Small body guitars...

[JoeP]

Sorry for another newbie question, but I'm trying to figure out body size for a new guitar. I like the feel of a smaller body guitar (like a OO) - they are comfortable to play. In the past, when I played I flatpicked and chorded (?), but I'm wondering if this is going to be a problem. Last night, I was watching an Eddie's Guitar's video and they were demoing an OO. The person said in the video that the OO tended to like fingerpicking and light strumming.

So should I shy away from a small body guitar because of my playing style? Or are the comments more for those who play aggressive?

One more question, what actually occurs to a small body guitar when you aren't fingerpicking or light strumming? Does the sound get distorted?

Thanks!
Joe

[HHP]

Small bodies work fine for flatpicking, light or aggressive. They are particularly good in solo or duo settings where you don't need the big bottom end of a larger guitar.

One style of 00 that works great is the deep body. You get the sweet top end but a significantly enhanced bottom. Another 00 with a lot of versatility are the 12 fret models ala Martin with the elongated body.

[brencat]

Originally Posted by JoeP

One more question, what actually occurs to a small body guitar when you aren't fingerpicking or light strumming? Does the sound get distorted?

Thanks!
Joe

If you’re just playing on your couch, feel free to buy whatever you want. But to answer the question above...to me, when you lay into a smaller guitar, it lacks the deep, cavernous bass and echo of a larger guitar. It sounds “boxy” and constrained. I play 95% with a pick, mostly recreational flatpicking, and the balance mostly strumming in support of a choir at church. I have been through 7 OMs in 6 years trying to find the unicorn (a smaller guitar that can come close to dread-like tone). Only 1 so far has measured up...the Santa Cruz OM/PW. There is another as well: the Goodall TROM, but it is a bigger box than a traditional OM.

[tadol]

you need to sit in a store and try different sizes, and listen to them - I am always enchanted by small body guitars, but with the exception of a very special few, I find that an OM or 000 are about the minimum body size I really prefer personally -

[bsman]

Originally Posted by HHP

One style of 00 that works great is the deep body. You get the sweet top end but a significantly enhanced bottom. Another 00 with a lot of versatility are the 12 fret models ala Martin with the elongated body.

I'll second this. My Journey OF420 (00-size) actually provides more perceived volume than my Martin custom 000-15 (probably due to both the spruce top the Manzer wedge construction - which maximizes the depth of the body) with the same picking attack.

[imwjl]

My 2009 Santa Cruz "OMS" has been a fine do everything GAS killer guitar for years now.

It's not what my dreadnought was, nor what my smaller 00 was but for a non-pro with diverse interests it's been perfect. It's more fun to play than the two OMs I had (Martin, Larrivee).

Tuesday was 2+ hours jamming with bluegrass players. Last night was R&B or jazzy 3rd - 12th fret, barre chord, min7, maj7 and scales tying chords together stuff. Somewhere between was a surf song. All of it was good for aging hands and a tendon injury that never healed well.

As much as many love that particular custom and sometimes ordered by dealers model, other fine makers have their version. If the SCGS, Collings, Bourgeois, H&D, and Goodall sort of realm is too much look at the revamped Martin line. Now the reimagined series appears to sit between a standard 000-28 and EC.

[JoeP]

Thanks everyone!!!

I analyze everything - just my nature.

From reading everyone's comments - am I correct in saying that an OM is considered a small body guitar? So is an OM, OOO, OO, O and Parlor considered small body guitars?

[HHP]

Originally Posted by JoeP

Thanks everyone!!!

I analyze everything - just my nature.

From reading everyone's comments - am I correct in saying that an OM is considered a small body guitar? So is an OM, OOO, OO, O and Parlor considered small body guitars?

No set rule here, but I would consider an OM or 000 to be a standard size or medium size while 00 and down would be small body. In its day, 00 was considered quite large by guitar standards.

[min7b5]

A twelve fret 00 with medium strings can be a powerful thing. He’s a video me playing one fairly aggressively https://youtu.be/c0PtakexP94 I think a red spruce top is good too, but the main thing in my view is a twelve-fret body style.

[Alan Carruth]

Basically, what you lose as you go to a smaller body is bass. It's actually easier to make a powerful small guitar than a powerful big one. You can lighten up a bit on the top of a small one and still retain the stiffness: the mass of the top falls off faster than the area. It's the ratio of A/m that determines power. In addition, since your hearing tends to be more sensitive in the range around 2000-4000 Hz, and the small box puts out more of it's energy there, the smaller guitar will tend to 'cut through' and 'carry' better. The big one, with more bass, has a more 'enveloping' sound; it might sound louder to the player, but the rest of the room won't agree.

Also, with a lighter top the smaller guitar will respond better to a light touch, but it will still retain enough stiffness to give it good 'headroom' when driven hard. You get more dynanic range.

[JoeP]

I have so much (I want) to learn. With each comment, I'm thinking of new questions.

Thank you for your help!!!

[blindboyjimi]

There is no problem strumming an 00 or heavy flat picking. It’s not really size, it’s construction that you’d want to look at. In general terms a finger picker for a fingerstyle player has different specs than one built for a strummer and obviously if you go in the middle you’d get an all rounder.

The 00 is the most balanced of all the sizes, so the bass is about as strong as the midrange and treble. So, for me, that’s why I’d buy an 00. Adding the deeper body is an attempt to get more bass out of a small box, but to me, that defeats the purpose. If you want more bass, just move up to a 000/OM. Some people get the deep body 00 because they feel more comfortable with that size in a physical sense, so the deeper body is a bit of a cheat to get more bass, yet keep the smaller box for smaller people or people who play on the couch, etc. Also, the bracing and shape of the 00 changes its voice. An L-00 is intended to be boxy (Gibson/Waterloo), a Martin style short scale can be warm and sensitive (SCGC Eric Skye type). Yet make it long scale with an Adirondack top and it can be loud and powerful (like a 00-18 Tim O’Brien)

So in very general terms fingerstyle players use guitars that have wider spacing at the nut and saddle which makes playing individual notes easier while open strings ring out. They may feature lighter bracing, shorter scale length, and less stiff tops like Alpine, Englemann, Sitka, Cedar or Redwood. They respond more to a lighter touch, but may get muddy as they distort under heavier attack.

The opposite is true for the hard strummer rhythm guitar. The string spacing is narrower to facilitate easy strumming and chording. They’d be braced slightly stiffer and perhaps longer scale to get more tension (power) to the top for volume. Here you’d see stiffer top wood like Adirondack.

Finally, there are no rules. You can play anything on anything, but the above are only guidelines as to why people say this or that about a particular model. I hope this helps you.

[TBman]

A 00 size guitar isn't a "do all" guitar. I would use an OM or dread for flatpicking and smaller guitars for light playing.

[L20A]

I agree with the poster that stated you loose bass as you go smaller.
Think mandolin.
If you want a loud guitar go with a dred. If loud isn't needed, any smaller guitar will be fine and perhaps a better fit.
Then there is always amplification.

[MIGAS79]

Originally Posted by min7b5

A twelve fret 00 with medium strings can be a powerful thing. He’s a video me playing one fairly aggressively https://youtu.be/c0PtakexP94 I think a red spruce top is good too, but the main thing in my view is a twelve-fret body style.

The exact moment when you go from just reading an average thread to thinking “you know, I could just throw all my guitars away“