonant sound, as you only have one piece of wood there.
EBONY WOOD ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Ebony wood is strong and durable, it gives you a smooth feel and it is used most often in fretboards.
MAHOGANY WOOD ACOUSTIC GUITAR
This is mostly found on the back of the guitar and sometimes at the top. Mahogany has a very warm or mellow sound, it makes the small guitar sound massive. Works great for small guitars as it will give full sound without needing a jumbo-sized guitar.
MAPLE WOOD ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Maple wood is a very bright sounding wood suits the fingerpicking type. Normally used in jumbo-sized guitars on the top and sometimes on the back as well.
Rosewood is the most expensive piece of wood used in guitars. Rosewood is not too bright or neither dark it has a medium sound. It is also used on the fretboard.
Most commonly used wood in acoustic guitars, about 90%of guitars you see will have some kind of spruce top. Spruce tops are lightweight, strong, and has a flat frequency.
Walnut is an alternative to mahogany, it also prioritizes the midrange tones.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR SIZE & SHAPE
Acoustic guitars come in a variety of shapes and sizes, it can be a small travel guitar or huge concert guitar. The body of the guitar determines the sound and the tonality of the guitar.
DREADNOUGHT
Dreadnought is named after a large dreadnought battleship. This is large-bodied acoustic guitar first designed by C.F. Martin and Company. Dreadnought is also known as square-shouldered and round-shouldered models.
JUMBO
As the name suggests, these are the largest models you can see in acoustic guitars types. Famous for heavy-handed strumming. The jumbo guitar was popularized back in the 1930s and has been a staple for Rock, Pop etc.
CUTAWAYS
A contour on the upper bout of the acoustic guitar that allows easier access to upper fret. It has a smaller neck which makes it more comfortable for the player to play.
ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC
Making a choice between Acoustic and Acoustic electric is a very important decision. This decision really depends on how you plan to use your guitar. As the name itself says that this is the combination of two different types: acoustic guitar and electric guitar. They are equipped with pickups and preamps which can be plugged into the amplifier or sound system.
There are many benefits of having an Acoustic Electric guitar like, musicians can directly plug into an audio interface to record the song or you can avoid ‘room Noise’ etc.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR BEGINNERS
Electronics
If you are looking for an acoustic electric guitar, upgrade the pickup system of your soundboard by converting them into electric signals using a preamp. It affects the volume and tone control of your guitar. Some of the Electric acoustic guitars come with an inbuilt EQ system and guitar tuner.
Bridge & Fingerboard
Placed below the sound hole, the bridge is used to anchor the strings and transfer their vibrations to the soundboard. Whereas the fingerboard or fretboard is the playing surface of the guitar. This can determine your visual reference.
Aesthetics
Last but not least, the aesthetics of the guitar is equally important. From its intonation to marbling, every little detail is innate to the comprehensive aesthetic lucidity of your acoustic guitar. Study that well before paying a price for it.
Guitar Pick
The guitar pick is also called a plectrum. These help you to strum chords and play individual notes louder and faster than with just using your fingers. It's best to use a hard pick around 1mm thick. Paper thin picks are OK for lightly strumming chords but are too soft for playing individual strings accurately when playing melodies and arpeggios.0
Guitar Tuner
An electronic guitar tuner will help you to easily tune the strings of the guitar to the correct notes. The tuner will show a needle that will be placed in the middle when the string is in tune. Some tuners have a microphone to pick up the sound of the note while other clip-on guitar tuners attach to the guitar headstock and pick up the vibration of the string when it's plucked.
Metronome
This practice tool creates a steady beat or clicks to play with. There are many types from the old pendulum ones to electronic and software versions. Software metronomes are quite popular as they're often free and can be downloaded from the Internet onto your PC. They are also many free metronome apps for smartphones and tablets too.
CONCLUSION
For most of the players the best Acoustic Guitars for beginners are:
For Singers and Songwriters - Steel Strings Acoustic Guitar
For Classical and Spanish - Nylon String Acoustic Guitar
For playing in a Band - Jumbo Acoustic Guitar
For Versatility - Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
The Value of an acoustic guitar depends on the list of factors as in, where is the guitar made, how is the guitar made. If the guitar is handcrafted unlike other machine-made guitars, you would likely have to pay more. As for buying the best acoustic guitar for a beginner, the selection of wood affects the cost.
Now we have armed you with plenty of information, now the decision is up to you on which guitar will help you become the guitarist you want to be. Check out for the guitar which makes you feel comfortable and sounds amazing. Having this basic knowledge will make you much more prepared to sort through all options even if you are searching to buy an acoustic guitar online. Visit www.bajaao.com and have a journey through the wide range of acoustic guitars for beginners and beyond.
If you wish to seek for assistance on which guitar is the best for you and which suits your style of music, you can reach us at +91-22-61235399 or mail us at helpdesk@bajaao.com. Our Guitar experts will tour you to the different kinds of guitars you are looking for.
