Choosing Your Acoustic Guitar: The 2 Most Important Features

By: Art Gib

If you are a beginner who has been learning how to play the guitar and have decided that is a hobby you'd like to pursue more seriously, it is probably time to choose an acoustic guitar that will be with you for the long haul. You may have been learning on a cheap plywood model, which is just fine when getting acquainted with the workings of the instrument; but to really make beautiful music, you know you will need to invest in a quality guitar that will give you the sound you crave. The 2 most important features to look for when selecting from the thousands of available models are wood and strings. Here's a short look at each.Wood

Wood
You can always replace strings if they don't suit you, but you sure cannot change the wood once you've bought a guitar, so don't compromise in this area. The wood for a quality instrument has to be cut as well as dried properly or the sound will be inferior: it's as simple as that. So make sure you pay a little more to get the quality you want. "Tonewood" is the term for the material used for any string instrument's top, and different types will produce various qualities of sound. Since the sound you make by plucking strings results from the vibration against the top, the quality of the wood becomes vitally important.

Tonewoods for guitars can be made from mahogany or rosewood, but spruce is generally the material of choice because of its overall tone qualities as well as its durability. Within the spruce category, there are different types and grades: Sitka spruce from Alaska, for example, is prized for the looks of its grain as well as its uncompromising sound. Look for a guitar whose top is made from AAA grade Sitka spruce, and you won't go wrong.

Strings
Since you've been learning how to play already, you have probably developed a preference for certain string materials already. Nylon strings are good all-purpose tools that are appropriate for most beginners: remember you can always change your strings later if they don't suite the genre you like to play. Nylon works for softer music such as classical, folk, soft pop and even Latin music. Nylon is much easier on your fingers than steel, but you won't get nearly as powerful a sound as you will with other materials. If you gravitate towards rock or modern country, steel will probably be best.

If you are serious about making beautiful music, insist on a guitar that boasts only the very finest in tonewood: it will make all the difference in the world.

Author Resource:-> Alaska Specialty Woods (http://www.alaskawoods.com/) is about tonewood. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

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