A
steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of
guitar descended from the
classical guitar, but strung with steel
strings for a brighter, louder sound. They are often referred to
simply as
acoustic guitars, although strictly
speaking the nylon-strung classical guitar is acoustic as well.The
most common type can be called a
flat-top guitar to distinguish it from the
more specialized
archtop guitar and
other variations.
The
standard tuning
for an acoustic guitar is E-A-D-G-B-E (low to high), although many
players, particularly fingerpickers, use alternate tunings
(
scordatura), such as "open G"
(D-G-D-G-B-D), "
open D tuning"
(D-A-D-F -A-D), or "drop D" (D-A-D-G-B-E).
Construction
There are many different variations on the construction of, and
materials used in, steel-string guitars. The various combinations
of the different woods and their quality, along with design and
construction elements (for example, how the top is braced), are
among the factors affecting the
timbre or
"tone" of the guitar. Many players and builders feel a well-made
guitar's tone improves over time.
Styles
Acoustic guitars are commonly constructed in several different body
shapes. In general, the guitar's soundbox can be thought of as
being composed of two connected chambers; the "upper bout" and
"lower bout", which meet at the "waist", or the narrowest part of
the body face near the soundhole. The proportion and overall size
of these two parts helps determine the overall tonal balance and
"native sound" of a particular body style, the larger the body, the
louder the volume.
- A "00", "Double-Oh" or
"Grand Concert" body style is the major body style
most directly derived from the classical guitar. It has the
thinnest soundbox and the smallest overall size of the major
styles, making it very comfortable to play but also one of the
quietest. Their smaller size makes them suitable for younger or
smaller-framed players. These guitars are commonly called "parlor
steels" as they are well-suited to smaller rooms. Martin's 00-xxx series, and
Taylor's GC series, are common examples.
- A "Grand Auditorium" guitar, sometimes called
a "000" or "Triple-Oh", is very similar in design
to the Grand Concert, but slightly wider and deeper. Many GA-style
guitars also have a convex back panel to increase the volume of
space in the soundbox without making the soundbox deeper at the
edges, which would affect comfort and playability. The end result
is a very balanced tone, comparable to the 00, but having greater
volume and dynamic range, with slightly more low-end response,
without sacrificing the ergonomics of the classical style, making
these body styles very popular. Eric
Clapton's signature Martin guitar, for example, is of this
style. Taylor's GA and x14 series and
Martin's 000-xxx series are well-known examples of the Grand
Auditorium style.
- A "Dreadnought", arguably the most common body
style, incorporates a deeper soundbox, but a smaller and
less-pronounced upper bout (the area of the soundbox between the
waist and neck) than most other styles, giving a somewhat
wedge-shaped appearance, hence its name, relating to a class of
warship. The dreadnought style was designed by Martin Guitars to produce a deeper sound than
"classic"-style guitars, with very present bass fundamentals. The
body style's combination of small profile with deep sound has made
it immensely popular, and it has since become widely copied by
virtually every major steel-string luthier. Martin's "D" series such as the D-28 are
classic examples of the dreadnought.
- A "Jumbo" body style is bigger again than a
Grand Auditorium but similarly proportioned, and is generally
designed to provide a deeper tone similar to a dreadnought (the
body style was designed by Gibson to compete with the dreadnought)
but with maximum resonant space for greater volume and sustain.
This comes at the expense of being oversized, with a very deep
sounding box, and thus somewhat more difficult to play. The
foremost example of this style would be the Gibson J-200, but like the dreadnought, most
guitar manufacturers have at least one jumbo model.
Any of these body styles can optionally incorporate a "
cutaway". A cutaway guitar has a redesigned
upper bout that removes a section of the soundbox on the underside
of the neck, hence, "cutaway". This allows for easier access to the
frets that are located on top of the soundbox past the heel of the
neck. The tradeoff is reduced soundbox volume, and often a change
in bracing, which can change the resonant qualities and hence the
tone of the instrument.
Another variation on the standard acoustic guitar is the
12-string guitar, which sports an
additional doubling string for each of the traditional six strings.
This guitar was made famous by artists such as
Lead Belly,
Pete
Seeger, and
Leo Kottke.
All of the above guitars are relatively traditional in looks and
construction, and are all commonly referred to as "flattop"
guitars. Virtually all of these are commonly seen and heard in
popular music genres including
rock,
blues,
country,
and
folk. However, other styles of
guitar have been introduced and enjoy moderate popularity,
generally in more specific genres:
- The archtop
guitar incorporates a top, either carved out of solid
wood or heat-pressed using laminations, that is arched like
instruments in the violin family, usually
with f-holes rather than a round sound hole. These guitars are most
commonly used by swing and jazz players and often incorporate electronics in the
form of a pickup. However,
many other kinds of acoustic guitars may incorporate these kinds of
electronics as well.
- The "Selmer-Maccaferri guitar"
is usually played by those who follow the style of Django Reinhardt. It is an unusual-looking
instrument, distinguished by a fairly large body with squarish
bouts, and either a "D"-shaped or longitudinal oval soundhole. The
strings are gathered at the tail like an archtop guitar, but the
top is flatter. It also has a wide fingerboard and slotted head
like a nylon-string guitar. The loud volume and penetrating tone
make it suitable for single-note soloing
and it is frequently employed as a lead
instrument in gypsy swing.
- The resonator guitar or
resophonic guitar produces sound
with one or more metal cones (resonators) instead of the wooden
soundboard (guitar top/face). Resonator guitars were originally
designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars which were
overwhelmed by horns and percussion instruments in dance
orchestras. They became prized for their distinctive sound,
however, and found life with several musical styles (most notably
bluegrass and also blues) well after electric amplification solved
the issue of inadequate guitar sound levels.
Tonewoods
Traditionally, steel-string guitars have been made of a combination
of various "
tonewoods", or woods that have
pleasing resonant qualities when used in instrument-making.
Foremost is
Sitka spruce, the most
common and sought-after wood for the making of guitar tops. The
same wood is generally used for the back and sides of a particular
guitar; Brazilian
rosewood and American
mahogany are traditional choices, however
maple has been prized for the figuring that
can be seen when it is cut in a certain way (such as "flame" and
"quilt" patterns). A common non-traditional wood gaining popularity
is
sapele, which is tonally similar to
mahogany but slightly lighter in color and possessing a deep grain
structure that is visually appealing.
Due to decreasing availability and rising prices of premium-quality
traditional
tonewoods, many manufacturers
have begun experimenting with alternate species of woods or more
commonly available variations on the standard species. For example,
some makers have begun producing models with
redcedar or mahogany tops, or with
spruce variants other than Sitka. Cedar is also
common in the back and sides, as is
basswood. Entry-level models, especially those made
in East Asia, often use
nato wood, which
is again tonally similar to mahogany but is cheap to acquire. Some
have also begun using non-wood materials, such as
plastic or
graphite.
Carbon-fiber and phenolic composite materials have become desirable
for building necks, and at least one high-end luthier (
Composite Acoustics) produces a line of
all-carbon-fiber guitars, prized for their high stability in
changing climates that would cause wood instrument panels to swell
and shrink.
Taylor steel-string guitar.
Assembly
The steel-string acoustic guitar evolved from the nylon- or
gut-string classical guitar, and since steel strings have higher
tension, heavier construction is required overall. One innovation
is a metal bar called a
truss rod,
which is incorporated into the neck to strengthen it and provide
adjustable counter-tension to the stress of the strings. Typically,
a steel-string acoustic guitar is built with a larger soundbox than
a standard classical guitar. A critical structural and tonal
component of an acoustic guitar is the
bracing, a systems of struts glued to the
inside of the back and top. Steel-string guitars use different
bracing systems from classical guitars, typically using X-bracing
instead of fan bracing. (Another simpler system, called ladder
bracing, where the braces are all placed across the width of the
instrument, is used on all types of flat-top guitars on the back.)
Innovations in bracing design have emerged, most notably the
A-brace developed by British luthier Roger Bucknall of Fylde
Guitars.
Most
luthiers and experienced players agree
that a good solid top (as opposed to laminated or
plywood) is the most important factor in the tone of
the guitar. Solid backs and sides can also contribute to a pleasant
sound, although laminated sides and backs are acceptable
alternatives, commonly found in mid-level guitars (in the range of
US$300–$1000).
A unique construction method is that of
Ovation Guitar Company, which uses a
rounded one-piece composite plastic bowl for the back and sides of
virtually all of their guitars (the top and neck are usually still
wood, though newer models have introduced
phenolic necks). The resulting instrument is
relatively durable, and the materials costs and luthier's labor
drastically reduced, however the tone of such a guitar is different
from one with an all-wood soundbox.
Electronics, such as
pickup systems and electronic
tuners may be installed in modern instruments.
See Guitar for more details on the
construction of acoustic guitars.
Guitar Makers
Guitars can be factory-built or made in smaller operations focusing
on handcrafting and tailoring to individual customers'
requirements. The latter are often referred to as
luthiers.
There are
several prominent American
makers of
steel-string acoustic guitars. Martin,
Guild,
Taylor,
Washburn and
Gibson are known for both the
quality and price of their instruments. A recent newcomer, started
by former craftsmen at Taylor, is
Breedlove; other less-recognized but popular North
American luthier shops include
Larrivee and
Godin (both based in Canada). In Europe,
several steel string acoustic guitar makers have gained a worldwide
reputation, although their production output is small relative to
US and Asian makers.
Among the leading European brands are
Avalon (Northern Ireland
), Brook, Tanglewood (UK
) and
Lakewood (Germany
).
In East Asia, many prominent, quality brands have been introduced
to the U.S. and are popular with players of many skill levels.
Yamaha, which produces a large assortment of
musical instruments,
Morris,
Ibanez, and
Takamine, other
popular Japanese companies which specializes in guitar-making.
Alvarez Guitars, another quality brand, are made in China or Japan.
In addition, many traditionally U.S.-centered brands have
outsourced the production of their low-cost models to Asian firms;
Fender/Squier, Gibson/Epiphone and
Breedlove all own or contract with Asian factories
to produce many of their entry-level and even intermediate-level
instruments.
In Australia top-end guitars are manufactured by
Maton and
Cole Clark.
Amplification
A steel-string guitar can be amplified with a
- a microphone, possibly clipped to the
guitar body
- a detachable pickup,
often straddling the soundhole and using the same magnetic
principle as a traditional electric guitar.
- a transducer built into the
body.
In the last case, guitars are commonly called "acoustic-electric"
or equivalently "electro-acoustic" guitars, as they can be played
either "unplugged" as an acoustic, or plugged in as an electric.
The most common type is a
piezoelectric pickup, which is composed of a
thin sandwich of quartz crystal. When compressed, the crystal
produces a small electrical current, so when placed under the
bridge saddle, the vibrations of the strings through the saddle,
and of the body of the instrument, are converted to a weak
electrical signal. This signal is often sent to a pre-amplifier,
which increases the signal strength and normally incorporates an
equalizer. The output of the preamplifier
then goes to a separate amplifier system similar to that for an
electric guitar.
Specialised acoustic
guitar
amplifiers can be obtained which are designed to give
undistorted and full-range reproduction.
Steel-string guitar music and players
Until the 1960s, the predominant forms of music played on the
flattop, steel-string guitar remained relatively stable and
included acoustic
blues,
country,
bluegrass,
folk,
and several genres of
rock. The concept
of playing solo steel-string guitar in a concert setting was
introduced by such performers as
Davey
Graham and
John Fahey in
the early 1960s, who used
country
blues fingerpicking techniques to
compose original compositions with structures somewhat like
European
classical music.
Fahey contemporary
Robbie Basho added
elements of
Indian classical
music and Leo Kottke used a Faheyesque approach to make the
first solo steel string guitar "hit" record. Steel-string guitars
are also important in the world of
flatpicking, as utilized by such artists as
Clarence White,
Tony Rice,
Bryan
Sutton,
Doc Watson, and
David Grier.
Luthiers have been experimenting with redesigning the acoustic
guitar for these players. These flattop, steel-string guitars are
constructed and voiced more for classical-like fingerpicking and
less for chordal accompaniment (strumming). Some luthiers have
increasingly focused their attention on the needs of fingerstylists
and have developed unique guitars for this style of playing.
Many other luthiers attempt to recreate the guitars of the "Golden
Era" of
C.F. Martin & Co. Bill Collings, Marty Lanham,
Dana Bourgeois, Randy Lucas, Lynn
Dudenbostel, and
Wayne
Henderson are but a few of the luthiers building guitars
inspired by vintage Martins, the pre-World War II models in
particular. As prices for vintage Martins continue to rise
exponentially, upscale guitar enthusiasts have demanded faithful
recreations and luthiers are working to fill that demand.
See also
External links
References
-
http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/acoustic/buying-guide.php
Sweetwater Music - Acoustic Guitar Buying Guide
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