How to Choose an Acoustic Guitar

With so many choices on the market today, choosing an acoustic guitar can seem like a disenchanting experience. Rest assured; it doesn't have to be if you understand the two major components of choosing an acoustic guitar: performance criteria and wood and cosmetic options.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Performance Criteria

1. First, declare your performance criteria. Will you be using the guitar for a live rock show? Will you use it more for a coffee house gig? Perhaps it's for a recording session at a music studio? Maybe you just want to sit on the porch on weekends and strum your guitar.
2. If you will be using the guitar in a live performance setting, then you more than likely will need a guitar with an active or passive pickup. These pickups allow you to connect your guitar to an amplification device.
   
   An active pickup will often feature an onboard EQ (equalizer) and volume control, as well as an input jack.
   
   A passive pickup only provides an input jack located at the bottom of the guitar. In most cases, a passive pickup will suffice. The amplifier will provide all the EQ, volume and special effects you'll need.
3. Often what works in a live setting will be inappropriate in a recording studio. In a live setting, such as a coffee house, the guitar may accompany a vocalist. This is when the guitar is allowed a bit more freedom to be featured.
   
   In a studio recording session, the guitar needs to be a more well-balanced instrument. Within a complex, music recording, the guitar doesn't need to have as much character. In most cases, the "character" will be removed to make room for the other bits of sonic information in the mix.

Guitar Wood and Cosmetic Options

4. Guitars come in a variety of woods and options. Some may have elaborate engravings or ornate bindings. As with most instruments, it comes down to how much you are willing to spend to meet your criteria and achieve optimal playing results.
5. The most common wood used to make a guitar is spruce. It is generally lighter and more abundant than most exotic woods. It's not uncommon to find more expensive guitars made from jacaranda, cedar, rosewood, mahogany, koa and maple. These are usually much more expensive to harvest and thus drive the price up further than wood more readily available.
   
   The more expensive guitars also come with a variety of ornate bindings and fretboard inlays. Abalone and Mother of Pearl are more commonly used to create the elaborate designs. However, these ornamentations do not contribute to the instrument's playability.
6. It's also good to understand that much of the tone of the instrument is derived from the wood used in the construction. For instance, rosewood is more porous and would be used to achieve a warmer tone. Maple, on the other hand, is much brighter and yields a more percussive sound.
   
   Whether or not the top of the guitar is lacquered or unfinished will have an effect on the tone, too. The unfinished wood has a more robust, warm tone. The lacquered finish has a brighter tone. It could be likened to the differences in room acoustics. A room with a polished hardwood floor will sound much "louder" and brighter than that of a carpeted room.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, you should choose a guitar based on intuitional endeavor: How does it make you feel when you first handle the instrument? How does it sound? How is the playability? At the end of the day this trumps all other criteria.
• When purchasing a guitar online, it is a good idea to also buy a hard-shell case. This will help prevent damaging the guitar.
• It is not uncommon for manufacturers to produce an entry-level guitar that purports to have been made of exotic wood when it is actually made from plywood with a laminate top. Consult the retailer to ensure that the guitar you plan to purchase is authentic.