Comparison Ibanez AC340 vs Ibanez PF15

The general shape of the body of the guitar.

This characteristic affects both the appearance and dimensions of the instrument, and the features of its sound. Note that for classical guitars (see "Type") the form is often not indicated, since it is standard for such instruments. But other varieties can be very diverse in shape. For example, among the "acoustics" and "electroacoustics" there are such form options as dreadnought (western), jumbo, mini-jumbo, parlor, orchestral, grand auditorium, grand concert, road, resonator. Ukuleles, in turn, are available in soprano, concert, tenor, baritone and bass versions, as well as in the form of a special variety — gitalele. Here is a more detailed description of all these types of housing:

— Dreadnought (Western). One of the most popular types of acoustic guitars. The body has a large shape and very "heavy", angular outlines. The terms "dreadnought" and "western" are often used interchangeably, but sometimes only cutaway guitars are referred to as "westerns" (see below). This shape of the body provides a pronounced bass sound and a “roaring” sound coloring, thanks to which dreadnoughts are well suited for playing chords..., but playing solo on such guitars is not very convenient.

— Orchestral model. Orchestral models (Orchestra Model) are somewhat reminiscent of the dreadnoughts described above in shape, but they have more rounded and graceful outlines, in particular, a more pronounced "waist" in the area of the rosette (resonator hole). This allows you to achieve an even distribution of volume between the upper and lower frequencies. In terms of the use of "orchestration" they are the direct opposite of westerns: they are great for playing by brute force and by notes, but on chords they sound noticeably weaker — both due to the lack of bass (especially with an aggressive playing style), and because of the relatively low volume. On the other hand, due to the uniform frequency response, an orchestral guitar can be sounded even at a professional concert with an ordinary microphone.

— Jumbo. The word jumbo means "large", and these cases are indeed quite large. Another distinguishing feature is the shape of the lower part of the soundboard: it can be almost round, and anyway, the outlines of the jumbo body are usually smoother than those of orchestral models, and even more so of dreadnoughts (although there are exceptions). At the same time, this type of cabinet combines the features of the mentioned varieties: the balanced and even sound characteristic of "orchestra" is combined with the volume of the "Western". Because of this, jumbo guitars are generally considered the best choice for musicians who play in a mixed style. However, a lot depends on the specific model: some are closer to dreadnoughts in terms of application, and sometimes the difference between jumbo and western is only in how the manufacturer positions its tool.

— Mini jumbo. A slightly smaller version of the jumbo (see above), with a correspondingly lower volume and richer sound.

— Grand Auditorium. Another versatile type of guitar. It is similar in shape to jumbo (see above) — to the point that the terms "grand auditorium" and "jumbo" (or "mini-jumbo", depending on size) are often used interchangeably.

— Grand concert. An analogue of the grand auditorium described above, somewhat smaller.

— Parlor. Cases of this type are quite compact in size — some of them approach the size of a ukulele — and, most often, a rather small width, but while maintaining a full-size socket. Such instruments were originally popular in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century; today they are appreciated by professionals both for their traditional sound with "historical notes" and for ease of transportation.

— Road. In accordance with the name, such cases are created, among other things, based on ease of transportation. They can have both a traditional shape, close to a dreadnought or jumbo (only smaller), and very specific outlines (for example, triangular, or oval, like a medieval lute).

— Resonator. Six-string guitars, also known as "dobro" (from the name Dobro, given by the creators and later became a trademark). In accordance with the name, to amplify the sound in such instruments, not just a hollow body is used, but a special part — a resonator. This element is installed under the top deck and is covered with a characteristic round-shaped metal cover with slots; the lower nut is placed directly on the lid. "Dobro" are distinguished by a rather loud and sharp sound; in addition, some models have a special neck design that makes it easier to play with a slide. In general, these guitars have a rather narrow niche of application, they are popular primarily among blues and country/bluegrass players.

— Soprano. The smallest variety of ukulele (see "Type"), it is also historically the first and most common. The standard overall length for this tool is 21" (53 cm) at 13" scale (see below). Soprano models have the highest emphasis on high frequencies of all types of ukulele, they are usually tuned in GCEA (from the thickest string to the thinnest).

— Concert. The ukulele is slightly larger than the sopranos described above — 23" in length and 15" in scale. They provide a little more volume of low frequencies, otherwise they are completely similar.

— Tenor. Further, after the concert version, the increase in size of the ukulele is up to 26" in total length (17" in scale). In addition, they differ in tuning: they can be tuned in both GCEA and DGBE (similar to the first 4 strings of a 6-string guitar).

— Baritone. Until relatively recently (before the appearance of "bass" bodies), such instruments were the largest variety of ukulele. The standard overall length of a baritone is 30", the scale is 19"; such an instrument is usually tuned in DGBE tuning (similar to the strings of a 6-string guitar from first to fourth).

— Bass. One of the newest varieties of ukulele: launched on sale only in 2007. It is almost the same size as a baritone — about 30" long, 20" scale — but uses a different tuning, namely EADG (also an analogue of a six-string guitar, in this case corresponding to the fourth through sixth strings).

— Gitalele. A kind of "hybrid" between traditional guitar and ukulele. In fact, these instruments are six-string guitars, made in the size of a ukulele and tuned 2.5 tones higher — the ADGCEA system. At the same time, the fingering, the technique of setting chords and the tuning procedure in the guitarel do not differ from ordinary guitars. Such instruments are also called "six-string ukuleles", but this name can also be applied to classic 4-string ukuleles, where the second and third strings are doubled. So in order to avoid confusion, it is better to use the term "guitalele".

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 top of the guitar is made is the flat part of the body on which the bridge (see below) and the sound hole are located.

A wide variety of materials are found in modern guitars — from spruce, maple or cedar, which are familiar in our latitudes, to expensive mahogany and “exotics” like bubinga (“African rosewood”) or koa, which grows only in Hawaii. Each material has its own characteristics that affect the sound and other properties of the instrument (for example, appearance and durability). However, the sound of a guitar largely depends on a number of other factors besides the material — the type of instrument, the shape of the body, etc. Therefore, models made of similar materials may well sound noticeably different. In addition, note that expensive woods can be used solely for aesthetic purposes and have no advantages over cheaper materials.

In light of all this, we can say that the data on materials are more of a reference value, and when choosing, it is more likely to focus on more significant characteristics (for example, the same body shape), as well as practical data about the tool (reviews, reviews, audio recordings of the game etc.). Detailed data on materials may be required only by professional musicians, luthier masters, etc.; this information, if desired, can be found in special sources.

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.

The material from which the neck of the guitar is made — more precisely, the base of the neck (the fretboard can be made from another material). Now the most commonly used materials are: nato, maple and mahogany. For the value of this parameter, see p. "Top deck".