As we near Christmas, New Year and the Back-to-School season, more and more people are considering buying an acoustic guitar in Perth for family members, friends and themselves.
If that sounds like you, well done on this excellent decision! Acoustic guitars are an instrument that have been loved all over the world for many years due to their portability, incredible versatility and use across multiple genres and styles of music.
If you are unsure of where to start when purchasing an acoustic guitar, here are some things we think you should consider:
Steel strings vs nylon strings
Acoustic guitars typically have six strings, with these strings either being steel or nylon.
Nylon strings are usually used for classical and flamenco music as they provide a warmer and mellower sound, while steel strings are commonly used for playing country, rock, pop, folk and most other styles of music.
Acoustic guitars with nylon strings are traditionally played using the fingerstyle technique (without a pick), while acoustic guitars with steel strings can be played with picks or your fingers.
Nylon string guitars are constructed quite differently to steel string guitars thus you can’t put steel strings on a guitar built for nylon strings!
Decide on a body shape
The body shape of your acoustic guitar, like most other things, has a significant impact on the sound of your guitar. Some popular body shapes for guitars with steel strings (from smallest to largest) include Parlour, Concert, Auditorium, OOO, Dreadnought and Jumbo.
- Parlour Guitars have a small and compact body shape that works best for fingerpicking styles.
- Concert Guitars have a highly popular, medium-sized body shape, which are great for players wanting a smaller size and can be popular for people just starting out as well as seasoned players.
- Auditorium Guitars (sometimes referred to as Orchestra Guitars) are another mid-sized guitar that have a thinner waist than a dreadnought.
- Dreadnought Guitars are large guitars that have great projection and a booming bass. Named after the big British battleship HMS Dreadnought and at the time this was a guitar with bigger body thus giving greater projection and a booming bass
- Jumbo Guitars are another big style of guitar, larger than a dreadnought, and are often associated with country and rock styles of music.
There are different/more particular maker’s styles for nylon guitars. Stay tuned for more information on this!
What is the construction and material?
Acoustic guitars are made from either solid wood or wood laminate and the wood used can have a significant impact on both the price and sound of your instrument. Some popular woods used to construct guitars with steel strings include Spruce, Mahogany, Maple, Koa and Rosewood while some popular woods to construct guitars with nylon strings include Spruce, Cedar, Mahogany, Ziricote, Pau Ferro, Cocobolo and others.
Does the guitar require a pickup?
A pick up is a device that can capture the vibrations produced from the guitar and convert them into an electrical signal that can be amplified and recorded. Acoustic guitars often use a piezoelectric (or piezo) pickup but can also use a microphone or a blend of the two. Beneficially they can often be installed at a later date.
How we can help
Here at Zenith Music, we stock a wide range of acoustic guitars in Perth, including parlour guitars, concert guitars, orchestra guitars, dreadnought guitars, jumbo guitars and more!
We stock a wide variety of well-known and trusted brands such as Guild, Gibson, Martin, Fender and Blueridge, as well as quality guitar accessories that can help you care for your guitar and enhance your sound.
Feel free to browse our diverse product range online, give us a call on 08 9383 1422 to speak with one of our friendly and expert staff or visit us at 309 Stirling Highway, Claremont, 6010. Our business hours are Monday - Friday 9 am - 5:30 pm and Saturday 10 am - 5pm.