Transcript
Serving the musicians of Australia for 35 years!
Acoustic Guitar Buyer's Guide When choosing a new acoustic guitar it is easy to be overwhelmed by the number of brands, makes and models on offer in today’s market place. And then there is the jargon that you often hear or see displayed on guitars, such as ‘solid top’ or ‘acoustic/electric’, not to mention ‘dreadnaught’, ‘jumbo’, ‘auditorium’, ‘parlour’, and even ‘classical’ versus ‘acoustic’ styles. A great place to start with buying an acoustic guitar - or any instrument for that matter - is an honest assessment of how it will be used. Are you a beginner, an advancing player, or very experienced? Will the guitar be just used at home and at lessons, playing gigs or in church, or for recording? Will it be dragged off on surfing or camping trips or left at a holiday home and only played a few times a year? The way you intend to use the guitar can really help you narrow down your choices, in terms of both budget and make. And let me just say this now - the vast majority of instruments are not
www.engadinemusic.com.au
investments for the ‘future’. Some shops will try and emphasise the resale value of the guitar as being (almost) equal to the original price, or even suggest it will increase in value over the years. Yes it can (rarely) happen, but more often than not it is a sales technique and nothing more, so don’t fall for it. If you have more questions about buying the right acoustic guitar for your needs email Michael or call (02) 9520 3044 and he will be happy to help you get the best guitar for you.
Buying an instrument... Can be confusing. There are so many brands, makes, models and options availble, and seemingly more of everything appear on the market each week. There are always plenty of opinions offered up when it comes to instruments and gear; a quick survey of any gear site or Facebook music page will reveal a gamut of thoughts, some helpful and others purely subjective and emotive. Engadine Music wants to see the right instrument placed into the right hands. We want you to love your instrument, grow musically with it, and expereince the joy of playing for the whole of your life. And that starts wth having the right instrument for you. Our staff have plenty of professional expereince as performers, teachers and repairers to be in a position to offer you the best advice, sales and after-purchase service to keep your instrument playing its best. Why not visit our website at www.engadinemusic.com.au or drop into the shop, located at 25 Station St, Engadine, NSW, 2233?
Acoustic Guitars On Sale Now At Engadine Music
We are always happy to have a chat and help you in anyway we can.
Why The Massive Price Difference In Guitars?
Parts Of An Acoustic Guitar
The final price is determined by many factors. The raw materials used are a major factor. Not all timbers are equal. Construction techniques, quantity produced, reputation of the luthier or company, country of origin, accessories (if included) also play a part in the final price. Don’t buy on price alone. If you are a beginner, an expensive guitar will not necessarily sound any better than a student model while you are learning. Students cannot always hear the differences between makes and models. That will develop as their standard of musicianship develops. Once again, if you pick up a guitar you like the look of, and then like the sound produced, it is a good guitar for you. And that is what is important!
Tone Woods The timber used in the guitar will contribute to the overall sound of the guitar. The top or soundboard is considered to be the most important factor in the sound produced by the guitar, but the back, sides, fretboard material, bridge, bracing and construction techniques (and strings, picks, playing technique, the fingers of the actual player) all influence the final tone. Spruce; is the most common tone wood used for guitar tops, and Sitka Spruce is the most common variety of Spruce used for guitar. Spruce is generally warm/mellow and versatile. Cedar; a well-balanced sound with warmth. Great for fingerstyle guitars. Mahogany; mellow, soft and warm tones. Rosewood; dark and rich tones.
Of course, the best thing is to let your ear decide. If you can, try out a few different guitars. Even guitars made from the same timber type will have some variance in tone.
www.engadinemusic.com.au
Cole Clark take a different approach and use Australian timbers in their guitar construction, and includes some of the following tone woods:
Bunya is the most commonly used material for the top. It is loud and balanced, stronger than Spruce and a sustainable timber. Tasmanian Blackwood is very close genetically to Koa, with less bass response but more complexity to the overall tone, and once again is sustainable. Californian Redwood (grown in Australia) offers balance between the bass and treble, but is brighter overall than Spruce. Cedar is a soft timber with a rich tone but not as loud as Bunya. Huon Pine is a very old timber in very limited supply. It has a rich tone and a yellowish finish.
Buy Cole Clark Guitars At Great Prices From Engadine Music
Classical & Acoustic Guitars. An acoustic guitar normally refers to a steel-string guitar (any make/model). A Classical guitar is a nylon-string instrument designed for fingerstyle play, specifically classical music (bet you didn’t see that coming!). When starting out, either guitar is fine. Nylon strings can be a little softer on the fingers, a little cheaper than acoustics, and a student guitar can be a little cheaper than a steel-string too. If you want to get the sounds of acoustic guitars you hear on most modern recordings (with the guitar being strummed or fingerpicked), a steel-string acoustic is the way to go. Nylon string guitars don’t respond as well to a pick for strumming, and don’t produce the bright, percussive sound of a steel-string.
We have found the Valencia range of Classical Guitars to be an ideal starting instrument for many people. They come in several sizes, are quite playable out of the box, represent good quality in their price range and the nylon strings are softer on the beginner's finger tips (which can be an issue with little kids).
Classical guitars normally have smaller bodies, with the neck meeting the body at the 12th fret. The neck can be wider than the standard acoustic guitar neck. Generally the classical guitar does not have fretboard markers, which can make it a little harder when learning to identify your location on the fretboard.
Buy Valencia Student Guitars
www.engadinemusic.com.au
Body Size Classical guitar bodies are generally the same shape, though available in 4 different sizes. A 4/4 is the full-sized model and ideal for teens and adults. Bigger pre-teens may also prefer a 4/4 classical if that is the style of guitar they are playing. Other sizes include 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4. The 1/4 size classical is really for little kids of say 4-6, then they would move up to a 1/2 size. The best thing to do with sizing a guitar is to have the child hold stand see if they can easily support and reach the first fret area. A music shop will be able to help if you are uncertain. An auditorium sized guitar is smaller than a dreadnaught. They generally lack the same bass response as a dreadnaught, but can be more balanced overall in sound. Auditorium makes can be
ideal for fingerstyle and/or for comfort reasons. A smaller adult or a child might find these instruments easier to play because of the body size. A dreadnaught acoustic is the standard size for steel-string guitars. They have good bass response and can be very versatile in terms of both playing techniques and genres. Some smaller kids and adults might struggle to control a dreadnaught and they can become uncomfortable after playing for a while. A jumbo is big and designed to be loud. Great for strumming but can be harder to control because of the body size. Will generally have a lot of bass.
The Yamaha Gigmaker 700 pack comes with a dreadnought size guitar, digital tuner and learn-to-play DVD. We believe this is great value for someone just starting out, though the guitar is better than most 'student models'.
Electronics
Intonation & Action
It is very common to find pickups in acoustic guitars now. As with the guitar, pickup systems vary greatly in price and tonal qualities. You only need a pickup in a guitar if you are going to play in an environment where it needs to be amplified, or possibly recorded via the pickup instead of a microphone. If you wish to plug it in, then you need to consider the type of amp or PA system you are going to use (and that is beyond this particular buying guide). Some acoustic guitars also feature a built-in tuner, which makes keeping the guitar in tune very easy.
The intonation of a guitar neck refers to how ‘in tune’ it is as you play along the length of the neck. If the intonation is out, the guitar will sound ‘off’ or ‘bad’, no matter what. Sometimes this can be corrected, but not always. With some cheaper makes and models, it would cost more to fix the issue than buy a new student guitar without the problem. ‘Action’ refers to the height of the strings from the fretboard. The higher the strings, the harder it is to play. If you have to press down a long way to fret the note (push it to the fretboard), the guitar will be out of tune). As with intonation, it can be cheaper to buy a new guitar rather than try and correct the problem. Be careful when buying very cheap guitars and packs from certain dealers on eBay or places like Aldi. Music shops will source student model instruments that avoid these issues, and the warranty and return options are typically much better than some eBay sellers, and probably easier to return the instrument to as well.
Neck The neck of the guitar will greatly influence how the instrument feels in general. Classical guitars typically have wider necks. Most modern steel-string guitars have narrow necks, making them easier to play.
www.engadinemusic.com.au
Finish (Colour)
more readily than with a heavy hard case - something
How you feel about the look of a guitar is important, but generally colour is nothing more than a personal preference. The finish used can influence the tone to some extent, but if you pick up a guitar you like the look of, and like the sound of it once you play it, then that is a good guitar!
to factor in if they are taking the guitar to school or having to walk to lessons. Capos are also handy. Talk to your music store about the best make and model for your guitar, as not all capos are made equal!
Tuning Pegs Being able to tune the guitar is important. Tuning regularly, and often, makes the experience of playing sound so much better and will also help improve your musical ear. The tuning pegs should move smoothly to allow for fine adjustment of pitch. Tuning pegs (also called machine heads) that are enclosed are more durable than open tuning pegs. Some very cheap guitars use chrome-plated plastic for their tuning pegs. These might look good but break very easily.
A digital tuner can certainly help with keeping the guitar sounding its best, epsecially with a student learning how to tune. Cleaning materials and cloths will keep the instrument looking great and help maintain it throughout the course of its life. General furniture polish can strip the finish from the guitar, so it is generally best avoided. A good supply of guitar picks and something to keep
Useful Accessories
them in is always a good thing. It is amazing how
Most acoustic guitars do not come supplied with a
easily they get lost.
case. A hard case is very helpful, even essential,
And a spare set of strings for when one breaks and
once you have spent enough money on an acoustic.
needs to be replaced immediately. This seems to
For entry-level instruments a gig bag ( soft case) will
happen during lessons or school performances more
probably be fine. For smaller kids a gig bag is possibly
than any other time!
a better choice as they will be able to carry the guitar
Engadine Music Store Opened in 1980 and has been serving the musicians of Australia ever since. Engadine Music sells the complete range of instruments and accessories, in addition to offering private music lessons for all popualr instruments and singing, as well as a repair service for all instruments, with brass and woodwind being a specialty. Located at 25 Station St Engadine NSW, 2233 Phone (02) 9520 3044 Website www.engadinemusic.com.au Email
[email protected] Facebook www.facebook.com/EngadineMusic Twitter @engadinemusic
www.engadinemusic.com.au
