Trend toward smaller body guitars (AGF sponsors)?

[fd943]

Guess I’m odd man out here. I still like the sound and looks of my dreads!

[mercy]

I started on a small body then got a ton of electrics that were small body then a classical which is small then a dread and another then a 000 then two 00. I dont know if thats a trend but big guitars are uncomfortable.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by jazzguy

I'm curious if anyone else is noticing this. For the past 5 years or so I have casually noticed (outside of the Bluegrass genre) that many acoustic players you see on TV, on albums, etc are playing smaller body guitars vs the full size GA or Dread's. When I say smaller body, I mean OM,000,00,0, parlor.

When I was in a very large Southeast private guitar store in TN recently, I decided to test my theory on the owner. He said, "I have absolutely sold more small body acoustics in the last few years than I ever have". Maybe this is an anomaly, but I'm curious what AGF'rs have observed (and especially AGF sponsors - if they are open to sharing).

My theory of why the trend exists (if it actually does).

1. Ed Sheeran
2. Growth in the number of acoustic singer-song writers
3. people just like them because they are comfortable
4. opens up wood options for the mfg - not necessarily a lot less money to build, but you can produce more tops /bottoms with less wood.
5. great guitar pickup options and in-ear monitors require less "volume" so that you don't have to strum your guitar to death.

1. Ed Sheeran
2. Growth in the number of acoustic singer-song writers - This
3. people just like them because they are comfortable - This
4. opens up wood options for the mfg - not necessarily a lot less money to build, but you can produce more tops /bottoms with less wood.
5. great guitar pickup options and in-ear monitors require less "volume" so that you don't have to strum your guitar to death.

#4 is just a result of the biggest reasons of #2 & #3.

[TDavis]

Originally Posted by Otterhound

Try Martin Bluegrass strings or any combination of heavy EAD strings with your choice of lighter GBE strings .
Kenny Sultan does this and claims positive results . He even plays a 000-18 or did when I heard this from him .

Thanks for the tip. I'm a novice, so don't want to go to heavy on strings right now...but I'd like a little more "presence" so to speak.

[TDavis]

Originally Posted by Spyvito

I saw two live shows this year, Lyle Lovett and last night Dwight Yoakam. Except for the few songs Dwight played with his Epiphone electric, both played dreads and sounded great.

I couldn't imagine Lyle or Dwight playing anything but their dreadnoughts.

[Birdbrain]

Ever the contrarian, I just bought my first jumbo. It's a joy to me now, but the future is uncertain. One month ago I got a cortisone shot in my right shoulder. Once that wears off and Arthur is back, I might be looking for a GS mini!

What I'll never buy is another dreadnaught. Felt like I was balancing a cabinet on my leg and reaching around to play the back side. At least the jumbo sits planted on its nice shapely waist, and the big butt, er, lower bout, puts most of the guitar's the volume-producing volume out of my way.

[HodgdonExtreme]

I'm new to AGF and the guitar-aficionado world itself. However, I'm not new to guitar, having played them for 20 years.

Since I've been on AGF, it's been clear to me that smaller guitars are way more popular than dreads around here. It has encouraged me to try out the smaller guitars.

While I definitely enjoy the smaller bodies, and certainly find them a bit more comfortable to play sitting on the couch, I still prefer the look and sound of a dread or a 0000 (M) size.

[L20A]

I went back to the Chris Martin video and he said something that clicked with me.
Chris stated that Dreds are still a great choice when standing but a smaller body is more comfortable when sitting.

I totally agree with this.
I love my Dreds sound but I have started to use a strap with them when sitting.
This supports the guitar and makes playing it more comfortable for me.

I decided to try a smaller guitar for sitting and it actually is more comfortable and I can play it for a longer time period.

For now, I will keep my Dreds but my future purchases may be smaller bodied guitars.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Have you played my Yamamoto Talus VS-12 (paulownia top/cocobolo B&S)?

No, I haven't. If I knew where I could play one, I'd certainly give it a try.

My Olson SJ and my Sheppard GA Ave Maria both produce more bass than my 1967 Martin D-35, but the Olson and Sheppard are not particularly good guitars to play with a flat pick. They are too responsive and really only work well, at least for me, when played with fingers, which is what I do 90% of the time. They have a smaller waste than a typical dreadnought and are probably a little more comfortable to play when seated, but as good as these guitars are, they do not take the place of a good dreadnought for me.

I understand the value of smaller body guitars to players today, I understand why people are buying them, and I own a fair number of these OM/000 guitars -- a Martin 000-28VS, a Santa Cruz OM/PW, a Collings OM1A. But after spending a fair number of years with these guitars, I know that my old Martin D-35 sounds better to my ears. I'm certainly not interested in spending more money on guitars at my stage in life unless it's for a better dreadnought than the one I already own.

- Glenn

[Tim McKnight]

We build 1-2 dreds a year. Most of the orders we receive are for mid size guitars. OO and O don't see the same popularity (for us) either. Most of our orders are for MiniMac, HighLander, LowLander and SDG models, which are all OM-ish in size.

[Social Exodus]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

These fashion trends come and go. I've lived through many of them, from the universal dread fad in the '70s to the GA fad in the '90s and 2000s, to the recent small guitar trend.

Fadss also existent in the electric guitar world. I call the gear trend periods "SNEER PERIODS" and find it fascinating what guitarists find to sneer about:

Just as in the world of clothing, in the world of guitar, styles come and go. And just as you can end up on the wrong end of a disparaging look if your clothing is out of fashion, you can be sneered at in the guitar community. Okay, here are some “sneer periods” I’ve survived:

1. You are still playing a single-coil pickup guitar? You’ll be really hip when you get a Les Paul.

2. How can you still be using a 50 watt amp? Really, now. You need at least 100 watts.

3. You are still using a Fender combo amp? Oooo… Uncool. You need a Marshall stack. Or maybe TWO.

4. You are still using the factory guitar case? C’mon, real men need a REAL case (toe nudges a 50 pound black Anvil monster with 20,000 nicks, two handles, and the ragged remains of all-access passes from 42 states, though it has never left this one).

5. Are you still using the factory saddles and nut? No, no. You need BRASS for that extra sustain.

6. You aren’t really still using those stock Gibson humbuckers are you? I feel sorry for you. DiMarzios have so much more gain!

7. Still using a Les Paul Standard? You know, my CUSTOM is so much nicer! It’s got THE tone and low frets and action.

8. You are still using a solid-body guitar? No, no, you need an ES-335 or ES-175. More character!

9. DiMarzios? They’re for metal-heads. So brash and dirty! You need EMGs or Seymour Duncans!

10. If you don’t play a Rick, you’ll just never fit in.

11. I can’t believe you like to play that ancient, drab guitar. Get with it! You need something with rad, splashy colors and cool points and angles!!!

12. You are still playing a hard-tail guitar? No, no, laddie! Where have you been for the last ten years? You need a Floyd! It can dive-bomb, squeal and whine!

13. Face it, if you play a guitar, you are a fossil. MIDI is IT! (1983)

14. Well, I can tell you that the only way you are going to get the flexibility you need is by tossing those old amps and building a custom stereo system into a rack. You’ll need loops out to a chorus, flanger, two delays, and a digital reverb to be complex enough. You’ll want to get a MIDI controller for it all.

15. I’m sorry, we need a Strat player. Those humbuckers are just so DARK. You know, Gibsons are passe’.

16. All your gear is so new! How do we know how long you’ve been playing?

17. Those rack setups are so cold. Only vintage, low-wattage combos get the really warm power amp distortion sound. What you need is to go out and find a late’50s tweed amp or a booteek reproduction.

18. I think pointy guitars are soooooo ugly, don’t you? And every time you break a string on that Floyd it takes ten minutes to retune!

19. I can’t believe you sold all that cool stuff you had in the seventies!

20. Single-coil pickups are so shrill. You need a Gibson with humbuckers. Preferably a Les Paul Standard with fat frets. I never could handle those LP Customs with their slinky frets.

21. Can you believe that some turkey replaced the original saddles and nut with BRASS and the pickups with DiMarzios, for cryin’ outloud? It took months to restore this thing. Stock EVERYTHING is the way to go for that authentic sound.

22. You know, I’ve never liked the quality of mass-produced instruments. To really get THAT tone, you need a hand-built one-off from a small shop. This beauty only cost me $9300.

23. Humbuckers are too dark and single-coils are too clean! You've got to have P-90s pickups to get that sound. And not those awful modern humbuckers - you need to track down a set of vintage Gibson P-90s.

The list goes on and on. The moral: PLAY WHAT YOU LIKE AND LIKE WHAT YOU PLAY. Oh, and hold on to the good stuff. It'll be back in style before you know it.

Bob

Truth. I think it's called effective marketing and community buzz.

[musicman1951]

I just traded my dread for a smaller guitar, so I guess I'm not the exception.

I'm sure it depends on the kind of music you play, and unplugged needs - at least it was for me. That dread was a sound monster (D-28 Authentic) which was wonderful on the rare occasion I had to accompany retreat teams with 30 singers and no amp. At home in my kitchen it could be too much sound for solo voice.

Then there is the size - both for the shoulder and the long scale for the old fingers. Neither made me terribly happy. Since I generally use an amp, the volume was not much of a draw. I always played my 000, taking the dread out when guilt made me try and justify the money I spent on the purchase.

I'm very happy with my two smaller guitars.

As for Bob's excellent post: I made it to the hollow body with Seymour Duncans. I purchased it used (like most of my guitars) and couldn't figure out the little "filter" dial on the Gibson. I had the store look up the specs and #1 was the clean setting. NOT for my guitar. That's when I discovered someone replaced the pickups with DiMarzios - hence the SD purchase. I did have a Marshall stack for a short period. Then my sanity returned.