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00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page i ACOUSTIC G U I TA R G U I D E THE 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page ii 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page iii AC O U S T I C G U I TA R G U I D E THE E V E RY T H I N G YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BUY AND M A I N TA I N A NEW OR USED G U I TA R Revised and Updated Larry Sandberg F O R E W O R D B Y A RT I E T R A U M 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page iv Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sandberg, Larry The acoustic guitar guide : everything you need to know to buy and maintain a new or used guitar / by Larry Sandberg—2nd ed., rev. and updated. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) ISBN 1-55652-418-8 1. Guitar. 2. Guitar--Maintenance and repair. I. Title. ML1015.G9 S3 2000 787.87'19—dc21 00-031788 Cover photo: Guitar and bass guitar by Harry Fleishman Photo by John Youngblut, courtesy Harry Fleishman Cover and interior design: Lindgren/Fuller Design Line art by Fred Hickler, based on computer drawings by Larry Sandberg ©2000 by Larry Sandberg Foreword ©2000 by Artie Traum All rights reserved Second edition Published by A Cappella Books An imprint of Chicago Review Press, Incorporated 814 North Franklin Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 ISBN 1-55652-418-8 Printed in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page v CONTENTS Foreword . . . . . Acknowledgments Introduction . . . PART I: 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All About the Guitar The Guitar Through History Ancient Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Dark and Light Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Development of the Modern Classical Guitar C. F. Martin and the American Guitar . . . . . . . The Early Years of the Steel-String Guitar . . . . . Bigger Guitars for the 1930s . . . . . . . . . . . . . The 1940s and 1950s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Folk Boom and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Nostalgic Baby Boomer Market . . . . . . . . New Sounds for a New Generation . . . . . . . . . Guitars in a World of Scarce Resources . . . . . . 2 xiii xv xvii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 5 7 9 10 12 12 14 16 17 It Takes All Kinds Folk Guitar: The Steel-Strung Solidbody Flattop . The Twelve-String Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Classical Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Flamenco Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baritone Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bass Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Archtop Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How Archtops Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Great Archtop Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . Electric Archtops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Contemporary Archtop . . . . . . . . . . . . Is an Archtop the Guitar for You? . . . . . . . . . Solidbody and Semi-Hollowbody Electrics . . . . Hawaiian and Other Lap-Style Guitars . . . . . . . The Pedal Steel Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resophonic Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Maccaferri (“Django”) Guitar . . . . . . . . . Synth Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harp Guitars and Other Oddities . . . . . . . . . Seven Strings, Ten Strings, and More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 19 21 21 22 22 23 23 25 25 26 26 27 28 29 29 32 33 33 33 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page vi The Harp Guitar . Multineck Guitars Air Guitars . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 35 36 Guitar Sound Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tone, Timbre, and Pitch . . Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . Presence . . . . . . . . . . . Dynamic Range . . . . . . . Separation . . . . . . . . . . Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . Sustain . . . . . . . . . . . . Cutting Power . . . . . . . . Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wraparound and Projection You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ambience . . . . . . . . . . . Facts and Impressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Wood, Finish, and Glues Plywood and Solid Wood . . . . . . . . . Most Guitars Are Plywood . . . . . . . The Mystique and Value of Solid Wood Laminates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buyer Beware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laminate Construction . . . . . . . . Stability and Durability . . . . . . . . Detecting Plywood . . . . . . . . . . . Laminate Tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laminate Backs and Sides . . . . . . . Laminate Fingerboards . . . . . . . . . Laminate Necks and Headstocks . . . Materials and Tone . . . . . . . . . . Seasoning and Milling Solid Wood . . . Seasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Milling Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prime Cuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grain and Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . Slab Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quartersawed Wood . . . . . . . . . . Bookmatched Tops and Backs . . . . . Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tonewoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wood Naming Conventions . . . . . . Table: The Major Guitar Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spruce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spruce Mystique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Spruce for a Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 39 39 40 41 41 41 42 43 44 44 45 45 45 47 47 47 48 48 49 50 50 50 51 51 52 52 52 52 54 54 54 54 55 57 58 59 59 59 60 60 61 62 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page vii Cedar and Redwood . . . . . . . . Rosewood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rosewood Substitutes . . . . . . . . Mahogany . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Koa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walnut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ebony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stain and Filler Preparation . . . . Nitrocellulose and Acrylic Lacquers Sunburst Finishes . . . . . . . . . French Polish and Spot Finishes . . Glues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 64 66 66 67 68 69 69 70 70 71 71 72 72 72 How Your Guitar Works I: Where the Action Is Action and Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . Action Strictly Defined . . . . . . . . . Action Loosely Defined . . . . . . . . . Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Mechanics of Setup . . . . . . . . Setup and Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neck Materials and Construction . . . Neck Shape and Contour . . . . . . . . Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Truss Rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . Truss Rods and Relief . . . . . . . . . Truss Rod Adjustment . . . . . . . . . Warped Necks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warp and Bow . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Cure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joining the Neck to the Body . . . . . . Neck Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neck Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resetting the Neck . . . . . . . . . . . Fingerboard and Frets . . . . . . . . . . Fingerboard Materials . . . . . . . . . Position Markers, Inlay, and Binding Twelve- and Fourteen-Fret Necks . . . . Fingerboard Width . . . . . . . . . . . Fingerboard Shape and Contour . . . . Replacing and Repairing Fingerboards Frets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fret Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Refretting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fret Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 75 75 76 76 76 78 78 80 81 82 84 85 86 86 86 87 87 87 88 89 90 90 91 91 92 93 93 94 94 95 96 96 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page viii Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nut Height and Grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long and Short Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . Fanned Frets for Mixed Scales . . . . . . . . Headstock and Tuners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Headstock or Peghead . . . . . . . . . . . . . Handstop or Volute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Here’s What You Need to Know About Tuners 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 96 97 99 99 100 101 101 102 102 103 How Your Guitar Works II: Body Language The Top or Soundboard . . . . . The Soul of the Guitar . . . . . “Playing In” a Top . . . . . . . Laminate and Solid Wood Tops Top Materials and Building . . The Sound Hole . . . . . . . . Sound Hole Shape and Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Pickguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Top Bracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transverse Bracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fan-Bracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X-Bracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Voiced and Scalloped X-Bracing . . . . . . Kasha and Other Bracing Systems . . . . Damaged Braces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Function and Structure . . . . . . . . . . The Bridge Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bridge Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bridge Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bridge Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Saddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Function, Structure, and Materials . . . . Adjustable Saddles . . . . . . . . . . . . . Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keeping Your Temper . . . . . . . . . . . . Back and Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Bracing and Side Reinforcement . . Linings, Bindings, and Blocks . . . . . . Size and Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table: Approximate Standard Guitar Sizes Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cutaway Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Putting the Guitar Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 105 106 106 107 107 108 108 109 109 110 110 110 112 113 114 114 114 115 115 116 118 118 118 119 119 121 122 123 124 124 124 126 127 128 00 Guitar fm/3 7 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page ix Suiting Yourself Making a Good Marriage with Your Guitar The Ideal Guitar Does Not Exist . . . . . . Guitars Differ Differently . . . . . . . . . . Suiting Your Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Size and Shape Make a Difference . . . . . Cutaways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Left-Handed Guitars Guitars for Kids . . Suiting Your Eye . . . . Ornamentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Headstock and Neck Inlay . . Binding, Purfling, and Rosette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suiting Your Style . . . . . . . . . . . General Playing and Casual Styles Bluegrass and Old-Time Music . . Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contemporary Fingerpicking . . . . Acoustic Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . Suiting Your Suitcase: Travel Guitars Suiting Your Pocketbook . . . . . . . Under $300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $300 to $450 . . . . . . . . . . . . $450 to $750 . . . . . . . . . . . . $750 to $1,000 . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000 to $2,000 . . . . . . . . . Over $2,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 132 132 133 133 133 134 135 135 135 136 138 139 140 140 140 141 141 142 142 143 143 145 145 145 146 146 Strings String Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From Catgut to Stainless Steel . . . . . Picking Your Strings . . . . . . . . . . . What Are Strings Made Of? . . . . . . . Bronze-Wound Strings . . . . . . . . . Coated Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nickel-Wound Strings . . . . . . . . . Compound (“Silk and Steel”) Strings . Flatwound and Groundwound Strings Winding and Squeaking Flatwound Strings . . . Groundwound Strings . Nylon Strings . . . . . . . String Gauge and Tension . Gauging String Gauge . . Ultralight and Superlight Extra-Light Gauge . . . . Compound Strings . . . . Light Gauge . . . . . . . Medium Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 148 149 150 150 150 151 151 152 152 152 153 153 154 154 155 155 155 156 156 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page x Heavy Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . Measuring String Gauge . . . . . . Typical String Gauge and Tension Table: Typical String Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Making Up Your Own String Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strings and Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . String Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bad Vibes, Heavy Metal Fatigue, and Other Tough Breaks in the Life of a String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . When to Replace Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 161 Pickups and Amplification Amplified Versus Natural Sound . . . . . Transducers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction to Transduction . . . . . . Contact Pickups . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pickups, Preamps, and Impedance . . . Internal Mini-Microphones . . . . . . . Magnetic Pickups . . . . . . . . . . . . Why Plug In? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Great Signal Chain of Being . . . . Aftermarket or Factory Installation? . . Electro-Acoustic Guitars . . . . . . . . . . Amplifiers and Sound Systems . . . . . . Electric Guitar Amplifiers . . . . . . . . On-Stage Sound Systems . . . . . . . . . Acoustic Guitar Amps . . . . . . . . . . Acoustic Guitar Amp Power and Volume Microphones and Other Inputs . . . . . Equalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notch Filters and Parametric Equalizers Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sound Processing Devices . . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 156 157 157 158 159 159 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 164 164 165 165 167 168 169 170 171 171 171 172 172 173 174 174 175 176 177 177 Used, Vintage, and Modern Guitars Looking for Mr. Goodfret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Owning More Than One Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vintage Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Nature of a Collectors’ Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Nature of Collectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vintage Guitars as Investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why Some People Think Old and Vintage Guitars Are Better Why Some People Think New Guitars Are Better Anyway . . Modern Luthiery: The New Golden Age? . . . . . . . . . . . Longevity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table: Pros and Cons of Buying a Used Guitar Fine Guitars . . . . . . . . Becoming an Expert . . Great Names of the Past Junk Chic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 180 181 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 188 188 189 190 00 Guitar fm/3 11 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xi At the Point of Purchase Dealing with Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . Finding a Good Dealer . . . . . . . . . . Negotiating Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . Negotiating Approval or Warranty Terms Negotiating Trade-In . . . . . . . . . . . Sales and Marketing Techniques . . . . Discounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mail-Order Brides . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking Out the Guitar . . . . . . . . . Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playing Qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . What If You Can’t Play Yet? . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taking Care of Your Guitar Around the House . . . . . . . . . . Temperature and Humidity . . . . . Changes in Climate . . . . . . . . January Is the Cruelest Month . . No Cure for the Summertime Blues Good Guitars Finish Last . . . . . Routine Cleaning and Maintenance Spit ’n’ Polish . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning Machine Maintenance . . Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cracks and Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . Routine Crack Repair . . . . . . . Bridge and Fingerboard Cracks . . The Trauma Unit . . . . . . . . . PART II: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 200 200 201 202 202 203 203 204 204 206 206 207 208 Market Survey How to Use This Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table: Approximate Standard Guitar Sizes How to Read Guitar Sales Literature Caveat Emptor . . . . . . . . . . . 13 191 191 192 192 193 193 194 195 195 195 196 197 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 214 215 215 Guitar Manufacturers Breedlove Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Collings Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. W. Gallagher & Son Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . Gibson Musical Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Old Gibsons for Gibson Lovers . . . . . . . . . Godin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Goodall Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guild Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larrivée (Jean Larrivée Guitars Ltd.) . . . . . . LaSiDo (Godin, Seagull, and Simon & Patrick) Lowden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 217 218 218 218 221 222 222 222 223 224 225 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xii C. F. Martin & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . Martin Scholars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. F. Martin and the Martin Bracing System The Mystique of Pre-War Martins . . . . . . The Martin Dreadnought Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table: Martin’s Largest-Sized Guitars Since 1854 . . . . . . . . . . . . Martin Since 1950 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Martin Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name That Number: Martin’s Size and Style Designations Table: Martin Guitar Size Prefixe Table: Martin Guitar Style Suffixe 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Martin Serial Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . Ovation and Adamas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graphite Fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Santa Cruz Guitar Company . . . . . . . . . . . Tacoma Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resophonic Guitars Manufacturers . . . . . . National Reso-Phonic Guitars . . . . . . . . . Original Acoustic Instruments (Dobro Brand) Regal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Custom Luthiers Why Commission a Custom Guitar? Finding Luthiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 226 226 229 230 230 232 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 242 243 244 245 245 245 245 248 248 Selected Importers, Distributors, and Manufacturers of Student, Mid-Line, and Laminate-Body Instruments Glossary . . . . . . For Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Books . . . Magazines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guitar Shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 265 265 267 268 265 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xiii FOREWORD This is the Age of Acoustic Guitars: a time of fine luthiers, pick-players, fingerpickers, strummers, alternate tuning freaks, and a generation of what can only be called the great unplugged. Our current romance with guitars started to take shape in the 1960s when thousands of young people with proto-Luddite tendencies sought to discover America’s gentler past through Appalachian folk music, country blues, and Woody Guthrie ballads. The pickaxes that unearthed this deep mine of folk music were acoustic instruments: banjos, mandolins, and, of course, guitars. In those days, hipsters sought out funky pre-war Martins, scratched-up Gibsons from the 1920s, turn-of-the-century Washburns, and any old guitar with deep scars and character. Character was what acoustic guitars were about: the more beat up, the better they seemed to sound. And, of course, everyone knew that aged wood meant more resonance, more warmth, and more passion. Acoustic guitars have always had a place in the American parlor; however, since the 1960s, their influence on American music, and music around the globe, has become profound. From the resurrected recordings of Robert Johnson, Son House, and Skip James to the influential brilliance of James Taylor, Doc Watson, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens, and CSNY, the place of the acoustic guitar in pop music has been sealed forever. Now, with the turn of the century, guitarists have incorporated the styles of Earl Klugh, Pat Metheny, Tony Rice, Alex de Grassi, Preston Reed, and many other innovative players into the world’s musical consciousness. That Larry Sandberg should come to write The Acoustic Guitar Guide was no surprise to me. Larry and I were best friends in high school and his passion for the acoustic guitar was undeniably inspiring to me. Not only was he an exceptional player with that mysterious gift of “touch,” he was also one of the first players I knew who actually composed for six strings and arranged traditional pieces like “Buck Dancer’s Choice.” Larry’s interest in music started with folk music but he easily gravitated to classical and flamenco players like Julian Bream, Segovia, and Sabicas, and jazz maestros Charlie Byrd, Kenny Burrell, the MJQ , and even Ornette Coleman. This wide range of interests makes Larry the perfect person to describe the potential of the guitar and how to choose, fix, analyze, and play them. When the first edition was published in 1991 I thought it was a snappy looking book, but one I’d only browse through. I didn’t expect xiii 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xiv to be pulled into the text but nevertheless I found myself reading it and learning a lot of things I thought I already knew. When you’ve been playing and reading about guitars as long as I have, there’s a tendency to think you know it all. The first edition of The Acoustic Guitar Guide was smarter, faster, and more interesting than I’d thought possible. I shouldn’t have been surprised; my old buddy Larry Sandberg knows his stuff and he knows how to write. There was some information in the book that immediately caught my notice. Sandberg’s descriptions of the various woods used in guitar making and the way they are sawed, finished, and glued together was eyeopening. I found his discussion of strings, pickups, and guitar maintenance equally interesting. My favorite chapters were about the history of guitar companies and luthiers, including Martin, Taylor, and Santa Cruz. I’m always curious about how people got started in doing what they do. These days, because we’re in a renaissance of guitar building, playing and interest, there are more great, affordable guitars around than ever. You don’t have to seek out pre-war instruments to have an exceptional, or even a decent, guitar. Unlike in the 1960s, good instruments are now available at prices to fit every budget. The stores are so full of well-made, easy-to-play, inexpensive guitars that Larry Sandberg’s guide is more essential now than it was just ten years ago. It will help you maneuver through the hype and avoid costly mistakes in either buying or repairing your instrument. The second edition of The Acoustic Guitar Guide is welcome indeed. Whether you’re an experienced musician or an absolute beginner trying to navigate your way through the complicated world of guitars, this book is a must. It will lead you to answers. It will separate commercial hype from the truth. It will help you make decisions about purchasing, repairing, and maintaining your instrument. Not every book can do this, but you are in good hands—literally—with Larry Sandberg as your guide. —Artie Traum, Bearsville, New York February 2000 Artie Traum at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, 1984. Photo by Larry Sandberg xiv • FOREWORD Artie Traum has been a performer, songwriter, recording artist, writer, instructional video teacher, clinician, and record producer for almost forty years. Beginning in the Greenwich Village and Woodstock folk scenes of the early 1960s, he has performed as a soloist, accompanist, or with his brother Happy Traum with many of the best-known acoustic artists of our times, including Bob Dylan and The Band. After a string of Rounder albums featuring his work as a singersongwriter, he turned to instrumental music. Among the several albums featuring his guitar work, the 1993 Shanachie release Letters from Joubée spent months on the “adult alternative” airplay charts, cresting at number one for six weeks. 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to all my friends and colleagues who have shared their knowledge and insights about the guitar with me over the years, especially Edward Dick, Janet Feder, Harry Fleishman, Max Krimmel, Jon Lundberg, El McMeen, Eileen Niehouse, Larry Pogreba, David Rubio, John Rumley, Charles Sawtelle, Marc Silber, Larry Shirkey, Kit Simon, Denny Stevens, Artie Traum, Harry Tuft, Donny Wade, and Steve Wiencrot. Thanks to my teachers: Bill Bell, Dale Bruning, Happy Traum, and Dick Weissman. Thanks to editor Richard Carlin, who first suggested this book; to Yuval Taylor, who proposed and edited the present edition; to Lisa Rosenthal, who managed its production; and to Gerilee Hundt for her art direction. Thanks to Abbie Lawrence for being the wife of an author and musician. And thanks, finally, to those who have allowed me to use their photos. These include, in addition to many of the names above, Byers, Schwalbe & Assoc., Flying Fish Records, J. W. Gallagher & Son, George Gruhn, LaSiDo, Linda Manzer, C. F. Martin & Co., Saga Musical Instruments, and Santa Cruz Guitar Company. This edition is dedicated to the memory of Charles Sawtelle. —Larry Sandberg Denver, Colorado, February 2000 xv 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xvi 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xvii INTRODUCTION How to Use This Book This book will help you to buy a steel-string acoustic guitar and to understand how it works once you have it. Even if you already own a guitar and have no intention of looking for a new one, you’ll find lots of information here that will help you get the best out of it—and out of yourself as well. The main focus is on flattop acoustic guitars with six strings—the kind of instrument that most people think of when they think of the guitar. Other kinds of guitars are also briefly described, but this book is really about steel-string flattops, which are the epitome of the American acoustic guitar. Redundancy You’re welcome to read through this book cover-to-cover if you care to, but you probably won’t. This seems to be the kind of book you’ll want to treat more like a business consultant than like a steady date. On the theory that you’ll be visiting it from time to time to look up specific details, it mentions things more than once if you’ll probably need the information in more than one context. Or, to paraphrase the old saw, anything worth saying is worth saying twice. Money Except through luck or trickery, a really good guitar is going to cost you a fair bunch of money—money that’s hard to earn, or that you are reluctant to spend, or that you just may not have right now. Since the ideal is one thing and reality is often another, this book offers sensible, balanced advice and recommendations for entry-level and midrange buyers. Words There are lots of reasons why one guitar is different from another. Size, shape, wood, and design all play a part; in fine guitars, so does the magic xvii 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xviii of the individual craftsperson’s touch. The way you learn about guitars is not by reading books but by playing and handling lots of instruments until you can hear the difference between rosewood and mahogany, between a boomy guitar and a balanced one, and so on. A book can never teach you to hear the difference between a played-in, old guitar, a brand-new guitar with a sound that hasn’t opened up yet, and a new guitar that will never open up. What a book can do is explain that these differences do exist, and that you need to learn why they exist and how to recognize them. So don’t try to memorize a lot of words out of this book. Instead, use it to teach yourself what to look for when you visit music stores to try out various guitars. Make it your business to do so. Memorize the feel and sound of the guitars instead of the words about them. You’ll also come to understand it is not just the bracing, the choice of wood, the strings, or the instrument’s size that make a guitar play and feel the way it does; rather, it is the way all these factors combine and relate to each other in each individual instrument. Because so many factors are interdependent it’s not always easy to explain something without referring to something else that doesn’t get explained until a later section. For that reason this book includes a hefty and detailed glossary at the end of the book where you can look up any terms you may not know. Use it! In fact, you can probably learn a lot about the guitar, or review what you’ve learned from this book, just by reading through the glossary. Generalizations The more you know about a field the more difficult it becomes to make any statement about it because all the exceptions and anomalies that you’ve encountered flood your mind. It can lead to paralysis. It can also lead to bad writing with an abundance of hedging, ambiguity, and a proliferation of the words usually, as a rule, and generally speaking. I’ve indulged quite heartily in generally speaking, but even so, this book contains plenty of blanket statements to which there are numerous exceptions. This is especially true of the many specifications concerning the dimensions of parts and adjustments. Always remember that general information is for your guidance but that the instrument you hold in your hand may be unique. While a general reader may find this book to be quite technical at times, luthiers and other industry professionals will be quick to notice that it stops short of being as technical as it could be. It’s a matter of common interest that guitar tops seem to work best when they’re made of fairly stiff wood. I think everyone should know this. But I don’t think an elaborate discussion of, for instance, how to measure stiffness-toweight ratios and of their curious but debatable significance, is necessary in this book. xviii • INTRODUCTION 00 Guitar fm/3 10/22/09 2:16 PM Page xix Second Edition Notes In preparing the second edition I’ve gone over the first edition line-byline, updating facts and accommodating changes in public taste and the guitar market wherever necessary. In the case of occasional major shifts in my own taste or opinions, I’ve generally pointed out the change and explained why it occurred. I’ve corrected several errors of fact that readers were kind enough to point out to me and I’ve tried to clarify any writing that seemed obscure. Most importantly, I’ve enlarged Part I in several respects. In many small places I’ve added more information, expanded on my opinions, or enlarged the treatment of a subject, all told making the book somewhat larger. In addition the chapter on acoustic guitar amplification has itself been considerably amplified in order to keep up with the times. Many new photos have also been added. Part II, the Market Survey, has on the other hand been streamlined considerably. I’ve kept, and in many cases updated and enriched, information on the major guitar companies and their histories and philosophies. But where once there was detailed, but quickly outdated, information on the various models available from each manufacturer, you’ll now find listings of the makers’ Web sites so you can make sure with a click of your mouse that the information is always up-to-date. The listings for companies that are merely importers of instruments made by anonymous factories along the Pacific Rim have also been condensed, since these companies lack rich histories and manufacturing philosophies. Again, Web sites have been listed, along with the proviso that, though I may have given these companies short space, you should not necessarily give them short consideration in making a purchasing decision. The first edition also contained a list of acoustic guitar stores; this too has been eliminated. There were too many omissions, since I couldn’t possibly find out about each one, and including each one would have made for too long a list to print. There were too many listings that went out-of-date as stores folded or changed address. It was unworkable. Again, the Web comes to the rescue. If your local phone book isn’t helpful enough, you can look there for help. Here’s a big hint: check out the guitar manufacturer’s Web sites, which you can find the addresses for in this book. Many of them have dealer locations listed on their sites. By looking at high-end manufacturers, you can more quickly track down the location of “boutique” guitar shops in your area. But don’t forget the surviving funky, small guitar shops as well. They’re harder to track down but they can hold some real surprises. INTRODUCTION • xix