There are hundreds of acoustic guitars out in the market, some by well-known brands, while the others are not so popular.
For the buyer who doesn’t know everything about acoustic guitars, choosing a guitar based on its quality ratings is a common occurrence. So how does one rate a guitar?
Craftmanship and materials used
Guitars crafted with great skill, detail and attention are some of the things considered in examining craftsmanship. Some of the little things that greatly impact how an acoustic guitar sounds start from creating the guitar.
To make a good quality guitar, craftsmanship and high quality construction materials should go hand-in-hand together. Great guitars are usually made of solid wood.
Some mid-range guitars are also made of laminates and other man-made substitutes of wood, this doesn’t mean that they sound bad immediately. There are different grades of laminates used, some are also of high quality, still wood will always sound different and better.
This aspect is important in reflecting a guitar’s overall quality. Playability is often overlooked by beginners not knowing that it is a critical point to consider because if the instrument is not suitable, there will be negative effects on their learning.
Quality guitars are easy to play and comfortable to hold. Good fretwork is also considered since any aberrations may hurt your fingers, and change the quality of the sound produced due to a buzzing noise caused by the strings.
Style and Appearance
Although acoustic guitars share the same concept regarding basic construction and design elements, when it comes to body styles and the overall look, each have its own characteristics that may make it look better aesthetically compared to others.
Guitars are rated according to their presentability, uniqueness and if they are pleasant to look at.
If you will base an acoustic guitar’s sound quality on its ratings, this may not be as accurate as you want it to be. One can say that a particular guitar sounds great but another guitarist may disagree.
The sound quality rating is more subjective and usually depends on personal preference.
Acoustic guitars when built according to quality standards and construction materials should last you a while when properly cared for and maintained.
Durability also matters when you’re likely to travel with your guitar as well as the environment where you are going to use it. Will it be prone to getting bumped easily?
It’s inevitable, people sometimes check the price first and the quality second. For the average person that has other things to consider that are more important than a guitar, well-known brands now offer more affordable acoustic guitar models that fit most working budget but are still decent sounding.
To be able to produce affordable acoustic guitars, these companies would have to compromise a little on the materials used in their guitars. Instead of solid wood, laminates may be used and other wood substitutes.
These guitars are not only affordable, they are also great-sounding and can be used for gigs and other events.
