Acoustic Guitars

Electric guitars and amplifiers are a wonderful thing! But if you want to focus on the real core of playing the guitar, the western guitar is the perfect instrument! Whether cheap or expensive, with pickup and cutaway or simple and undiluted: the western guitar is the purest acoustic extension of the musician imaginable.

Finding the right model

Which model is the right one, solely depends on the players level, and on the desired area of application. If you want to take your first steps on the acoustic guitar, an affordable model without cutaway or pickup is sufficient. Especially for beginners, one question arises: classical guitar or western guitar? The answer to that question depends on the style of music you want to make, and the sound you want to achieve. The musician’s age is an important factor as well! Especially for children, a concert guitar offers the easier introduction to guitar playing - thanks to the nylon strings. A tip in advance: you can always buy your western guitar, concert guitar or whatever instrument at Amazon. But if you seek personal advice, and you want to have a contact person in case of problems, you are better off at the specialist shop. By the way, if you prefer ordering online, there are very good online shops, where beginners or parents will be excellently advised! There you´ll find well-known brands, such as Yamaha, Fender, Ibanez or Framus, as well as more exclusive guitars.

Western guitar or classical guitar?

Who is the target group for a western guitar – one of the two large groups of acoustic guitars? It´s clearly every acoustic guitar fan who likes bands or artists who use western guitars, be it rock, pop, country, blues or singer-songwriter. In these genres, western guitars are widely used. And no matter whether they come from Yamaha, Fender, Ibanez or Framus, they all use so-called steel strings – in contrast to the nylon strings on the classical guitar.

The most important designs

And which model or design is the right for you? In addition to the look and playing comfort of the guitar, you clearly begin to move into the world of acoustics and sound by answering that question. And once again, it helps to take a look at your musical idols. These are most important designs of the western guitar:

- Dreadnought, sometimes referred to as Dreadnaught: a very large acoustic guitar with a rich sound. Especially suitable for chord accompaniment and louder music styles such as rock or pop. The company Martin Guitars is the originator of this design. You can find dreadnought models here:

- Jumbo: as the name suggests, this is the largest form among the western guitars. Not the best choice for smaller people, but very rich in sound and perfect for musicians, who perform on stage, only accompanied by the guitar - a model with cutaway and pickup can help here a lot! This design was established by Gibson in the 1930s.

- 0, 00 or 000: These are very similar types of western guitars, which are also sold under names such as Concert, Grand Concert or Auditorium. They are slightly more compact in sound and size, compared to a dreadnought or jumbo, but perfectly suitable for finger picking, melody playing or quieter sounds. Again, Martin Guitars drove the development from the middle of the 19th century.

In addition to these important classics, many new modifications of these designs exist, which are offered under various names. If you are not sure, which model is the right one for you, visiting the local guitar shop, or contacting the online shop of your choice, might be a good idea! There, you´ll get the important advice that Amazon does not offer.

Pick or fingers?

And while we're on the subject of sound: a cheap way to shape your tone and improve your playing, is to choose the right plectrum, or the decision whether to play your guitar with a pick, with your fingers, or using both (often referred to as Chicken Picking or Hybrid Picking). Western guitars are often played with a plectrum, while classical guitars (concert guitars) are almost exclusively plucked with the fingers. Flamenco players, on the other hand, use their fingernails intensively, to achieve these loud and percussive sounds.

The wood makes the music

In addition to the body shape, the material used is a decisive factor for the sound, and with western guitars, that´s most importantly the wood. Even more than with the electric guitar, this natural material determines the sound that the guitar delivers. For the body, wood such as spruce, maple, mahogany or cherry is used. While plywood is used very often for the more affordable models, guitarists who care for sound details, rely on solid wood, which vibrates better, and thus sounds better. For the fingerboard, mostly rosewood (and various subspecies) is used. Maple can be found sporadically, while ebony is mostly used for more exclusive builds. While the wood certainly has an influence on the look of the acoustic guitar, its importance for the sound is immense as well! 

A question of accessories

Which accessories are useful for beginners on the acoustic guitar with the first purchase? A gig bag or a case for the safe transport, an electronic tuner and – if the model has a pickup – also a high-quality cables are indispensable. Equipped in this way, the beginner can start right away into the world of guitar playing! By the way, many brands like Yamaha, Fender, Ibanez or Framus offer the things mentioned above bundled as a set with the guitar, at an attractive price. That´s more than adequate for the start! Of course, there are plenty of other accessories - - but you can gradually acquire this as you dive deeper into the world of guitars.