Dreadnought Style Acoustic Guitar
called a western guitar, the Dreadnought is a big instrument with a full sound and a lot of bass. Ideally, dreadnoughts are loud guitars designed to accompany singers or fit into a wide range of musical idioms. For the average player, this is the right guitar.
Different styles of dreadnought guitars include the standard dreadnought constructed of a full range of guitar tone woods from common ones like mahogany and spruce, to woods that are rather exotic like Brazilian rosewood, lacewood or jacaranda. Some guitars don’t use wood at all. Instead, they are constructed of composite materials like carbon fiber. Using different materials in the construction of a guitar will contribute dramatically to the sound of the instrument.
12 String Dreadnought
The 12 string guitar is similar in construction and styling to the six string guitar. Although it has 12 strings rather than the usual six, the strings work in pairs tuned to the same notes; the first two pairs are tuned to exactly the same pitch while rest are tuned to the same notes one octave apart. This means that, although the 12 string has a fuller, richer timbre, the notes and chord shapes are the same as the standard six string. The additional string tension makes this guitar somewhat less than ideal for beginners. It’s a great strumming guitar, but note bending is nearly impossible.
Cutaway Dreadnought
Another style of dreadnother style of dreadnaught guitar has a cutaway to allow access to the highest register. The cutaway’s effect on the guitar’s sound is a subject for debate but, the reality is that, if you want to play those frets, you have to be able to reach them. The assumption is that there is a loss of bass response due to the decrease in internal volume. Again, a well made guitar will sound great anyway.
Parlor Style Acoustic Guitar
The term “parlor guitar” dates back to the days before recorded music where entertainment was conducted live and often in the parlors of those who were lucky enough to have them. Today, the term describes a size and style of guitar. Parlor guitars have smaller bodies than dreadnaughts and often are smaller than even classical guitars. Contrary to popular assumption, their reduced size isn’t intended to accommodate smaller players but, rather tler players but, rather to provide for a more even frequency response. In other words, bass, treble and all of the frequencies in between are the same volume. In an acoustically near perfect environment like a “parlor” or concert hall, this even frequency response is a must if the music isn’t to be overwhelmed with bass.
Often (in fact, usually), the neck of a parlor guitar is wider than that of a dreadnaught. Parlor guitars are often the choice of fingerstyle players. The wider neck better accommodates this style of player giving him/her more room to get individual fingers between the strings.
Anyone looking for a guitar would be well served to consider a good parlor style guitar. The mid frequencies of these guitars are punchy and pleasing making these instruments a good dhoice for all but the classical or flamenco player.
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