Guitar Body Shapes

[emergency_pants]

I'm tossing a coin between a Super-Jumbo with a solid spruce top and a Super-Folk with a solid cedar top.

 

I'd like some opinions on the different guitar shapes.

 

I'm playing mostly at home and each of the guitars I'm looking at (tanglewood TW145-CS and TW155-ST) have B-Band pickups for recording.

 

I'm worried that a jumbo body might be a bit large for just using at home and think maybe the super-folk size will suit me better. I'm learning fingerpicking and tend to play both fingerpicking and strumming in equal measures.

 

I'm happy with the tone of either wood, really. It's more the size of the body I am interested in at the moment... is there a more balanced range with a folk guitar than a jumbo? And would a folk suit homeplaying more?

 

Cheers,

Simon.

[Danocoustic]

Not familiar with Super-Jumbo or Super-Folk...are they similar to anything more recognizable?

 

You've got a great moniker, by the way

[riffmeister]

if you like the sound and playability of both guitars, then it just comes down to which one is more comfortable to hold.

[emergency_pants]

:D Thanks,

 

I'm not sure about standard guitar sizes, but here's a page with all the model sizes side-by-side.

 

http://www.tanglewoodguitars.co.uk/products/default.asp?cID=47

I'm looking at the "Sundance Premier" range on that page.

 

I'm fairly settled on the manufacturer and the excellent price/quality of these but I just can't decide between the TW155 and TW145!!

 

Unfortunately, I can't get to play a TW145 but I'm just having doubts on my initial choice to get the TW155 and I think it really comes down to the size and shape of the bodies and whether the Jumbo's sound will be OTT. i.e. generally speaking, is a jumbo body more suited to one style of playing? And does the smaller body size make a guitar more suitable for a mixture of playing styles?

 

 

[Danocoustic]

Originally posted by emergency_pants :D Thanks, I'm not sure about standard guitar sizes, but here's a page with all the model sizes side-by-side. http://www.tanglewoodguitars.co.uk/products/default.asp?cID=47 I'm looking at the "Sundance Premier" range on that page. I'm fairly settled on the manufacturer and the excellent price/quality of these but I just can't decide between the TW155 and TW145!! Unfortunately, I can't get to play a TW145 but I'm just having doubts on my initial choice to get the TW155 and I think it really comes down to the size and shape of the bodies and whether the Jumbo's sound will be OTT. i.e. generally speaking, is a jumbo body more suited to one style of playing? And does the smaller body size make a guitar more suitable for a mixture of playing styles?

Well...generally speaking, a smaller body will be more defined with a more even response across the frequency range; a larger body will have more bass response and more volume.

 

These are only generalizations, though. I believe it comes down to individual instruments.

[Freeman Keller]

Hi Emergency

 

When Danocoustic refered to standard sized I think he meant the Martin size shapes

 

Martin sizes

 

Go to the bottom for more information including the actual measurements of each size.

 

Some other manufactures, like Taylor use size names like GA (Grand Auditorium), GC (Grand Concert) but most players refer to OM or 000 or D or J sizes. Gibson uses the Jumbo designation and Martin also has a "J" size. It looks like the "Super folk" is more or less an OM or GA.

 

I haven't played J sized guitars much but they do feel big - only you can decide if it is too big. In general it will emphasize the bass, while a smaller bodied guitar is more balanced. Most finger pickers, particularly those that play with flesh and nails, like smaller guitars - my 000 is surprising loud but very complex and full sounding. It just feels right in my lap when sitting on the couch and picking. On the other hand my dreads feel big - I feel like I should be standing up when I play them.

 

Flat pickers and strummers often perfer bigger guitars - Dreads usually but I would think the Jumbo would fit that style. The OM sized guitar is often considered the best compromize for both strumming and fingerpicking.

 

The top woods will have a big influence on how the guitar sounds. Cedar is a softer wood and not used as often as spruce - when it is it is almost always on small bodied finger style guitars or on classicals. I would think you would need to be more careful with picks on cedar. If you like the size of the Super-Folk you might want to consider it in spruce - it would be interesting to compare the sounds of cedar to spruce in the same body size and wood.

 

Anyway, as a finger picker I would choose the "Super Folk", but I would seriously consider a spruce top. YMMV

[emergency_pants]

Hey, thanks for the replies everyone. Just to let you know I just phoned the store and ordered the super-folk cedar-topped TW145. I had previously ordered the Jumbo, but I changed my mind. They still hadn't received delivery, so it was no bother changing my mind.

 

I reckon that little old me sitting on my sofa, or recording in front of my PC, strumming and picking to myself really didn't warrant getting a great big jumbo guitar!! Also, my 9 month old little girl will probably appreciate me having the smaller bodied guitar, instead of the big sound of the jumbo!!

 

Freeman, I read your post after I changed my order and reading what you say about jumbos seconds my reasons for changing. Nice one... thanks.

 

The cedar/spruce issue actually doesn't bother me too much... I know that these Tanglewood guitars are built well and are great quality for the price. I feel comfortable that I'd be happy with either the brighter spruce OR the warmer sound of the cedar.

 

I had already decided that I wanted a departure from my old dreadnought, so the smaller-bodied super-folk and cedar top just means that I have extra differences, which is a good thing, methinks! More variety.

 

I hadn't considered that cedar is a softer wood, but the guitar has a pickguard and it will rarely leave the house, so that should be fine.

 

Thanks again for your replies. Any more opinions gratefully received! Feel free to tell me what a terrible mistake I've made in changing my mind! heheh.

 

Cheers,

Simon.

[Freeman Keller]

It does look sweet. Report back here to the mother ship when you get it.

[emergency_pants]

To follow-up... yay! My TW145 arrived today. I'm amazed by it. I never thought I'd get a guitar of this quality at the price I paid for it.

[Ovation]

Good looking guitar! I love the roundness all of the way around.

 

Thanks for posting the pic.

 

Why are guitars overall getting less expensive? I think maybe because of the internet. Some stores used to charge super high prices because it wasn't easy to shop around. Now you can shop most any item on the internet to get a general idea of what the price should be. My opinion.