There are a number of reasons to choose an acoustic guitar over electric. Acoustic guitars are easier to play for beginners and can be played almost anywhere. Electric guitars are obviously limited to areas with an electrical outlet to plug in the amplifier. Also, acoustic guitars are generally less expensive than their electric counterparts. Even if the guitar itself is the same price, you will save money by not having to purchase an amplifier.

The first thing to do is decide on the size of acoustic guitar that is best for you.

Of course, your physical size determines how large or small a guitar you can comfortable play. Within those limits, there are several sizes that will probably fit you, so the decision then becomes what type of sound you want from your acoustic guitar. Look at the size of the nut as this also indicates the width of the neck. If you have smaller hands, you may need a narrower neck to be able to reach all of the notes. Remember that the width of the neck goes up as you move upward, so be sure to test out the fit of our hands in all places along the neck.

The type of wood used in the construction of the acoustic guitar can affect the tone it produces.

The most common woods are maple, mahogany, or rosewood. Spruce gives the most balanced tone, which is why it is used on most of the popular steel-stringed models. Maple is the next most balanced tone, a little bit mellower than that produced by a spruce acoustic guitar. Rosewood instruments have a heavier, darker, tone, almost like a bass guitar. Classical guitars are generally made out of cedar and give a somewhat brighter tone. Another popular choice for guitar construction is koa wood, which produces a heavy tone that is still a bit lighter than that of a rosewood guitar.

Decide on the thickness of strings for your acoustic guitar.

Different models may come with different gauges of string, so you may want to ask if the strings can be switched out without affecting the guitar's tone. The standard string gauges are heavy, medium, light, and extra light. Along with affecting the sound, the string thickness may also need to be switched according to the size and strength of your hands. Thinner strings are easier to press down on the neck, but also do not give the full sound of thicker strings.

After you have picked out your new acoustic guitar, you will probably need a few accessories before you can get started. It is a good idea to purchase a guitar case to protect your investment. This is especially important for hollow-bodied acoustic guitars as they are much more vulnerable than a solid electric guitar would be. Another popular guitar accessory is a strap to hold the instrument while you play. This is almost mandatory if you will be playing your guitar standing up. Also, remember to get a selection of guitar picks before leaving the store. Picks come in different sizes, thicknesses, and materials, depending on the strings you have and the type of music you will be playing.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-08 05:21:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Brief History of Guitars One of the most widely recognized musical instruments is the acoustic guitar. It is an instrument that has roots deep in history, and is played many different ways. There are many varieties, in four, six, seven, eight, ten and twelve strings, although six is standard. Guitars are used in many......
• Confused About the Difference Between a Fiddle and a Violin? Basically, a violin is just a more specialized type of fiddle. A fiddle can be any type of stringed instrument that is played with a horsehair bow. The main distinction between a fiddle and a violin generally refers to the different styles of music played on each. Fiddles are more......
• A Look at the Lyre The lyre is a type of stringed musical instrument that is well known for having been used widely in classical antiquity as well as later on. The recitations made by the Ancient Greeks were often accompanied by playing the Lyre. The Lyre known of in classical Antiquity was typically played......
• Construction of the Acoustic Guitar The construction process and materials behind the acoustic guitar involves a number of crucial considerations because the quality of the sound as well as the type of sound are both at stake if the guitar is put together incorrectly or using materials of a poor caliber. While some acoustic guitars......
• What are Acoustic Guitars Made Out Of? There are a number of different materials that are used for the purpose of constructing guitars. Let us take a look at a few of them. Mahogany When this wood is used as a guitar top, it has a low velocity of sound as compared to other woods, good density,......

Related Websites

• Introduction to Bass Guitar Tablature A guitar tab, or guitar tablature is a system of letters, symbols, notations and other visual representations that dictate how music should be played, rather than following traditional musical notation. Guitar tablature gives directions to the bass player or guitar player regarding how they should play a musical piece. What......
• The Electric Acoustic Guitar Review Facts and popular musical uses in this review of information for the electric acoustic guitar will have you wanting to purchase one. The difference between a normal acoustic guitar and the electric acoustic guitar is how the sound is produced. The acoustic guitar has a hollow body and uses the......
• Musical Instruments Bass When some people hear the word bass, they immediately think about the bass guitar, a popular instrument in many types of music today. However, there is actually a large number of different instruments that fall under the base category, and the bass guitar is only one of them. Bass instruments......
• What is a Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle? A PHEV (Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) is a vehicle that has batteries on board that can now be charged via the standard household electrical outlet. PHEVs still have the internal combustion engine and the batteries they were manufactured with, they have just had that one modification made. Plug in......
• Solar Panels - Learn How Solar Energy Can Help You Save the Environment Nowadays , most people want to save money on their electricity bills and one of the more famous methods is through using solar energy. So how exactly does solar energy function? Power coming from the sun in the form of heat and light is abundantly available to everybody on......

Online Stores

• Electric Violin String Musical Instruments
• Acoustic Guitar Strings Musical Instruments
• Right-Handed Acoustic Guitar Musical Instruments
• Ibanez Acoustic Electric Guitar Musical Instruments
• Washburn Right-Handed Acoustic Guitar Musical Instruments

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, Buyer's Guide, Guitars

Tags:

acoustic guitar, amplifier, bass guitar, classical guitars, electric acoustic guitars, electric counterparts, electric guitars, electrical outlet, guitar construction, little bit, mahogany, mellower, models, money, rosewood guitar