What's Your Most Popular Body Style - Guitars...

[Hesh1956]

I read somewhere a couple of years ago that 70% of the guitars sold in the States are dread*oughts. When I read this I wondered if this is because this is what most of the fa*tory offerings are and folks don't have as great a choice in other body styles as they do in dreads. But what do I know....

So I wanted to ask the gang here and specifically the members who sell guitars either on a commission basis or as "spec" guitars what you are seeing in terms of what body styles are popular, not popular, etc?

And for everyone else and while we are at it what's your favorite guitar body style? Mine is a toss-up between OMs and L-OOs.

Many thanks!

[Bob Connor]

Probably 70% of what you see in shops in Australia are dreadnoughts Hesh.

I guess that's what most people see as being a "normal' guitar.

We've built more OM's than anything else but my favorite is the 0-18. We forward shift the braces on them which seems to give them a bit more bottom end. I think they sound a little more balanced than a standard braced 0-18 which can be a little mid-rangey (good for country blues though)

[Nick]

Don't build 'em for a living (I wish!) but as far as favourites go, it would be the shape of my OOO, dead sexy and has a bit of volume to boot.Plus for a little bugger like me, it's comfortable to play, have to reach too far on a dready.

[Allen]

Cash sales have come from the 000's and 0M's.

My preference is for smaller body styles, and I want to try a L-00 and 0-18. My Size 5 is by far my favorite instrument, and everyone that plays it just can't believe the sound from such a small instrument, but as yet no one has been willing to plunk down some cash for one. I do get comments that it must be a kids instrument. Something about being too small to be taken seriously by an Adult. Apparently these people haven't heard that size doesn't matter.

I asked at the most popular Guitar Shop in Cairns what they sold the most of, and they said that it will vary from year to year. One year they will sell 90% Dreads, and then the next they will barely sell any. They didn't have a reason why this was, and wished that they could predict it better, like most of us do.

[James Mc]

I don’t sell but I do the odd repair and get many requests for builds, I also have far too many guitarists taking up my time. For the past several months there has been a bunch of guitars sitting around my desk, Martin dread, Woodtone 14 fret about the size of a classical (is that OM?), old peg head flamenco, couple of classicals and the little 14 fret I made for the better half (guess it is about OO size). My office/workshop is next to a recording studio so the other thing I tend to have a bunch of cluttering the place up is musicians.

Watching the interaction between my two main items of office clutter has become something of an anthropological study for me. Classical guitarists pick up the classicals then the flamenco then the Barry Kerr Woodtone and last the little one I made and most go back to the flamenco and seem happy to play around with it for the rest of their visit. Steel string players start with the Martin then the little one I made then the Woodtone and tend to settle in with the Woodtone or my one.

The strange thing is that the Martin Dread would be the least played guitar and the little OO I made the most played, but when they ask about having a guitar made (and they almost all do) and I ask what type of guitar they would like, the most common response is a cutaway dread.

I really don’t get it… the people that pester me to build them a guitar almost always want dreads but also tend to be the ones who have fallen in love with my ladies little OO and play it almost exclusively when they drop in for a visit. I’ve asked many of them “why dread?’ and get a bunch of nonsense answers that seem to come back to not wanting to be seen playing a girlie sized guitar. Interestingly, the few female players love the little OO and want to know if I could build them one the same size; it is also the girls who seem to notice that the OO and Martin dread are about the same volume.

My conclusion, guys think bigger is better and girls think that size doesn’t matter.

My personal view is that the standard classical size is about perfect be it for steel or nylon.

Cheers
James

[kiwigeo]

Once I start churning out my lutes, OMs, )-18s and Dreads will be so passe.

[joel]

I own two store bought Dread*noughts.

I'm building an OM (very, very, very slowly)

I want to build a size five and a Hesh inspired L-00 (I won't go the black top though )

[xray]

hey hesh most of the guitars that all of my mates swear by are dreadies. I hate them but they produce a nice even sound. My preference is for the OM size and i have literally just finished making two more moulds so as to build three at a time now. I think that the nicer figured timber out there is sometimes just too small for a dread. These days with the decline of quality and size in trees i suspect people will be building with three piece tops and backs or favouring the smaller guitars like the OM or OOO

[rocket]

While we're on the subject i might add that 17" archtops don't seem too popular amongst most of the builders here, i wonder why why that is? Pesonally i think they are a beautifull looking instrument with a lovely sound.

[Dave Anderson]

As of today,my favorite shape is OOO with slight upper bout changes and running
a close 2nd would have to be the famous L-00 !
I think a lot of guitar buyers probably want what their favorite
musician is using. If they see Neil Young or Stephen Stills strumming
a Martin D-45 then a Dread is what they want. This is how I used to
be before I got into making these things and found all the other shapes.
Now I want a Harp guitar like Stephen Bennett plays!! ....juuust kiddin'

[Nick]

If they see Neil Young or Stephen Stills strumming
a Martin D-45 then a Dread is what they want.

Damn Hippies

[Clancy]

Rocket

17" archtops don't seem too popular

My 17" archtop gets all the attention when people visit.
That's OK as I'm always forced to re-aquaint myself with my first love, an engelman/IR OM.
What's not OK is that while everyone leaves wanting an archtop, no-one is prepared to put the money down - and I only charge for materials!
I think they're hoping that if they wait long enough I'll have made too many & start giving them away

[Clancy]

Allen, do you have a pic of your 'size 5' guitar.
I checked your website but couldn't see it there.
Sounds like something I'd be interested having a go at making.

[Allen]

Here's a picture showing it in front of a 000 to give you an idea of scale.


I've got more pictures if you want. My avatar is the headstock on this guitar.

[Allen]

And this just showed up in the post today. Guess what it's going to be?

[liam_fnq]

its gonna be unreal by the looks of things.

parlor guitars are def my thing. 1920's stellas and the like. john how's small ladder braced guitars are about the sexiest guitar porn i've seen in a while.

[ozziebluesman]

I have to say I too like the small body guitars. L-00, concert and parlour size guitars are such a comfortable sized guitar to play. I also like the focused tone and they are perfect guitars to use for vocal accompliment. Dreadies have their place but give me a small bodied guitar anytime.

Cheers

Alan

[xray]

i wikied the term parlour guitar and im still confused what guitars fall into this catagory. Are 000 00 and OM L18 all parlour guitars or not. much appreciated

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Xray.

Try spelling parlor the American way and you might find more info.

A 000 and OM size guitar have a 15" lower bout, L-00 14", Martin L-018 is 13 1/2" and a concert size-parlour size guitar has a 12" lower bout. A Terz size like Allen's is 12" too I think. These are approximate measurements.

Hope that is some help.

Cheers

Alan

[Bob Connor]

I don't think an OM/000 would qualify as a parlor guitar.

00's and 0's and L00's certainly would as would anything smaller.

[Hesh1956]

Liam my friend here is a pic for you of John How and some of his very cool guitars:

[kiwigeo]

Mmm...I gotta get myself a T shirt with my name on the front.

[Mongrel]

I have given quite a few lessons over my time, and the dreadnought (?) is the guitar of choice for the budding strummer. Its volume and natural timbre (not timber ) seem to make it popular as it sometimes hides (or should I say compliments) a weak player. A 00 or even 000 are known for their great string seperation and clarity, which, if your're still having trouble fingering an open C then it picks out each and every one of your mistakes beautifully.
The guitar is the most popular instrument in the world and so the consumer would drive the mass market.

In all honesty I a still confused sometimes by the different "codenames" that are used. I assume that the sysem of identifying a shape is based on either Martin specs or Taylor specs (or did Taylor base them on something older)

Me... I like a nice jumbo for strumming and a grand concert 00 for finger picking goodness

[Clancy]

Thanks for the pic Allen - definately on my list now.

I always got confused what shape was what.
Found this chart somewhere along the way...( & then forgot I had it)

[Rick Turner]

Mid sized jumbos and mini jumbos. Yeah, I know that they are oxymorons... I'm going to build another nano-jumbo, too...

I wouldn't consider anything above single O Martin size to be a parlor guitar. OOs were pretty big for the true era of parlor guitars and were considered "grand concert" sized in their day. The trend has been to supersize guitars and now to think of OOs as being parlor, but they weren't designed that way.