Choosing the right acoustic guitar can be overwhelming. Many factors affect price, sound and playability.
Tonewood selection has a significant effect on the sound of an acoustic guitar. Solid wood tops produce richer tones compared to laminated construction.
Be sure to try it before you buy! It is especially important for beginners.
Strings
Although other factors, such as body type and pickups, have a more significant effect on the overall sound of an acoustic guitar, the composition and gauge of its strings also have a considerable impact. There are several different types of acoustic guitar string sets available, and the right choice has a lot to do with your playing style and the genre of music you play.
The gauge is the first thing to consider when choosing a set of acoustic guitar strings. Higher numbers indicate that a line is thicker than lower ones. Thicker strings have more tension and require more energy to vibrate. They also produce a louder sound and may need to be tuned more often because they are more sensitive to humidity changes. Buy acoustic guitar here now.
Other considerations when choosing acoustic guitar strings include the core shape and type, whether they are round or hex, and the coating on them. Hex core strings have a hex-shaped wire core beneath the outer winding and are the industry standard. They offer an outstanding balance between tone and reliability and are an excellent choice for acoustic guitar.
Round core strings have a round wire core beneath the outer winding, offering a more traditional sound. They are typically more expensive than hex core sets but are highly durable and easy to tune. Round core strings can also have more sustain than hex core sets, but they can sometimes fall out of tune more efficiently, especially with lighter gauge strings.
Once you’ve chosen a basic set of acoustic guitar strings, try a few sets of each gauge from different manufacturers to dial in the feel and tone you’re looking for. When putting a new set of acoustic guitar strings on, properly seat them in the bridge – you should kink each line about 2-3cm from its ball end and then replace it with its peg so that the slot is facing the neck.
Pickups
You have several pickup options when it comes to amplifying your acoustic guitar. You can go with a piezo or transducer pickup that sits directly under your strings and captures the vibrational pressure changes or a microphone-based solution like the one used by acoustic guitar virtuosos such as Jake Bugg. Buy acoustic guitar here now.
Mic-based pickups are a natural way to amplify your guitar; some even incorporate a small microphone built into the instrument’s body (like the Mojotone NC-1). They’re more sensitive to sound – which can be good or bad depending on what you’re looking for – but also deliver a much more authentically “miked” tone.
Another type of acoustic guitar pickup worth considering is the under-saddle option. These use thin strips of sensory material placed underneath the bridge and work by responding to the vibrating surface of the soundboard instead of the strings themselves. They offer a brighter sound and fewer feedback problems, ideal for finger-style guitarists and classical players.
Many acoustic guitar pickups come with a preamp that allows you to shape the sound further, such as by adding effects or looping capabilities. The Mojotone NC-1 is an example, with a wide range of valuable features and a pristine sound that’s very easy to dial.
Some pickups can be tricky to install, so be sure you’re comfortable with some light tinkering. However, some are designed to be plug-and-play, such as the Fishman under saddle model, which requires no installation or alteration of the instrument. Alternatively, a passive soundhole pickup designed for easy installation is available from LR Baggs and the Shadow Quick Mount Classical Acoustic Guitar Under Saddle Pickup.
Construction
All guitars look the same to the untrained eye, but body styles vary and are essential to how each guitar sounds. To get a feel for the different types, you should listen to some of your favourite artists playing their music live, as this will give an idea of what sort of sound each type produces.
