Jump to content
  • Acoustic Guitars – Dreadnought vs Concert vs Auditorium

    By Chris Loeffler |

    Acoustic Guitars – Dreadnought vs Concert vs Auditorium

    Not all Acoustics are created equal

    by Chris Loeffler

    Acoustic guitars come in many shapes and sizes, but most manufacturers tend to delineate them into families based on the size, design, and intention of the acoustic guitar. The exact sizes and specs of each acoustic guitar vary (even within theoretically similar styles) among manufacturers, so there are few hard rules to lean on when looking at the differing types of acoustic guitars. As a result, a recurring question we see throughout the Harmony Central forums is, “What is the difference between Dreadnought acoustic guitars vs Concert acoustic guitars vs Auditorium acoustic guitars?” Fortunately, guitar players can have a good idea of what to expect from an instrument based on its style.

     

    While there are many other styles of acoustic guitars, including Parlor acoustic guitars, Jumbo acoustic guitars, and “Grand” acoustic guitars - each built for a targeted sound and playing style - this overview will focus on the three variations of acoustic guitars mentioned above.

     

    Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar – The Original Classic

    The Dreadnought acoustic guitar style was originally designed by C.F. Martin & Company in 1916 to be bigger, bolder, and louder-sounding than the smaller acoustic guitars being played at the time. This robustness is reflected in the name, which is a reference to the HMS Dreadnought - a massive, modern gunship launched in 1906. The Dreadnought acoustic guitar quickly became a “go-to” style for acoustic guitar players. The Dreadnought acoustic guitar is still the most popular and commonly used acoustic guitar, proliferating in bluegrass, country, rock, and blues.

    Loud and powerful, the Dreadnought guitar is that rare acoustic guitar capable of standing up to an electric band without significant help. The aesthetic of a dreadnought acoustic guitar is a bit boxier (Gibson’s Hummingbird even squares off the shoulders) to achieve the desired projection, and the body of the dreadnought is a bit deeper. In addition to power and punch, a Dreadnought acoustic guitar typically produces strong lows and strong mids for a full sound that forms massive chords and kick to bluegrass runs.

     

    Auditorium Acoustic Guitar – A Modern Balancing Act

    The Auditorium acoustic guitar style is a newer shape to emerge in the acoustic guitar world. This acoustic guitar style was also an original C.F. Martin & Company design, and was intended to bridge the gap between the corpulent Dreadnought acoustic guitar and the petite, nuanced Parlor acoustic guitar. This “in-between” status gave the Auditorium acoustic guitar style a leg-up with fingerstyle guitarist and folk guitar players who sought the ability to jump between intricate picking and still keep up the low end when digging into chords.

    The Auditorium acoustic guitar has a markedly more pronounced waist, which some guitarist, especially smaller-framed ones, prefer over the Dreadnought acoustic guitar. There's a deeper cut against the knee to lower the guitar, and a deep cut on top for easier, more accessible arm clearance. On an end-to-end or side-to-side measurement, Auditorium acoustic guitars tend to be near or the same as a Dreadnought acoustic guitar. The Auditorium’s slightly more subdued bass and balance make it ideal for solo performers who have the sonic space for the more gentle and intricate playing to stand out. Balance is the name of the game with the Auditorium acoustic guitar vs Dreadnaught acoustic guitar.

     

    Concert Acoustic Guitar – A Bigger Parlor

    Unlike the Auditorium acoustic guitar’s middle-ground stance, the Concert acoustic guitar is very much an enlarged Parlor guitar, with a more shallow body, deeper waist, and shoulders smaller than its hips. Another relatively new body style, the Concert acoustic guitar was designed to make a bigger, richer Parlor acoustic guitar without abandoning its unique sounds or adopting the darker tones of larger-sized acoustic guitars. The Concert acoustic guitar’s smaller size and compact dimensions make it ideal for fingerstyle playing.

    The Concert acoustic guitar has an even more pronounced waist than the Auditorium acoustic guitar, which serves to keep overtones in check for a crisper, less harmonically dense delivery. While producing more bass than a Parlor guitar, the Concert acoustic guitar favors crisper highs and mids, but has a significantly reduced bass presence when compared to an Auditorium acoustic guitar or Dreadnought guitar. The Concert acoustic guitar is aimed at taking the unique but relatively low-volume Parlor acoustic guitar sound to performance volume levels for guitarist who rarely intend to strum out chords. 

     

    Dreadnought vs Auditorium vs Concert Acoustic Guitar – Which is Right for Me? 

    There’s a reason and a use for all styles of acoustic guitar and of course, there’s a lot of overlap and a few “can’t do that’s” between the Dreadnought vs Auditorium acoustic guitars. The booming ballast of the Dreadnought acoustic guitar is an iconic part of modern music and truly the best fitted, out of the box, to stand up to electric instruments and the most cutting with rhythm guitar. In the bluegrass world, the Dreadnought acoustic guitar is practically the first and last word in instrument options due to its drive and focus. On the other hand, the Auditorium acoustic guitar stands out in live solo performances and offers a unique tone that modern recording techniques are well equipped to capture. And for a brighter sound than an Auditorium or Dreadnought, but more bass than a Parlor acoustic guitar, there's always the Concert acoustic guitar. 

     

    Shop current models of Dreadnought Acoustic Guitars at Sweetwater.

    Shop current models of Auditorium Acoustic Guitars at Sweetwater.

    Shop current models of Concert Acoustic Guitars at Sweetwater.

      -HC-

    ____________________________________________ 

     

    rszchrisphoto-21e10e14.jpg.52f66f915332516473659dcc42cf209d.jpgChris Loeffler is a multi-instrumentalist and the Content Strategist of Harmony Central. In addition to his ten years experience as an online guitar merchandiser, marketing strategist, and community director he has worked as an international exporter, website consultant and brand manager. When he’s not working he can be found playing music, geeking out on guitar pedals and amps, and brewing tasty beer. 

     




    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    • Members

    I love my Martin dread and play it at acoustic jams with others also playing dreads.  I'm planning on getting a Taylor auditorium as I do a lot of soloing,  think it will be comfortable to play and add a slightly different sound,  but am (slightly) concerned about being heard.  I think the solution may be using a thicker pick than my usual .73mm.  

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


×
×
  • Create New...