More Guitar Talk

Some other terms you might hear when people are discussingdifferent types of guitars are:

• Fan Bracing: This is a style of internal construction com-monly used on Spanish guitars. It is considered essential tothe production of fine tone, and patterns very slightly fromone maker to another.


• X-Bracing: This is the style of bracing commonly used on today’s acoustic guitars. It isdesigned to withstand the high tension of steel strings.


• Arch Top: This refers to a curved or arched (as opposed to flat) top. Arched top instru-ments are said to have a warmer sound, like a violin.


• Solid Body: This is a type of construction in which the body of the instrument is a solidpiece of wood, fiberglass, or other material. The body of the instrument has no acousticresonance, so that, without amplification, the instrument produces only a thin, barelyaudible sound. Hollow-body instruments have a sound chamber (like an empty box)which amplifies the sound.

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