Any famous guitarist use small guitars as their main?

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by RalphH

Ed Sheeran recently set the record for having the highest-grossing tour of all time; over $775 million.

Playing a baby Martin. Doesn't seem to be holding him back.

Once you plug in body size doesn't make all that much difference. If anything it helps with feedback. So long as the scale length is comfortable then you're good.

I’m not very familiar with Sheeran’s music, but from what I’ve seen of him, I don’t think of him as a guitar player, really. He’s more of an American Idol style of singer songwriter who thwacks away on chords, usually plugged in, usually using effects. Which is great for him. But I take the OP’s question as being about particularly good guitar players, people known for being distinctive at acoustic guitar.

I’d probably make a similar observation about Chris Stapleton, whose guitar (LG-2) provides accompaniment to a fabulous singing voice. Which is great.

Closer would be Rodney Crowell perhaps, who is more of a player, and who uses a small guitar of some kind these days.

I think most of your real guitar guys and gals tend to use a 000/OM or bigger.

[Yrksman]

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

I think most of your real guitar guys and gals tend to use a 000/OM or bigger.

Bit of a sweeping statement.....real?

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Ilovetaylors

like parlors, or 00 sizes.....

around there.

I would love to see someone rock on a small guitar...and see if they can play big!

Ok, lets break this down a little.

Martin had a number of models numbered according to body size and prospective "audience" size.

Size 2 - "amateur" (12 inch wide body)
size 1 - "standard" (actually rarely made)
Size 0 - "concert" (13 1/2" wide)
Size 00 - "Grand concert" (14 & 1/8" wide) -possibly the best proportioned guitar made!
Size - 000 - "Auditorium" (15" wide!) and that was as big as they got until 1931 when the dreadnought was introduced.

You might consider the term "parlour" to apply to the size 2 to size 0 (if you can hold a concert in your kitchen or lounge!)

I'm not sure what you mean by "rock" but here's a size 0 being used by a great band, and hear how it cuts through. I saw this band earlier this year and he gave me his guitar to play and it felt "just fine".



Here is my Eastman Size "0" (also called P for parlour by them) compared to my 000 (Auditorium)

[Silly Moustache]

Rock ? Maybe this s what you mean :

[ALBD]

Originally Posted by Ilovetaylors

I would love to see someone rock on a small guitar...and see if they can play big!

Here ya go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwhvFLHIlBs

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Ok, lets break this down a little.

Martin had a number of models numbered according to body size and prospective "audience" size.

Size 2 - "amateur" (12 inch wide body)
size 1 - "standard" (actually rarely made)
Size 0 - "concert" (13 1/2" wide)
Size 00 - "Grand concert" (14 & 1/8" wide) -possibly the best proportioned guitar made!
Size - 000 - "Auditorium" (15" wide!) and that was as big as they got until 1931 when the dreadnought was introduced.

Until piezos became commonplace. Now you can play a stadium with a GS Mini.

[Cabarone]

Jason Wilbur backs John Prine on one (don't know the make/model)

Steve Goodman

Keb' Mo'

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by Yrksman

Bit of a sweeping statement.....real?

Yeah, real, in response to the OP’s specific question. And evident in most responses here, where people have characterized 000s and OMs as “smaller“ guitars.

[Maryc-k]

Originally Posted by vintage bass

Beat me to it! David is amazing.

David is now playing a fairly large D’Angelico arch top that belonged to Homer of Homer and Jethro.

[cdkrugjr]

Don’t forget that Dreads came into existence to compete, unamplified, with a Big Band horn section.

It was only later that Bluegrass discovered it’s flat picking mojo

[godfreydaniel]

Originally Posted by cdkrugjr

Don’t forget that Dreads came into existence to compete, unamplified, with a Big Band horn section.

It was only later that Bluegrass discovered it’s flat picking mojo

Archtops were used to compete with horn sections. Dreads are too bass-heavy. What big bands used dreads? I can’t think of any.

https://www.guitarplayer.com/frets/d...-brief-history

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by RalphH

Until piezos became commonplace. Now you can play a stadium with a GS Mini.

True but once you stick a piezo in an acoustic it it becomes an unpleasantly sounding electric guitar.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by godfreydaniel

Archtops were used to compete with horn sections. Dreads are too bass-heavy. What big bands used dreads? I can’t think of any.

https://www.guitarplayer.com/frets/d...-brief-history

None - or to be accurate, few - that's why both incarnations of "OM" (Orchestra models) developed from perverting the designs of the 000 and the original dreadnought, failed initially, until the folk circuit started to become commercially viable and picked up the dreadnought.

The OM introduced in 1929 was discontinued by 1933 and replaced by the 14 fret dreadnought in '34.

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by RalphH

Ed Sheeran recently set the record for having the highest-grossing tour of all time; over $775 million.

Playing a baby Martin. Doesn't seem to be holding him back.

Once you plug in body size doesn't make all that much difference. If anything it helps with feedback. So long as the scale length is comfortable then you're good.

Actually, Ed is now playing a "Wee" Lowden custom, and also his own line, made by Lowden, of Sheeran By Lowden small acoustics.


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[personatech]

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

Yeah, real, in response to the OP’s specific question. And evident in most responses here, where people have characterized 000s and OMs as “smaller“ guitars.

I think it's reasonable to consider 000/OM as "smaller" guitars, since the dread has long been the "standard" size given sales numbers and general public perception for decades now. Were you to ask, "Smaller than what?", I'd be willing to bet the most popular answer would be, "Smaller than a dreadnaught."