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Acoustic Guitarby Philip Edwards
The Acoustic Guitarr
Trying to find the best acoustic guitar for a beginner can often be a daunting task. A visit to the music store, whether online or in person, can yield a confusing variety of acoustic guitars. With so many styles available, how does one choose the best guitar? Several factors need to be taken into account while investigating the inventory. One must consider musical style, shape or body type, size, sound and budget.
There are as many styles of music as there are of acoustic guitars. Heavy metal, hard rock and funk musical styles tend to use electric guitars. Jazz, country, bluegrass, some pop, and classical music genres used traditional acoustic guitars. It is recommended that the beginning guitar player initially learn to play on the type of guitar which is suited for softer styles of music. Once the basics are mastered, he or she can have the option to choose a different style to learn.
It is important to consider the body type or shape of an acoustic guitar. The back and sides of the guitar are made usually of Mahogany or Birdseye Maple while the top is made from other softer woods such as Sitka Spruce. Often the top is laminated, which makes it durable, but sometimes compromises the sound. If the top of the guitar has a light finish, it will scratch and ding easily. However, a guitar with a heavy finishing coat is more expensive than one with a light coat.
The only way a prospective buyer can truly get a feel for what he or she wants in an acoustic guitar is to pick one up, see how it feels, and listen to its tonal quality as it is strummed. Look at the neck and how the frets are placed along its length. Beginning from the tuning knobs, examine how the frets are spaced along the length of the fingerboard. If they are uneven, the guitar will never tune properly.
There are several different top quality manufacturers of acoustic guitars. These include Gibson, Taylor, Fender, Martin, Washburn, Alvarez, Takamine, Ovation and Ibanez. The guitars that these companies produce are known for their solid tonal qualities and distinguishable sounds. It is a matter of opinion as to which of these name brands are considered to be the best. It is trial and error to discover the one most suitable.
Many acoustic guitars have dual components which allow them to become electrified. A small box, also known as a transducer, is mounted underneath the saddle part of the guitar. This allows a plug from an amplifier to be connected to the guitar. One must keep in mind that this feature will often make the guitar more expensive.
The price of an acoustic guitar can be as little as a few hundred dollars or as much as several thousands of dollars. For the beginning player, one could expect to budget about $400-$500 to purchase his or her first guitar. Epiphone and Fender acoustic guitars are brands which fit into a beginner’s price range quite well.



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