There are many reasons that you may want a new acoustic guitar, you may be just starting to play guitar, require an acoustic for practicing away from your electric guitar or intend to either record or play live professionally at an upcoming gig. In each case, you have a decision to make and sometimes that can become very confusing as the choice is quite overwhelming.
To help you narrow down your choices and get the best acoustic guitar for your needs, here are 5 criteria that can help you quickly make your decision.
1.Playing Style: Acoustic guitars come in two broad categories by type of guitar string, nylon string and steel string models. You cannot interchange the two as they are specially designed for the tone, sound and string binding they reflect. Nylon string acoustics are often called "classical" guitars but may also be used for folk or even softer rock numbers such as the one Eric Clapton used on "Tears In Heaven". Steel string models provide more of a crisp, loud and resonating tone more reflective of country and mainstream rock players. If you know which string type you are looking for, you have the first part of your battle won.2.Playing Level: Are you a beginner, intermediate player or heading into professional territory where performing and studio work is important? You definitely want to take these factors into account. When starting out, chances are you are not recording (at least professionally) or playing live, so you can go with a more intro-level acoustic guitar. I ntermediate players have the widest choice with lots of great acoustic guitars in the $350-$1000 range and professionals are typically looking at acoustic guitars above $850. The biggest factors that impact cost of an acoustic guitar is the type of wood it is made from, the quality of the components such as the bridge, nut and gears, as well as the brand and how/where the guitar is made. As a beginner or intermediate, a guitar that is made of a rare wood and sells for $4,000 is not likely to make enough of a difference in the sound to impact your needs.
3.Tone, Sustain and Warmth: Guitar vary widely on their tone, sustain and warmth. Often this is due to a combination of the wood used (on the back, sides and face), the bridge and nut material as well as the shape of the guitar. Yes, guitar strings matter too...a heavier guage string will typically deliver a deeper tone with more warmth while thinner strings will be higher tone and more piercing. The good news is that there are several beginner and intermediate guitars in the $200-$400 range that have improved their tone and warmth tremendously over the last few years.
4. Acoustic only or Acoustic-Electric. If you intend to amplify your acoustic guitar either for purpose of playing in small groups or recording, then you want to look for an acoustic-eletric where the acoustic has been fitted with special pickups, a pre-amplifier and a place to plug in so you can connect the acoustic to an amplifier or mixing board for recording.
5.Budget: Regardless of your playing ability, decide on what your budget is. Acoustic guitars range in price from under $100 (I would largely stay away from these) right up into the tens of thousands with the vast majority of beginner models in the $100-$400 range, intermediate models in the $400-$1000 rnage and professional models above $850 and well into the thousands. If you haven't got the budget for what you want then consider looking at second-hand sources as most towns have second-hand music instrument stores or you can check online.
If you are a student of the guitar or passionate about guitar playing you will no doubt own several acoustic guitars over the next years, with the advice above you will now have the criteria to help you pick the right acoustic for your requirements at a given point in time.
Griffbrett Gitarre
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