Guitar size: What difference?

Subject: Guitar size: What difference?
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 02 Dec 00 - 10:16 PM

I know this subject is a well-hashed, but I'm hoping my questions about size are new. Some day I'll buy a folk guitar again. Mine broke years ago and I've been playing a classical. I accompany myself and others singing mostly folk songs. I pick with bare fingers, more or less Travis style I suppose. I sometimes use a simple lick involving a downstroke with nails. I also love to use strummed chords to accompany simple, slow melodies. Sounds great. What sort of guitar should I be thinking about, good for all of the above? The guitar I've played that I thought I liked best was a Rosewood/Engleman Goodall Standard. I recently emailed James Goodall asking for advice. He recommended a slightly less than standard sized model for finger-picking clarity and treble clarity. Does body size have a significant effect on tone balance and clarity, as it seems J G implied? Specifically, in a larger-bodied guitar (full size or Jumbo), do the bass and midtones tend to drown out the treble more than in a smaller bodied one, and by the same token, less overall clarity? Are larger bodies more suited to flat-picking than finger picking? But do I need a larger body for more volume since I don't use picks? Andrew

Subject: RE: Guitar size: What difference?
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Dec 00 - 11:26 PM

Try some info on this recent thread....CLICK HERE

We have talked size a good bit before, but it does make a difference in both volume and balance. Woods also make a difference and the combination can be quite different. An M (or 0000) has great balance but a dreadnought loses some in the treble. However, a mahogany D is less muddled that a rosewood D.

Combine all of this with the "fit" of the guitar to you and your general feelings. Best bet is to play a lot of them and refuse to get hung up on brands, woods, or anything else during the initial shopping phase. Don't forget to have someone of a similar style play a bit for you with your back turned and see what you think. Do the comparisons and you can't go wrong.

Spaw

Spaw