Acoustic Guitar is an iron-string guitar, providing a resonant, ringing sound like a bell, suitable for playing accompaniment, solo, bolero, fingerstyle.... This type of guitar is easy to learn, easy to play, and entertaining. high intelligence.

The acoustic guitar has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 16th century. It is the first instrument for the majority of guitar players.

Today, acoustic guitars come in many different shapes and sizes – but the function remains the same. Sometimes choosing the right guitar for yourself can be extremely difficult. Therefore, this article will be a guide on how to choose and buy an acoustic guitar.

See more: Common types of wood for acoustic/classical guitars.

I. How the Acoustic Guitar Works.

The acoustic guitar is designed with a hollow body made entirely of wood and a large circular sound hole in the middle. Vibrations from the strings are transmitted through the bridge. They are then pushed by the brace located below the top of the piano, allowing the sound to resonate through the body - to the outside.

The guitar was invented by the Spanish, popularized by the French and loved by everyone around the world. Now that you know how it works, let's look at the different styles of Guitar to choose from…

II. Different Types of Acoustic Guitars.

Over the years, acoustic guitars have evolved to suit the needs of different artists, and that is why each different acoustic guitar offers something unique to the player.

Most guitars are of common quality and features, but there are some that have striking differences that change their respective tone and feel. Other special plants may stand out altogether. But no matter what type it is, each guitar has its own story and abilities.

1. Standard iron string acoustic guitar - popular.

Iron string guitars are by far the top choice for players around the world, in fact they are already very popular.

This type appeared with the development of X-bracing in the 1930s, both of which were intended to bring more volume to the acoustic guitar playing experience. Cristian Fredrich Martin is credited with being the first to use iron strings on guitars, paving the way for all modern acoustic guitars that followed.

An example of a good iron-string acoustic guitar to start with is the Enya EA-X1 or EA-X0 - they're beautifully designed, offer decent sound and playability, and are reasonably priced. Overall, Enya Guitars have decent quality and an average price, so this is a good choice for beginners.

For a higher-end choice, look no further than Taylor and Martin. These two legendary guitar manufacturers have been at the forefront of the guitar industry for decades, delivering a distinct playing experience that is a direct result of the passion and attention to detail that goes into each product. Check out the Martin 000 Jr10 Sitka Spruce or the Taylor Academy 12 Grand Concert for examples of their superb craftsmanship.

2. Resonator acoustic guitar (Resonator) - less popular.

After many experiments with electric guitars, the Resonator can be said to be a happy accidental discovery. Originally expected to be an enhanced version of the iron string, providing greater volume for playing with the increasingly loud instruments of the time.

Although they feature a more metallic look, Resonators are still acoustic guitars but with some notable differences.

Tonewood, style and bracing still affect the sound - it will bounce around the body of the Guitar just like an acoustic guitar. However, the large metal section on the top of the Resonator Guitar covers the sound hole, which is replaced by two f holes on top. The large metal part helps the sound travel through the guitar and helps increase the volume.

Tonally, the Resonator produces a very bright and focused sound, with enhanced resonance (or resonance) and volume. An all-metal resonator may produce a slightly softer sound than those with wooden soundboards. Resonators have been favored by blues and bluegrass players for many years, these guitars stand out from other acoustic guitars.

3. Acoustic guitar with pickup (EQ) - quite popular.

Acoustic guitars with built-in pickups allow players to amplify their sound without using a microphone. This is another advancement in acoustic guitar design that delivers natural sound through speakers or a PA system. It is activated by various types of pickups, installed below the bridge or inside the soundboard.

Pickups allow you to connect your Guitar straight into your PA system and often come with a built-in EQ for the Guitar.

Nowadays, some systems even come with built-in effects, emitting effect sounds using speakers built into the cabinet, such as the Yamaha CSF-TA TransAcoustic Parlour.

If you are playing in a band or on large stages and need high volume, investing in an acoustic guitar with pickup is a must. Especially considering how much pickup technology has developed. The pickup can now completely and faithfully reproduce the natural sound of the Guitar.

4. Hybrid acoustic guitar - less common.

A form of acoustic guitar, they are very similar to guitars with pickups. The striking difference between hybrid guitars and guitars with pickups is that hybrid guitars combine both electric guitar pickups with regular acoustic pickups. This gives you an incredibly versatile, varied sound.

If you're looking to tap into a variety of musical styles, a hybrid guitar may be the ideal choice for you. Not only are these Guitars intuitive and very versatile in terms of tone, but they can also be adjusted to your own style. For a more exciting hybrid sound, you can replace standard acoustic strings with electric guitar strings - pushing your creative boundaries even further.

III. Famous acoustic guitar brands.

In the world and in the Vietnamese market, the leading acoustic guitar brands are Martin , Taylor , Eastman , Washburn , Yamaha , Enya , Lava , Saga , Takamine ... These are brands that are decades old. years, even brands that have been around for more than a century like Martin.

Among acoustic guitar brands, Vietnam has the Ba Don guitar brand with good quality at a low price, and can compete with foreign products thanks to its price advantage.

IV. How much should I buy an acoustic guitar?

Each company has its own strengths. Choosing an instrument not only depends on the brand but also depends on the purpose and budget of each person. Here are 3 main milestones for you to base your choice on:

1. Cheap acoustic guitar line: 1 million - 3 million.

In this range, strong brands are: Ba Don, Enya, Saga, Rosen.

Price range from 1 million - 3 million for Vietnamese brands, Ba Don Guitar is quite outstanding. Acoustic models in Ba Don's price range such as: J100, D100, D120, D150, D170, J150, J170...

There are foreign brands: Saga with series 600. Enya with series X1, ED-18 EQ, EF-18 EQ. Rosen with series G11 and G12.

These models are all very good quality within the price range for beginners. However, once you know how to play proficiently, these models will not meet your needs and will need to be upgraded to a higher model.

Quality Ba Don acoustic guitar at a cheap price

2. Popular acoustic guitar lines: 3 million - 7 million.

From 3 million - 7 million, there are many choices such as: Enya X1 Pro, X0 Pro. Saga 700, 800 series. Epiphone DR100, Yamaha F310, FG800M. Washburn BTS9, S24S. Takamine GD10, GD20. Ba Don T600, T550, T450...

These models have quite good quality, making them a safe choice for beginners.

3. Intermediate acoustic guitar line for semi-professional players: 7 million - 15 million.

In this price range, you get a high-quality solid wood guitar that will help you play for a long time without having to change your guitar, and the longer you play the guitar, the better it is. Some of these affordable guitars have a lifespan of up to 10-15 years. Manufacturers also offer many options. It can be said that "hundreds of flowers bloom".

Some typical models:

- Epiphone has Humming Bird Studio (Humming Bird Pro).

- Enya has: Q1 Pro EQ, Nexg.

- Yamaha has: FG820, FG830, FG850.

- Ba Don has T720, T1300.

- Saga has: A1 series.

- Washburn has: SC56SCE.

- Eastman has: PCH series.

4. High-end acoustic guitar line for professional players: 15 million - 100 million.

From this price range, there are leading brands such as Martin, Taylor... with prices ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions.

Models in this price range contain the quintessence of the art of making instruments around the world, bringing products that are not only instruments but also works of art.

Martin D-10E Road Series

Martin Guitar Company.

- Martin company is world-famous for guitars that cost up to several hundred million, even several billion VND (will be presented in another article).

In addition, the company's products within the range of tens of millions are in series such as the prestigious Series 16 & 17, Series 15... Many are considered works of art such as the legendary D35, GPCPA4 Rosewood - the guitar. shine on every stage. OM21, D28.... These guitars cost about 40 million to nearly a hundred million.

Fortunately, in recent years Martin has launched the

Taylor Guitar Company.

Taylor is a high-end guitar brand like Martin with high-end models up to several hundred million - billion dong.

Taylor's specialized product lines are 500 Series, 800 Series... with prices ranging from tens of millions - hundreds of millions.

Lower mid-range models such as: A10, A12E, GS Mini, 214CE....

Epiphone Guitar Company.

Epiphone is famous for its Masterbilt "quartet", extremely high quality in the range of 20 million such as DR500MCE, AJ45.... This is the company's strongest segment, with outstanding quality that few other lines can match.

Yamaha Guitar Company.

Yamaha is present with high-end models such as: FSX5, AC5M, LL-TA, LL16....

Enya Guitar Company.

This is a pioneer company in applying new technology to guitars. The company produces instruments with many special features and materials. For example, T10S-OM EQ with built-in EQ effects, X4 Pro EQ with carbon material, Nexg 2 - Smart guitar....

Lava Guitar Company.

A famous smart guitar brand. Lava has outstanding models: Lava Me 2 EQ Freeboost, Lava Me 3, Blue Lava Touch.

Eastman Guitar Company.

Models in the E1 series have very good quality.

Saga Guitar Company.

Saga's K series has good quality and unique appearance. This is the company's high-end series.

V. Different styles of acoustic guitars.

Acoustic guitars come in many different shapes and sizes, all of which affect the sound and style of the instrument. So, it is important to know the difference to make the right choice.

Popular guitar shapes.

• Parlor .

This guitar is quite portable and affordable, perfect for any touring guitarist.

Extremely popular around the late 1800s and early 1900s. To this day, Parlor remains a favorite of guitarists across the globe. Despite their small size, these guitars produce a warm, deep sound that is loud enough to fill a room.

• Concert (0).

Designed by Martin, the shape of the number 0 is very typical and follows the company's motto.

Thanks to its short, thin body, this style of guitar is also very portable and is very popular with folk and blues musicians because it provides a strong and clear midrange. A great example is the Martin 0-X1E.

• Grand Concert (00).

Another Martin design, the 00 is an improvement on the 0 and is slightly larger – as you can see with the Martin 00-X2E.

Martin tends to create new versions, they keep all the features that made people fall in love with their guitars, while adding new features on their new models.

• Auditorium (000/Grand Performance).

This product is a combination of 0 and 00 to provide a louder and fuller sound.

Earlier models were popular with blues and folk guitarists, but modern artists demand a more powerful acoustic sound to suit new and evolving musical styles.

With its larger body, the Martin 000-X2E is a great example of the sound the 000 offers, a full and rounded tone for more Guitar-centric styles.

• Grand Auditorium (0000/OM).

Versatile, powerful and rich – the Grand Auditorium is another acoustic body ready to handle almost any style with ease.

This body shape sits between the 00 and Dreadnought and provides a rich, rounded, and beautifully balanced tonal range. This is a combination of strength and uniqueness. Therefore, it is easy to see why this Guitar shape is so popular, as it suits many different styles of music. A high-end example of a Grand Auditorium is the Taylor 114e Grand Auditorium.

• Dreadnought.

Perhaps the most popular acoustic choice, the dreadnought is ideal for strumming, fingerpicking and many other styles. Its versatility is one of the reasons why it is one of the most popular guitar shapes of choice – along with a rich and warm sound that truly suits any style.

Gibson is especially good at making guitars of this shape. They – or their Epiphone cousins ​​– are the best brand to look to for a high-quality acoustic dreadnought. Beginners especially love the Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic not only for its affordable price but also for its smooth playability and well-rounded sound.

• Jumbo.

The brainchild of CEO CF Martin IV.

As you might have guessed, this is a large body type of Acoustic Guitar, providing a big sound. It's perfect for open chord strumming styles because the prominent low ends create both volume and resonance. This jumbo figure is instantly recognizable thanks to its massive lower half and deep torso – as you can see with the Luna Art Vintage Jumbo Electro and Takamine GN20CE Electro Acoustic.

These guitars were popularized by Gibson in the 1930s as increasingly large bands became popular and acoustic guitars needed increased sound.

• Cutaway (cutaway shape).

The cutaway design can be applied to any acoustic silhouette. This design simply eliminates the body located on the underside of the neck – as you can see on this Dreadnought Fender FA-125CE. This allows for increased maneuverability and access to the higher frets with little effect on the guitar's tone or resonance support, if any. So if your style involves solo or lead parts, as well as more sporadic playing on the neck – a cutaway guitar may be the best choice for you.

BECAUSE. Acoustic guitar electronics.

Unlike electric guitars - which are often equipped with multiple pickups to produce sound - the tone of an acoustic guitar largely depends on the type of wood used to create it.

Great wood types include: Spruce wood resonates well and is very popular, Mahogany wood is mellow and warm, Maple wood is bright and lively, Rosewood wood for mid-range or ecstasy... When the wood loses its strength Moisture and change over time, their sound will develop in character and response, which is why some expensive guitars are very old.

If you are looking to buy acoustic guitars with pickups, it will be helpful to know what type of pickup technology is built into the guitar.

There are a number of different ways you can get acoustic sound through a PA, all of which have their own pros and cons, and these include:

Piezo pickups.

Piezo pickup can be said to be the standard pickup used on acoustic guitars, it is a quartz bar placed under the bridge, recording all the sound from under the bridge. These pickups come in many different forms, but what they have in common is their convenience.

Located below the bridge, the piezo pickup is simple to install, easy to control, reliable and highly efficient. Furthermore, they don't have the same feedback (howling) problem that you might experience with microphones.

Soundhole pickup.

Commonly used, soundhole pickups deliver bright and dynamic sound.

Its tone is similar to that of a piezo but a bit more natural and realistic. The Soundhole Pickup is also very easy to install, it is installed right on the mouth of the sound hole of the Guitar. So if you're looking for a convenience that delivers dynamic acoustic sound, this could be your ideal choice.

Microphone mounted inside the guitar cabinet.

Pickups aren't the only option for acoustic sound. You can also use the internal microphone method, which is by far the best way to ensure the clearest, most natural sound.

If you want to use acoustic guitar picking techniques, this method will pick up all the nuances in your playing.

The internal microphone may have some feedback (howling) issues, especially if you play in larger groups or at high volumes. However, don't worry as technology advances, this has been fixed quite well.

VIET MUSIC is proud to sell and distribute the above Acoustic Guitar brands. Guitars at VIET MUSIC all have the most prestigious and best warranty.

For more information, please contact Hotline: 19003262 or Mobile/Zalo: 0819003262.