Understanding the Acoustic Guitar

By | November 12, 2018
The body of a guitar has a nice shape for easy playing

Acoustic guitars adds a very rich sound when played solo or in a band. There are so many models of acoustic guitars by design but all have the same standard.

The acoustic guitar has tuning pegs, a nut, a neck, a fret board, strings, a bridge and a body. So, in case you want to purchase an acoustic guitar, the following tips will help you to chose the right acoustic guitar.

If you are a fan of Elvis Presley,  Bob Dylan, Jonathan Butler, Earl Klugh, Eric Clapton, or Vince Gill, they all had, or have, one thing in common and it is an acoustic guitar!

Why is it called an acoustic guitar? To simplify this, an acoustic guitar produces a full sound from the sound box without plugging the guitar into an amplifier. I will explain some features that are on an acoustic guitar.

Tuning Pegs

The purpose of tuning pegs (machine heads) is to wind or unwind the strings until they reach the right pitch. Most pegs are made to look shinny. This adds up to the beauty of the guitar. The tension of the guitar is determined by the pegs. This is where tuning the guitar is vital. Sometimes guitar strings can go out of tune due to the weather or just when they are wearing out. The tuning peg is turned anti clockwise to tighten the strings and clockwise to loosen the strings.

The Nut

A nut has slots where each string is slotted in. The nut can be considered as the first fret though it is made from ivory or hard synthetic materials. Each slot is made with precision so that every string fits exactly on its positions to avoid a buzzing sound. The nut also holds the strings so that they do not touch the strings. Otherwise, you will get a buzzing sound. There are six slots for six strings.

The Neck

The neck holds, the tuning pegs, the nut and frets. The neck is a long wooden piece where the frets are placed. This is what we call a fret board or finger board. The neck itself has a metallic rod placed inside the wood where the height of the strings to the frets can be adjusted. .

Frets and a Bridge

These are small metal strips that are placed on the neck in proportional to the tone spacing is required. This is done with precision so that when the guitar is in tune, pressing the fingers in certain positions will produce the required sound. The guitar has a bridge which hold the strings up high to avoid the open strings touch the frets and end up getting a buzzing sound. Some guitars have sixteen frets than others have like twenty-four frets. .

The Body and the Hole

The body of a guitar has a nice shape for easy playing. To get a rich sound from the acoustic guitar, a high quality wood is used to make the guitar. Martin Acoustic guitars are constructed with rosewood body. Acoustic guitars have a hole. This is where the sound is produced.

Understanding acoustic guitars will help you to make a wise choice when you want to purchase an acoustic guitar. Sometimes you may want to buy a used acoustic guitar because the price may be low, but you may not know whether the frets are worn out, or the neck is somehow bent. This might not be a wise decision because you will not get the quality sound you wanted.

If you had have any comments, please feel free to leave them below and submit. I will be glad to read them all.

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