Weird Tones

        Guitars have been around for centuries. The original guitars were Acoustic guitars, which changed in shape over several hundred years. Since you've already been given a timeline of the evolution of the guitar, in this article we'll go into greater depth discussing the Acoustic guitar itself.

History
        The Acoustic guitar is essentially a descendant of the Classical guitar, which, in its current form, has been around for over 100 years. The main difference between the Classical and Acoustic guitars are that one is strung with nylon strings, while the other is strung with steel strings. Since the Acoustic guitar is strung with steel strings, it has a louder, brighter sound which is appealing to folk and blues players.

        Another difference between the Acoustic and Classical guitars is that the Acoustic guitar has a bigger body size, stronger structure, and a narrower neck than does the Classical guitar. The structure of the Acoustic guitar is stronger so that it can withstand the immense tension placed on it by the heavier steel strings. Acoustic-Electric guitars haven't been in existence for nearly the amount of time that their Acoustic counterparts have. These guitars, which have the ability to be both plugged into an amp and played unplugged, have been around for roughly 70 years.

All about the Acoustic guitar
        The bodies of cheap Acoustic guitars are typically made from laminated tonewood. More expensive Acoustics are made from higher cuts of solid spruce top wood On an Acoustic guitar, the material which the body is made from really matters, so those looking for a rich sound will want to choose a guitar with a body made from nicer wood such as spruce top wood.

        The neck of the Acoustic guitar is usually made from maple, mahogany, or rosewood. However, some guitar necks are comprised of different woods. Yet again, the quality of wood does matter. Generally speaking, Acoustic guitars with necks made of a high quality maple or mahogany and bodies made with solid spruce top are quality guitars with great tone. These guitars usually cost $250 on up. The vibration of the strings is amplified by the soundhole of the guitar. This is where all sound that you hear comes from.

        If you look inside the soundhole of the Acoustic guitar, you'll see the construction of the body. There are braces and linings, all essential to keeping the guitar intact and playable. X-bracing, a strong, durable bracing, is typically used on Acoustic guitars because it is heavy and strong enough to withstand the pressure of steel strings.

        On the body of the guitar, you'll find the bridge. This is where one end of the strings goes. The strings are inserted into the little holes and the bridge pegs hold them there. On the neck of the Acoustic guitar is the fretboard. Most fretboards on the Acoustic guitar are made of rosewood or ebony. More expensive Acoustic guitars have fretboards made of higher quality woods.

        The headstock of the Acoustic guitar features six tuning pegs (three on each side of the headstock) and six tuners (three on each side of the headstock). Good Acoustic guitars will have die-cast Grover tuners which usually stay in tune longer than other brands of tuners. Like their Electric counterparts, Acoustic guitars are tuned in the standard E A D G B E tuning. Most Acoustic guitars have six strings, while some have twelve. If you are curious as to the difference between the two, check out our article on "Twelve string vs. Six string". The Acoustic guitar still remains a very popular instrument. It is used in virtually every style of music--rock, pop, country, blues, you name it. Acoustic guitars are wonderful instruments for both beginners and professionals.

        Electric guitars are a technological advancement from acoustic guitars. For those of us who are old enough, it is easy to remember an age when all we had were these acoustic instruments. That was before the coming of the electric instrument. Incidentally, when we talk about acoustic, what we are really talking about are those 'box guitars' where only the acoustic mechanics are used to project the sound produced. In other words, these guitars cannot be directly connected to amplifiers and then to speakers like is the case with electric guitars. True, you can place a microphone next to the guitar and pass the sound from thence to an amplifier and from there onto speakers, but you cannot make the connection a direct one like is the case with electric guitars. The thing with electric guitars, when used in public performances is that the connection to the amplifier (and onto the speakers) is so direct that standing next to the guitar player, you don't actually hear the sound as it comes from the instrument, but only as it comes from the (remote) speaker. In the case of acoustic guitars, of course, the sound comes directly out of the guitar, and if need be, it is then tapped via a microphone and directed to an amplifier and onto a speaker. So much for what the acoustic instrument is.

        Now as those of us who were there when the electric guitars were first developed, we will recall that the predictions then were that the electric guitar would soon render the acoustic instrument extinct. The electric guitars were, after all, a technological advancement from the acoustic guitars. And if diesel locomotives managed to make steam locomotives extinct, most people saw it as just a matter of time before electric guitars made acoustic guitars an item for the museums.

        Several decades later, and the acoustic instrument is still alive and well. So why does the acoustic-guitar refuse to die away, in the face of electric instruments? Well, for one, and contrary to what many of us imagine, the electric-guitar and the acoustic guitar are two quite distinct instruments. Experience has shown that the sound produced by the acoustic instrument is so quite different from the sound produced by the electric instrument; even where we are looking at exactly the same cords/notes. In other words, the electric equipment can never be perfect substitutes for acoustic guitars. There are pieces of music best played with acoustic instrument (thanks to the authenticity of the sound produced by such acoustic instruments), just as there are some pieces of music best played with electric guitars. In other words, it is safe to say that one of the reasons why the acoustic guitar has not died, the presence of the electric guitar (which was supposed to be a technological improvement on it) notwithstanding, is that the acoustic guitar has managed to retain its relevance, as something of a musical instrument in its own right.

        On another note, it also helps that the acoustic instrument is also typically cheaper than the electric guitar. So most people, when learning to play guitars, can only afford to get started on acoustic guitars. Then they get hooked. So even when they become accomplished players, they still opt to remain with their acoustic guitars, in which they are likely to have become experts. This factor also makes the acoustic instrument suitable for hobbyists who play for their own enjoyment (as opposed to the electric guitar, which is more suitable for public performances).

        It also helps that the acoustic instrument is an instrument that paves way for 'economy of players' seeing that it is easy to produce satisfactory music using one such instrument alone (with a single player). On the other hand, electric equipment work best in a set/band, like where one person plays the lead guitar, with other two playing the rhythm and bass guitars respectively. With acoustic guitars, it is not uncommon to find one-man-bands playing, to the great enjoyment of fans.