Producing Acoustic Guitar

Producing Acoustic Guitar

Producing Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar is very much in style today. Crossing between folk, pop and rock genres. While the acoustic guitar remains one of the most simple instruments, it also remains one of the hardest to get a great sound on in the studio. It's really not that difficult though, if you follow a few basic rules.

The sound you get has a great deal to do with the quality of the player. Choose an appropriate type and gauge of string for the instrument and for the kind of sound you're after and make sure that the guitar's action is set up correctly so that it plays without buzzing. There are many different types of steel-cored wound string, all of which have subtly different properties. The most commonly used types on acoustic guitars are bronze, phosphor bronze and nickel wound. An instrument with lighter gauge strings (perhaps an 11 to 50 set) will generally be easier to play, but the sound will be thinner and low in volume. On the other hand, very heavy strings (perhaps a set beginning with a 15-gauge top E) can sometimes sound tubby and lacking in overtones on the wound strings. The best compromise is usually the heaviest set of strings that are still comfortable enough for the guitarist to play. Usually starting with medium gauge strings will give you a decent sound.

The size of the acoustic guitar has a lot to do with the frequency range that it projects. The bigger the guitar, the more low end it'll provide. These guitars are most effective with strumming chords in the open position. These "jumbo" guitars are normally strum with medium to heavy gauge strings that are capable of producing more resonance due to the larger amount of wood that will resonate sympathetically. A medium size guitar will sound tighter and project the sound quickly, which makes it great for soloing.

There is also the nylon-string guitar or better known as the classical guitar where the top three strings are nylon. This type of guitar...

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