Acoustic Guitar Body Styles

Acoustic guitars are available in a number of different shapes and body styles. Here, we are going to briefly discuss the most popular options and explain some of the differences between them. Remember, this is not meant to be a comprehensive study or buyers guide. Rather, it is some basic information that a newcomer can use to get familiar with what is available and recognize some of the basic terminology.

The Dreadnaught is the most common body style and is the shape that most of us think of whenever the word guitar is mentioned. As sizes go, it is between the largest and smallest guitars and is generally considered to be quite comfortable for most players.

Moving up in size, the Jumbo body style has highly exaggerated upper and lower bouts and is physically quite a bit larger than a Dreadnaught. While its tone can be described as huge and loud with a booming bottom end, some players will find it too much to reach around for comfortable playing.

For players who want the big sound of the Jumbo but dont want to deal with the over-sized body there is the Advanced Jumbo. The curves of the upper bouts (or shoulders) are sloped in a way that makes the Advanced Jumbo feel smaller and hence more comfortable to play. The illustration below shows the difference in size/proportion between several of the most popular styles.

Toward the small end of the spectrum is the Concert size or Folk size instrument. While the overall shape of this guitar is similar to a Jumbo, the actual size is smaller in both width and depth. This significant size difference makes the Concert/Folk size comfortable for even the smallest of adult players.

The Classical guitar is the smallest of the bunch and its differences dont stop there. Designed for nylon strings that have a much softer feel than steel strings, the Classicals wide, flat fingerboard is not appropriate for all types of music.

A few manufacturers have come up with designs of their own that vary from the universal shapes mentioned above. Among them are Takamines NEX body and Taylors Grand Symphony and Grand Auditorium designs. There are others as well.

So, the choices are many and there are even more options when you consider brand name, price point, electronics, cutaways etc... When it comes to deciding on a favorite for you, things neednt be complicated. Choose based on the instruments feel and how pleasing it is to your ear and youll end up with the right guitar.