Body
Guitar body construction, including both soundboards and sides. For these parts, two main types of wood can be used: solid (solid) and puff (better known as plywood). Plywood is cheaper than solid wood, but loses to it in terms of acoustic properties. Therefore, the type of deck in the characteristics is usually indicated only if solid wood is present in it. However, if data on the deck is not given, this does not mean that the instrument is made entirely of plywood; in addition, it is worth noting that some types of plywood come close to solid wood in terms of acoustic properties. Therefore, without having information on the deck design, it makes sense to focus primarily on the price category of the instrument.
Options for a solid tree can be as follows:
—
One piece top. The English name is also used — solid top. We are talking about instruments in which only the upper deck is made of solid wood — the rest of the body is made of plywood. This option is a good compromise between sound quality and affordable price, it is quite popular in mid-range guitars.
—
Completely whole. A body in which all parts are made of solid wood — both decks and sides. This is the most advanced option in terms of acoustics — especially since some types of wood even improve over time (provided that it is solid wood). However, a completely one-piece body is quite expensive, so this option is found
...mainly in high-end professional instruments.Bottom deck
The material from which the lower soundboard of the guitar is made is a flat surface on the opposite side from the upper soundboard (it is this surface that is adjacent to the musician's body when the instrument is held normally).
The value of this parameter is described in detail in the “Upper deck” section — what is stated there is also true in this case. We only note that a wider range of materials is used for the lower deck: this part is less demanding on the characteristics of the material, which gives manufacturers additional choice.
In terms of specific materials,
rosewood,
sapele,
maple,
meranti and
nato, among others, enjoy considerable popularity in modern times. Here is a brief description of each of them:
— Rosewood. A name that combines the wood of several species of tropical trees. This material is said to provide deep sound and enhance bass quality, thereby improving the guitar's efficiency when playing rhythm parts on chords.
— Sapele. Also known as "African mahogany" due to its characteristic hue. It contributes to an even sound with medium depth and good expression of individual notes, which is considered important especially in solo parts.
— Maple. Maple wood is prone to a rather sharp and sonorous sound without much depth. However, this is
...not a drawback, but a feature: for some styles of music, just such a coloring of the sound is perfect.
— Meranti. Wood of trees of the genus Shorey, growing in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. This material is mainly used in instruments manufactured by Yamaha, mainly classical guitars and ukuleles — it is for these varieties that meranti is considered the best option.
— Nato. A relatively inexpensive variety of mahogany (mahogany) used in guitars in the corresponding price range. Contributes to a dense, but not very bright sound.Shell
The material from which the side of the guitar is made is the “side” surface of the body, which unites the upper and lower soundboards (see above).
About the meaning of the material of the body, see paragraph "Top deck" — everything stated in it is also true for the shell. Unless the range of materials used for this part is noticeably wider; also note that most often the material of the shell coincides with the material of the bottom deck. Here is a summary of some of the more popular options:
— Rosewood. A name that combines the wood of several species of tropical trees. This material is said to provide deep sound and enhance bass quality, thereby improving the guitar's efficiency when playing rhythm parts on chords.
— Sapele. Also known as "African mahogany" due to its characteristic hue. It contributes to an even sound with medium depth and good expression of individual notes, which is considered important especially in solo parts.
— Maple. Maple wood is prone to a rather sharp and sonorous sound without much depth. However, this is not a drawback, but a feature: for some styles of music, just such a coloring of the sound is perfect.
— Meranti. Wood of trees of the genus Shorey, growing in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. This material is mainly used in instruments manufactured by Yamaha, mainly classical guitars and ukuleles — it is for these varieties that meranti is considered the best option.
— Nato.... A relatively inexpensive variety of mahogany (mahogany) used in guitars in the corresponding price range. Contributes to a dense, but not very bright sound.
Scale
Scale length of the guitar. The scale in this case is the working part of the string, in other words, the distance from the saddle (on the headstock) to the saddle (on the bridge). In most acoustic and similar guitars, the scale is set during production and is unchanged. Without going into technical details, we can say that the value of this parameter is generally a reference: it allows you to some extent estimate the overall dimensions of the instrument, as well as the size of the frets (the longer the scale, the larger the size of the frets, regardless of their number). However, there is also a practical application: with an adjustable anchor (see above), the scale length data can be useful in the tuning process.
