Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

[SabbathFan0220]

I'm looking for someone who knows their acoustics to educate me on this.

I know convention says that dreadnoughts are best for strumming and smaller bodies, like a 000, would be ideal for finger picking. Why?

What about a bigger body is good for stumming? What's wrong with strumming on a smaller body?

What about a dreadnought makes it not as good for finger picking?

[trevorus]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

IMO, dreadnoughts are good middle range guitars, they do both quite well, wood type out of the equation. Jumbos generally have a deeper, louder tone, which generally work well for rhythm, and smaller bodies generally have less low end, which can be thought of as articulation to some. This can help it cut through a bit, and make the notes jump out a bit more.

This all ignores wood choices, string choices, player dynamics, etc... So, with that in mind, play what sounds best to you!!!

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

Thanks, Trevorus. I think I've got it narrowed down to two guitars, the Taylor DN8:



...and the Taylor GA8:



Obviously I want to A/B them in person before I make up my mind, I just want to know what the pros and cons are each body type.

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

I prefer dreadnaught size because of the huge boomy sound, even on lead flat picking. The 000 sizes usually sound softer and with softer finger picking, it sounds better.

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

Thanks, Lucid. I pretty much always play with a flat pick and have been leaning towards the dread.

[ehdwuld]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

I do finger picking on a 000 Martin
the strumming is OK but just doesn't present the bass the way a D series would

I've played both
hand position is important in finger picking
I find the 000 more comfortable to reach round


either or I suppose

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

Thanks for the replies...any other opinions on this?

[Chickenwings]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

12 fret guitars are derived from the classical shape - which facilitates ease of playing for both right and left hand due to the fact that the guitar sits on the left leg and is angled upwards. Well constructed guitars like this are balanced nicely in this position. If you can balance your guitar like this using no hands its means you can change the position of both hands easily while playing. Changing right hand position allows a wide range of timbral effects, whereas having the guitar at an angle allows smooth left hand poition shifts as well as a more natural wrist angle. This also allows access to the upper frets without the need for a cutaway. Think about a 12 fret model if your technique is classical based.
Dreadnoughts are a different shape because they are designed to sit on the right leg. If you wrap your right arm around them the guitar is locked in place which facilitates an efficient pick angle and smooth playing. Fingerstyle also works well on this type of guitar of course, but with less ability to change timbre by moving right hand position than classical style. However, many dreadnought fingerstyle players will choose to use a slighly different right hand technique than classical style - such as the "clawhammer" and others creating a whole different vocabulary. This approach tends to use freestroke exclusively whereas the classical or left leg approach will use a mixture of free and rest stroke - again its about style fitting the repertoire.
Due to the fact that the dreadnought usually sits on the right leg, the wrist angle on the left hand is slightly different, so the fingerboard is narrower. Also due to the angle of the left hand access to upper frets is not the same, hence the 14 fret body join and quite often a cutaway as well.
A lot of people overlook that guitars have evolved to fit the human body and not the other way around. The different basic shapes such as the classical, 12 fret or a dreadnought (even jumbos) all come from a design based on facilitiating ease of playing depending on your repertoire, and (as a result) your technique.
Its all ergonomics. However you can play any style on any guitar - its just about whats the easiest and most satisfying for you. Ill try to break this down to generalities....
Left leg player: 12 fret guitar
Right leg player: Dreadnought or jumbo

[guitfiddle]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

I like to hold any acoustic guitar on my left leg...I find that my right arm hurts and goes numb if I hold it on the right leg. Overall, I prefer the OM with a 25.5 neck.

Right in step with human comfort in the evolution of the guitar, was the volume/projection they produce. The quest for volume led to bigger and bigger body sizes. Most Ds produce more volume than most OMs, but sometimes it's the opposite. A good crackin' OM can be a joy to play. Some Ds are labled "banjo killers" and sure are some of the loudest guitars out there.

The D was made for Bluegrass rhythm players in mind, to hold their own with the volume a mandolin, fiddle, and especially the banjo can produce. Even if the others in the band pull back some, unless the player can jar down on the strings, sometimes they can still get lost. I find that a mahogany OM or OOO really cuts through a mix. There isn't as much bass or treble, but the midrange will get through to the ears.

Some of them aren't going to be loud enough, but if you look about a bit, you can find a cannon (super loud one) somewhere and it will be. If you're dead-set on one of the Taylors, I'd go for the GA8.

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

Well either way, I'd be looking at a 14-fret. I play with the guitar on my right leg.

I'm looking at dreadnought, grand auditorium, and Martin "J" size, which is like a GA but deeper.

I'm leaning towards the two Taylor models pictured a couple posts up, but I played a beautiful Martin J-40 recently that really did it for me, so who knows. It's come down to the DN8 and the GA8 for Taylors, and the D-28, HD-28, and J-40 for Martins.

[Bludave]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

You are right in saying "D" sized guitars are better for strumming then smaller guitars, but there is more to it then just the size. It has to do with the wood composition, scale length,body depth & nut width. Usually a 000 sized guitar has a 1 3/4" nut where a "D" had 1 11/16" That little bit of width makes a big difference in the space in between the strings. If you are a fingerpicker then I think the 000 size may suit you better. Most; more popular "D" guitars are made of rosewood, but RW tends to be boomy in this size. This has to due with the body depth as well as how they are "voiced". Voicing is a technique that many builders use in adjusting the braces to allow the top to move under your playing. Most mass produced guitars is hit & miss as to how they will sound. Other more notable builders take the time to tap tune the top and make the adjustments necessary. A Martin D18 is a significantly underrated or at least under appreciated guitar. The D18 is made of Mahogany and that tends to balance out the guitar by comparison to a D28. Now I use the Martin's to compare against because I think most people would consider them to be the "staple" of what a guitar should sound like. The Mahogany in this size is a good choice. You can pound on the guitar pretty aggressive and not have it turn to mush, yet still play softly with your fingers and it still sounds surprisingly good.

A 000 or OM IMHO is one of the best all around guitars you can get. The difference between a 000 & OM is scale length. The OM is 25.4" and the triple O is 24.9" That difference will make the strings feel a little looser on the shorter scale and this size is preferred by many finger pickers. I prefer the OM size as I play with both my fingers and a pick and this offers me more tension on the strings(I like them firm) yet if I play very softly the notes are very well defined. The 000 or OM in Rosewood is an absolutely perfect guitar. It offers plenty of character in everything you play. The 000 & OM are also not as deep as "D" guitars so you can play much softer & easier and still get a real beautiful sound out of them. Bigger guitars you have to hit them harder to get them to respond.

My suggestion is to NOT buy your guitar online. Go to a music store and play many different models to get a feel for each guitar and how they respond to "your" touch. I own a bunch of acoustics & I have spent an awful lot of time picking out the ones I felt were right for my playing style. Enjoy the search!

[TeleLubber]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

With the price you're paying.. I would check into getting their Expression System (optional) .. it sounds absolutely fantastic in my Taylor 414.. which is a Grand Auditorium, and to my ear is the best sounding acoustic guitar I've ever owned..

[John_L]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

I find Dreadnaughts a bit boomy so I go for a smaller folk sized guitar.
Another consideration when it comes to fingerpicking is the size. If you want to pick properly you will need to sit classical style with the guitar on your left knee so you can get a decent arch. Now I'm tall and have long arms (I can't get a suit off the peg) and I can't get a good arch on a dreadnaught. You can sit with the thing over your right knee and fingerpick but if does throw out your sholder if you are not careful.

[thespricket]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

I really dig the boomyness from a larger bodied guitar. I like grand auditoriums, but I settled recently on a Dreadnought. They seem to be right in the middle, tone wise, for me. Ideally, I'd like to own any number of each style to have the best of all worlds!

What it comes down to is larger body-larger sound. Each has it's good use.

[Hellion]

Re: Acoustic Body Shape vs. Picking Style

IMO, dreadnoughts are good middle range guitars, they do both quite well, wood type out of the equation. Jumbos generally have a deeper, louder tone, which generally work well for rhythm, and smaller bodies generally have less low end, which can be thought of as articulation to some. This can help it cut through a bit, and make the notes jump out a bit more.

This all ignores wood choices, string choices, player dynamics, etc... So, with that in mind, play what sounds best to you!!!

+1. I can't improve on that.