Acoustic Guitar Sound Reflects Craftsmanship
A guitar is made for creating all kinds of music be it classic
rock, flamenco, country music. It's a wonder that same
instrument can be used to produce such a wonderful array of
music.
Acoustic Guitar: An acoustic guitar is one that is made of
dried wood. This is most important thing to note, that wood
needs to be dried either naturally or using artificial methods.
In all old times the wood was dried up for up to three years
without picking up the wood again to make the guitar. Let's look
at various parts of an acoustic guitar.
Bridge Unit: This is most important part of guitar as the sound
is generated here only. The bridge picks up the vibrations
produced by strings (not the whole unit, but the part where the
strings touch) and transmits it to the bridge unit, into the
sound chamber. The vibration is then amplified using the chamber
arrangement, bounced through the struts (they are fan-shaped for
classical and box-shaped for acoustics), then pushed out from
the sound hole. In case plastic bridge is used, you must drop
that guitar immediately. An ebony bridge works wonders on the
guitar. Ebony is dense solid wood. However since ebony is
expensive you could consider rosewood and ash. This unit is
solidly glued to soundboard. This is why you need to make sure
that you are buying a guitar with great bridge.
Body of guitar: If body of the guitar is made form plywood it's
not a good guitar at all. An acoustic guitar is an extremely
precise instrument. The front of guitar should be made of maple
and the back panel is made form different kind of wood. Even
though the wood is different, they should be mirror images of
each other. If they are not, the guitar was not made by a good
craftsman. The sides are also made from third kind of wood.
Some guitars are kept unvarnished. This is done as some people
believe that guitar wood is reshaped over time as you start
playing.
End block: The front and back of the guitar is joined using an
end block. A dense wooden end block is good for guitar. Inspect
guitar well and if the soles guy tell you not to, just walk
away. Do not spend several hundred dollars on something that is
not precise.
Neck of guitar: Acoustic Guitars have a neck glued to the body.
The neck needs to be installed only after the end block has been
attached and the glue has been dried. The drying of glue should
have happened several months before.
When you are buying a guitar, pay attention to whatever you have
in front of you. Do not buy the guitar that's not made with
precession. A good acoustic guitar has all the above
characteristics. Acoustic guitar will give great music only if
it has been crafted by a master craftsman not just any body.