Music Sound

An acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the Classical guitar, but generally strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. Much heavier construction is required to withstand the added tension. Sometimes the term steel-stringed guitar or folk guitar is used to differentiate from the classical guitar. The term "acoustic guitar" is a retronym, since before the invention of the electric instrument, "guitar" meant only the non-amplified variety.

Playing an acoustic guitar without a pick (fingerpicking)

There are many different variations on the construction of and materials used in acoustic guitars. More expensive guitars feature solid wood tops (often spruce), sides and backs (often Indian rosewood, maple, or mahogany). Lower-priced guitars can combine solid tops with laminated backs and/or sides. Entry-level guitars are usually made entirely of laminated wood. Necks are generally made of mahogany (either Philippine or Honduras), and fingerboards are usually made of dense tropical hardwoods such as rosewood or ebony. The various combinations of the different woods and their quality, along with design and construction elements (for example, how the top is braced) are among the factors affecting the timbre or "tone" of the guitar. Due to decreasing availability and rising prices of the premium-quality woods, many manufacturers have begun experimenting with alternate species of woods or more commonly available variations on the standard species. For example, some makers have begun producing models with redcedar or mahogany tops. Some have also begun using non-wood materials, such as plastic or graphite. Most luthiers and experienced players agree that a solid top is the most important factor in the tone of the guitar, and that solid backs and sides can also contribute to a pleasant sound, although laminated sides and backs are acceptable alternatives. Some jazz players prefer laminated backs and sides (please see Guitar for more details on the construction of acoustic guitars).

Another style of acoustic guitar is the archtop guitar. This is most commonly used by swing and jazz players, and often incorporates electronics in the form of a pickup.

There are several prominent American makers of acoustic guitars. Martin, Guild, Taylor, and Gibson are known for both the quality and price of their instruments. The Selmer-Maccaferri Guitar is an unusual looking guitar played by Django Reinhardt style musicians, distinctive by its "D" hole or longitudinal oval soundhole.

The standard tuning for an acoustic guitar is EADGBE (low to high), although many players, particularly fingerpickers, use alternate tunings, such as "Open G" (DGDGBD), "open D tuning" (DADF#AD), or "Drop D" (DADGBE).

One variation on the standard acoustic guitar is the 12 string guitar, which sports an additional doubling string for each of the traditional six strings. This guitar was made famous by artists such as Huddie Leadbetter (a.k.a. Leadbelly), Pete Seeger, and Leo Kottke.

Throughout the 20th century the predominant forms of music played on the most common type of acoustic guitar (the flattop steel-string guitar) remained relatively stable and included acoustic blues, country, bluegrass, folk, and several genres of rock. In the last decade or two more intricate fingerstyle guitar music, rooted in classical music, Celtic music, and American styles and characterized by musicians such as Al Petteway, Alex de Grassi, and Pierre Bensusan, has become popular enough that several luthiers have been experimenting with redesigning the acoustic guitar. These flat top steel-string guitars are constructed and voiced more for classical-like fingerpicking and less for chordal accompaniment. Luthiers such as Kevin Ryan, Stefan Sobell, and George Lowden have increasingly focused their attention on the needs of fingerstylists and have developed unique guitars for this style of playing.