8 TIPS FOR BUYING ACCOUSTIC GUITAR Pete Prown is the leader of Guitar Garden ,
which has several CDs to its credit , as well as a veteran guitar journalist . He also writes fiction , available at peteprown . com
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Cutaway or Non-cutaway ?
The Shapes of Things
Acoustics come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes : dreadnought , concert , orchestra , parlor , jumbo , and more . This is handy because guitarists come in all shapes and sizes ! A player with big hands might prefer a wide nut width and beefy body , while a petite picker needs a more diminutive shape and shorter scale ( the distance from nut to bridge ). A standard acoustic is the thickwaisted dreadnought , which projects a big , bold tone , and is often preferred by musicians who play in all-acoustic situations like folk or bluegrass . Concertand orchestra-style bodies have thinner waists and bigger hips for a more subtle tone , while parlors are small-bodied and project less bass ( i . e ., for playing in small rooms ). Big-body “ jumbos ” should deliver a big bang of bass .
These are basic guidelines and everyone ultimately has different tastes . In fact , people even hear different things in any given instrument . So the best thing to do is to plop down at a local shop and try many different types until you get a sense of what body shape gives you the tone and fit that you ’ re happy with .
On the surface the definition of a cutaway is a nobrainer : the builder has cut away part of the body for increased upper-fret access and shredability . But many traditional players feel that this , right or wrong , diminishes tone and bass frequencies . While there are arguments for both sides , you have to get a feel for what you prefer . Note : If you ’ re playing through an amp or PA system , whether or not there ’ s a cutaway is less of an issue .
That said the best acoustic guitars generally don ’ t have cutaways – be it a vintage Martin D-18 , Gibson Hummingbird , or other fine luthier-made masterpieces . Just sayin ’.
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Bolt-On vs . Built-In Necks
Acoustic guitars traditionally feature a built-in “ dovetail ” neck glued into the body joint . About 40 years ago , Taylor upended the acoustic world with bolt-on necks , as you might find on certain solidbodies . Today it ’ s merely a choice-point . Both styles yield fine results . Often , old-school players want the glued-in build while modernists prefer the speed of bolt-ons . Either way it ’ s really more about the player ’ s experience . If you pick up the acoustic , like its tone and playability , then the bolt-on vs . built-in argument is null and void .
Advice : there are bigger things in the world to worry about than the method of neck-joint construction . Tone and playability are far more important .
54 DIGITAL EDITION JUNE / JULY