CHOOSING BETWEEN CLASSICAL VS ACOUSTIC GUITAR, INFORMATION FOR BEGINNERS

Classical Guitar

Classical guitars are strung with nylon strings and have a much warmer sound and do not sound harsh in the upper register. They carry these characteristics:

• Less string tension
• Produces beautiful and warm tones
• Currently now more budget friendly
• A much wider neck
• Accentuates low-end and middle frequencies

A classical guitar is usually made with Cedar material which is very dense.  It makes it a lot quieter but with less sustain.  The Cedar is also warmer and is popular for fingerpicking players.

Acoustic guitars

Acoustic guitars are strung with steel strings. Due to the steel strings, it requires more strength to play and so it can be more of a challenge to play modern and classical pieces.  There x3 body of styles that this type of guitar has:

Parlor - This body style has smaller dimensions and a smaller width.  Some also have a lengthened lower bout and a 12th fret neck to body junction.  It also has a standard nut width and boasts an excellent sound.  This guitar style is unusually small, but it carries sound louder than you can imagine.  So, if you are blues fan – this may just be up your street.

OM - The OM (Orchestra Model) style guitars have a more defined and dense tone.  The guitar has an excellent sound whilst strumming and fingerpicking.  The OM guitars are designed for a great variety of playing styles and are responsive and well balanced.  Depending on the model volume, the clarity and low-end that it can be played in, is remarkable.

Dreadnought - Of all the available acoustic guitars, dreadnought carries the most volume and the highest number of bass frequencies.  Because of its wide and rich tone, it is well suited to playing in an ensemble.  As well as being loud, these guitars can also be played with a warmer tone and melody and does bring the best out of its sound.