Acoustic Guitars: Handmade vs. Factory
by Craig Braunschweig
Gear is a topic that is probably the most discussed of all things when it comes to music, especially in the world of guitars. Everyone has a preference, everyone has an opinion and everyone is usually right because it really amounts to what they are looking for in their individual playing experience.
In terms of acoustic guitars, one of the biggest differentiating things is handmade vs. factory as well as a few other composition (ie wood type) related factors. In the end, it will always be up to individuals to decide for themselves, but what follows is as straightforward an explanation as I can hope to come up with in such a convoluted debate.
Handmade Vs. Factory What’s the Real Difference?
The most glaring difference here will always be the price tag, especially if you’re buying a new guitar. While a high end Taylor or Martin guitar’s tag may make you cringe, most handmade guitars will make you want to cry.
The next thing that needs to be considered is how well the guitar is actually made. I was fortunate enough to find a handmade guitar in a pawn shop for an incredible price, but because the finish was so thin, the body was already cracking and some of the inlay work was less than perfect. Still, I love the guitar and it’s unique sound fits me so wonderfully I’d try harder to find the man who made it if it ever broke, regardless of some of it’s physical flaws. But it does raise the question of longevity. A good deal of handmade guitars will give a unique and lovely sound as well as appearance but will they be built to last? That’s a question only time will tell and with the price tag, you’d better consider well or truly trust yourself to take expert care of it.
Factory guitars are no slouch in terms of tone either, with the possible exception of the cheapest/base models of almost any brand. They will play like you’ll read about in your research and will also give you that feeling of “owning a Martin” (or other name brand) as well as the brand’s signature sound. They are built well and are known for it or the maker wouldn’t be in business. Even the base models can be great, especially in older guitars. My experience with factory guitars has been just fine, ie, I’ve loved every one I’ve ever owned, although I’ve never owned many guitars because I can only play one at a time anyway. Point is, for any player, a major maker factory built guitar will offer what you’re looking for at a reasonable price (even if that’s around $3,000) at some point within their offerings. Also, factories love to build custom guitars, if you’re willing to pay their price.
The only other thing I can think to tack onto this is the wood choices. A factory will always go with readily available, sonically consistent wood from suppliers they trust. Occasionally a factory will offer a unique wood like teak in a limited edition run as well. All handmade guitars will come from hand selected woods. This is part of the unique sound they give, but there’s more on the tonal difference of woods to follow.
Composition/Wood Choice
Composition of acoustic guitars varies widely. Most models use hardwood backs and sides to concentrate sound with a soft wood face/top to allow the vibrations to penetrate the sound cavity. Some focus more on the overall finished look than the actual tonality. Either way, your ear will decide what it’s wanting to hear and eye what it’s wanting to see. Also, neck wood choice is important, the denser the better, so it doesn’t steal any sound before it gets to the body.
Common woods used in guitars are Mahogany, Koa, Brazilian Rosewood, Indian Rosewood, Sitka Spruce, Red Spruce, Maple, Alder, Poplar, Basswood and Ebony. While these all have their own characteristics, I won’t go into that here. Instead, I’ll refer you to the Sweetwater buying guide for acoustic guitars which has a very good description of each.
Unless you are choosing woods for a custom guitar, you are likely going to go with the choices that are present in the guitar you best like the sound of. For the average buyer, your ear and your fingers are your best bet when deciding which guitar you like. You might say, “Fingers? What the devil do you mean by that?” Simple: I don’t like maple necks. The wood feels soft to me and I don’t like the strings response. I think they are the most attractive neck on just about any guitar, but they don’t feel right for me.
Another composition related topic is the size of the guitar and it’s body style. There are four main body styles: Classical, Dreadnought, Jumbo and Cutaway (a variation of dreadnought usually). Each has their own strengths. A classical guitar has wider string spacing and uses nylon or gut strings, lending it a warm tone but lacks volume due to it’s smaller size. A dreadnought is the staple body style and is probably the most diverse in types of music that can be played with it. A Jumbo has a lot of volume because it’s a relative cave behind the soundhole, but can be a daunting task to play for a smaller framed person. The cutaways simply allow access to higher frets, which does change the tonal characteristics some as well as reduce volume because of the variation. To make it more confusing, to each of these styles there a ton of variations, one of which is right for you.
The Set-Up
By this I mean, Acoustic-Electric or true Acoustic, tuning heads, saddle/bridge and nut style as well as aesthetics. There are a variety of acoustic-electric options and they are popular primarily because they allow amplification without being confined to standing in front of an external microphone. One option is the under saddle pickup, which reproduces the sound from the actual vibrations in the wood and is the most feedback resistant. From there, there are duo set-ups that mix the under saddle pickup with an interior microphone to more fully capture the “true” sound of the acoustic. Finally there are soundhole mounted humbucking or single coil pickups which give a sound that is both acoustic and electric, like that of a semi-hollow (except super hollow) guitar. If you don’t want a list of purchases with a lot of dissatisfaction, it’s probably best to go with a factory installed unit if you are thinking that this is the route for you. Otherwise, expect a lot of trial and error. Bear in mind that the only way to capture the actual sound of your guitar fully will be with a high end microphone mounted on a mic stand because it’s capturing the sound your guitar is putting out as a finished product instead of picking it up somewhere along that process. Not to say pick-ups aren’t good, they are and they are super easy comparatively.
When it comes to tuning heads (or pegs), closed back tuners are generally superior particularly from well known brands like Grover or Schaller. In classical guitars, closed backs are not used and they are the exception to this rule of thumb. The closed back tuning heads are smoother operating, hold their tune better (at least to my ear), and tend to be less maintenance prone since the gears are all encased.
Saddle and Nut options are few but can be important. In fact, when customizing a “new to me” guitar, these would be the first and, usually, only changes I make to it. The saddle is the piece the strings are pressed against on the bridge of the guitar and the nut is the piece prior at the end of the fretboard before the tuning pegs. Most of these are made of plastic, which can sap sound due to plastic’s soft structure. Plastic also wears and will need replacement. Bone is the most common hard material and considered tonally superior though there are likely some equally good composite materials available now as well. The nut controls string spacing mainly, so choose one that both matches your neck width and your personal preference.
When it comes to the saddle, an intonated one is best (sometimes called an intonated bridge). The idea behind the intonation is to balance each string’s contact point in a way that allows it to ring the same open as they do when fretted at the twelfth fret (the full octave higher). While a saddle cannot guarantee this, it can go a long way towards insuring a tonally perfect guitar. The other function of the saddle is to control the action, or height of the strings from the fretboard. To lower a saddle that isn’t controlled by screws or other device requires sanding and patience.
Finally there is aesthetics. Do you like the price? Does the guitar appeal to you and your sense of what a guitar should look like? Do you like the color? Do you like the pickguard? Do you like the tone? Do you like the feel? If you don’t like something, is it something you can live with or change later? All these things are important and almost more so than any of the above since they are a big reason you’ll love the guitar long into the future. the guitar long into the future.
The Distillation
See what I mean by convoluted? There’s no end to breaking this stuff down into pieces so small that it becomes too overwhelming to even know where to start. A little information never hurt anyone but too much is the cause of a great many headaches. So now it’s time to calm down, trust your own judgment and enjoy all the wonderful guitars you’re going to meet along the way. The one that’s for you will be like the wand for Harry Potter, there’s no mistaking the connection once it’s in your hands.
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opthamologists
December 31, 2010 at 8:18 am