Comparison Gibson SJ-200 vs Epiphone EJ-200CE

General type of instrument.

First of all, it is worth noting here that the name "acoustic guitar" nowadays can be used both in a broad sense (to refer to a whole class of instruments) and in a narrow one (to refer to one of the types of such instruments). Acoustic guitars in the broad sense of the word also include classical and electro -acoustic models, as well as more specific instruments — acoustic bass guitars and ukuleles. Here is a detailed description of each of these varieties.

— Acoustic. Speaking about the types of guitars, "acoustic" refers to relatively modern models that differ in design from the "classics" (see below). In terms of capabilities, the main features of such instruments are the ability to use metal strings, as well as a generally louder and more sonorous sound. Externally, acoustic guitars (in the narrow sense of the word) are distinguished primarily by a relatively narrow and long neck, as well as a slightly different bridge design than classical ones; in addition, most models also have a larger case, the shape of which can be very diverse (see "Shape (view)"). This type of guitar can be used for different styles of playing; in this sense, it is more versatile than classical models.

— Classical. Instruments created on the basis of traditional Spanish gu...itars in the 19th century and survived to this day almost unchanged. The classical guitar has a fairly wide neck, as well as a characteristic body shape; this form is actually a standard, so that different models are very similar in outline to each other and externally differ mainly in colour and the presence / absence of a cutout (see "Cutaway" ). The main functional feature of such instruments is the impossibility of working with metal strings — only nylon can be used on the "classic". Due to this, these guitars sound very soft and relatively quiet, as a result — they are poorly suited for aggressive, dynamic chord playing. Therefore, the main purpose of such instruments are classical compositions. Also, this type of guitar is well suited for initial music training: nylon strings do not cut the fingertips as much as metal ones.

— Electroacoustic. Acoustic guitars, supplemented by built-in pickups and, usually, tone blocks (see below for both). This allows not only to use the guitar in a traditional, acoustic format, but also to connect it to an amplifier or other equipment, including to add additional effects to the sound with the help of "gadgets".

— Ukulele. An instrument also known as the ukulele. Outwardly, it really looks very much like a guitar, but it is much smaller. There are usually 4 strings on such an instrument; there are other options — 8 (4 doubles) or 6, as on a regular guitar ("gitalele"), such models are also included in this category. The ukulele has become widespread in the Pacific Islands and has been associated with Hawaiian traditional music from the very beginning, but this is not limited to: almost the same possibilities are available for such instruments as for conventional acoustic guitars.

— Bass. Guitars with a low, bass tone. The classic bass has 4 strings in EADG tuning — similar to the strings of a six-string guitar from third to sixth, but an octave lower; the strings themselves, respectively, are also much thicker. Five-string models are less common, they have a similar tuning principle (see "Number of strings"). Outwardly, many basses are distinguished by long and narrow necks, although this is not strictly necessary. A special case is a fretless bass: such an instrument has no nut on the fretboard, which expands the possibilities for using various specific methods of sound production, but requires special accuracy when placing fingers. Anyway, the main use of basses is rhythmic accompaniment, most often in combination with drums; for solo parts, such an instrument is practically not used. Also note that acoustic basses are usually complemented by pickups — similar to the electro-acoustic guitars described above: it is very difficult to sound such an instrument in another way (with an external microphone).

The presence of a pickup in the design of the guitar.

The pickup allows you to connect the instrument to external equipment — for example, for a concert; it, in accordance with the name, provides sound transmission from the strings to the output (usually through the tone block, see below). By definition, all electric acoustic guitars have this feature, and basses are usually equipped with pickups (see “Type”).

The type of tone block installed in a guitar with a pickup (see above).

The tone block is responsible for processing the signal coming from the pickup before applying this signal to the output of the instrument. Such processing includes at least frequency correction, often also amplification; in addition, it is through the tone block that such functions as a tuner for tuning and an equalizer are implemented (see below). And the types of such blocks can be as follows:

— Active. Tone blocks operating from their own power source (usually a replaceable battery). Such modules are more complicated and more expensive than passive ones, besides, when using them, you need to monitor the condition of the batteries and change them in time. On the other hand, the active operation scheme allows you to implement many advanced functions: high-quality frequency correction, gain, impedance matching with an external amplifier, as well as the equalizer and tuner mentioned above. Thus, most guitars with pickups nowadays are equipped with active tone blocks.

— Passive. Passive tone blocks do not have electronics that require additional power, so they are inexpensive and extremely easy to use. At the same time, the capabilities of such blocks are much more modest: for example, timbre correction in them is carried out only by cutting off “extra” frequencies, and there is no talk of amplification at all. This variant has not been widely used.

The presence in the guitar tone block (see above) of the equalizer function.

The equalizer in this case means the ability to set the volume level for each individual frequency band. This allows you to quite accurately adjust the tone block to the desired sound. Guitar equalizers usually have less than 3 bands (low, medium, high frequencies) — this is quite enough for the initial adjustment (it makes sense to fine-tune the sound already on external equipment).

The presence of a built-in tuner in the guitar tone block (see above).

The tuner is used when tuning the guitar: it “listens” to each string and tells the musician how much the pitch of its sound corresponds to the reference (higher, lower, normal). This equipment greatly simplifies the setup. Tuners can also be produced as external devices, however, the presence of such electronics directly in the tone block is much more convenient: at least, it is always at hand and is not lost. For more details about the features of such devices, see "Tuner" below.

Special cutout on the body of the guitar. It is located at the base of the neck, to the right of it, if you look at the upright guitar from the front (in left-handed models — on the left). This feature makes it much easier to play on the upper frets (located near the rosette): without a cutout, the body would prevent reaching them. Therefore, this feature is highly desirable for guitarists who play notes at high frets (from the 12th and above).

There is an opinion that the cutout negatively affects the acoustics of the guitar (reduces the useful volume of the body, reduces the volume and saturation). However, in most cases, this effect is almost imperceptible, especially since manufacturers often use various tricks to compensate for this effect.

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.

The material from which the bridge (string holder) of the guitar is made is a device with which the strings are attached to the top deck.

Theoretically, the colour of the sound of an instrument depends on the characteristics of all its details. However, in the case of the bridge, this influence is so insignificant that the data on the material in this case are more of general reference and advertising than of real practical value. The variety of such materials is quite large; among the most common are rosewood, mongoy and ebony.

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.