Facts
and Wonderment about the History of the Acoustic
Guitar
What Makes Acoustic Guitars
so Fascinating?
There are many instruments in
this world that have been around for centuries and
will be for many years to come. Music is one of
those magical senses that does more than just
reverberate off of our eardrums, it fills us with
emotions of pleasure, excitement and even sadness.
Whether is happy, romantic or
sad emotions the gift of music is one that can not
be equaled through any other art. One of these
instruments that I personally find to be one of my
favorites, is the acoustic guitar, or in country
terms, the flatop.
The history of the acoustic
guitar is a wonderful tale that goes way back into
time.The guitar itself goes back more than 5000
years into the historical vault. You can easily
track it back to Medieval times when it was
known as a three to five stringed instrument
that had a few different names such as the guitara
Latina and the guitara morisca.
Of course these guitars are
far different than the ones you see today but they
too made sweet music. Just as sweet as the Yamaha
or Fender which are popular choices in this day and
age.The history of the acoustic guitar itself goes
back around 100 years or so.
It is a descendant of the
classical guitar which uses nylon strings instead
of the wire which the acoustic models use giving
them a sharper tone. The classical
guitar was invented by a man named Antonio De
Torres which is commonly misunderstood to be the
same as an acoustic.
What's the Difference
Between Acoustic and Classical?
Since the strings are
different as well as the size the sounds
produced are vastly different. The acoustic guitar
is much louder and clearer than the classical.All
of the guitars in the distant past were of course
handmade.
Nowadays, these musical
instruments are mainly mass produced, many coming
from countries like China or other parts of Asia.
Even the famous brands such as Fender and Ovation
are now being assembled overseas and exported all
over the world.
Ahhh, American knowhow is now
lost which makes the older models still coveted by
collectors and even new guitarists.
Finding Hand Made
Models
You can still find a handmade
guitar without going back too far into the history
of the acoustic guitar. You can even find them
pretty easily now. You just have to know where to
look.
Acoustic guitars that are not
mass produced tend to be a little more expensive as
well, as do the popular brands such as Martin.
These types of brands tend to be looked at as the
best guitars available. But, each musician has his
or her own preference so you really should try many
of them out before making your final buying choice
since everyone is different. Read reviews online
but put the guitar in your hand and see how it
"feels" to you. The highest priced acoustic might
not be to your liking.
There are also electric
flatops which haven't been around quite as long as
their brothers but have still been with us for
about 70 years. So if you are looking into the
history of the acoustic guitar for help on buying
one make sure you do more research before you
choose. See what is said about different brands and
models, especially from professionals who have been
playing for a long time. Better yet, go to your
friendly local music store and play!
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