The Types of Western Guitars
If you’re about to buy a western guitar, it’s important to consider what you want in a guitar. It’s important to choose a guitar that fits your own character. There are three elements influencing sound: the shape, the material, and you, the player. Below, we provide an overview of the different models and their corresponding characteristics. An explanation of how the different types of wood can influence sound can be found here.
Check out our selection of western guitars!
Parlor
The parlor guitar, like the Lâg T90PE or the Eastman E20P, is the smallest western guitar. The volume of the guitar’s sound depends on the size of the body. Because the parlor is the smallest model, its volume is also the lowest. However, the guitar has a very balanced sound and can handle middle and high notes perfectly. This makes the parlor ideal for blues guitarists, but also for guitar players with smaller hands. You can check out our selection of parlor guitars here.
Double 00/Concert
The double 00, also known as concert, is the next model after the parlor when it comes to size. The number of 0’s in the name signifies the size of the body. A single 0-model is rarely seen, which is why we skip right to the double. These guitars have a wide bottom that comes quite far in, as is apparent with the Yamaha FS830DSR and the Art & Lutherie Legacy Q-Discrete, which means they are good at projecting high notes. Middle tones are also emphasised. The low bass notes are somewhat difficult to project due to the build of the guitar, but this is a conscious choice in order to achieve a beautiful contrast. It makes the 00 guitars very suitable for fingerpicking and blues. The two 0’s signify the width of the underside, which is approximately 34 centimetres. You can check out our selection of concert guitars here!
Triple 000
The triple 000 model was originally designed by Martin. Martin still offers many different triple 000 guitars, such as the popular Martin 000-13E, but also the Martin 000-28EC Eric Clapton Signature. Its form is very similar to a classical guitar, but this model is slightly larger. The width of the guitar is about the same as a classical guitar. In terms of qualities, this model is the same as the double 00, as described above. The only difference is that this model has a width of 36 centimetres. Check out our selection of triple 000 guitars here!
Orchestra model
The orchestra model, better known as the OM guitar, was also designed by Martin, just like the triple OOO. There are many similarities between the two models. In terms of sound and appearance, they are barely distinguishable from one another. There is one clear difference though: the official OM-model has a longer string length, 25.4 inches instead of 24.9 inches. However, this is not standardised and even the best brands confuse and treat these two models as the same. We also offer these guitars under the same category, but there are orchestra models with a string length of 25.4 inches, such as the Eastman E40OM and the Martin OMCXAE-BLK. You can check out our selection of orchestra guitars here.
Grand Auditorium
The grand auditorium guitar is a size up from the triple OOO and OM-models. This guitar has a larger underside and is slightly wider which gives its sound more volume. It has a small middle, which means that in terms of sound range it’s similar to the two previous models. Two popular auditorium guitars are the Lâg T88ACE and the James Neligan DEV-A BBST. Click here to see our selection of auditorium guitars!
Dreadnought
The dreadnought guitar is one of the most famous guitar shapes for western guitars. This model was brought on the market in 1916 by Martin. At the time, the size of this model was unique and they named it after a large English battleship. The dreadnought has grown to become the standard and is unavoidable on the market. Consequently, many popular acoustic guitars are dreadnoughts, such as the Eastman PCH1D and the Art & Lutherie Americana. Click here to see our selection of dreadnought guitars.
Jumbo
The jumbo guitar is a little bigger than the dreadnought, but there aren’t many differences between them. The most important difference is that the middle is smaller than a dreadnought, which takes away some of its bass sound, but the body is still large. This combination gives it a beautiful, warm and full sound, like with the Lâg T177JCE and the Yamaha CPX1000. Check out our selection of jumbo guitars here!
assortment
Eastman AC222CE
Eastman AC222CE
This Eastman AC222CE comes with the acoustic guitar service package worth € 75.00 consisting of:
- tuning before delivery/shipping
- A guitar tuning voucher
- pick holder
- Official Joh.deHeer warranty certificate
Bold Luxury
Adopting exciting, forward-thinking design improvements, the new AC Series acoustics stand out like never before. Further refinements to the already future-forward line have taken comfort, functionality, and elegance to the next level.
A New Horizon
Newly available finishes add depth to the AC Series, including a lush Goldburst and a brand new Dakota Fade. Inlay upgrades are featured on models throughout, including beautifully ornate maple leaf found on headstocks and fingerboards. Welcome to a beautiful future.
Eastman E20D - Dreadnought
Eastman E20D
This Eastman E20D comes with the acoustic guitar service package
worth € 75.00 consisting of:
- Tuning before delivery/shipping
- A guitar tuning voucher
- Pick holder
- Official Joh.deHeer warranty certificate
Yamaha CPX700II - Jumbo
Yamaha CPX700II
CPX guitars combine the on-stage prowess of the legendary APX series with a bigger-bodied design for a louder, fuller acoustic sound and a more traditional look.
The 700 series feature Yamaha’s unique ART pickup system. Designed to capture the guitar’s full body resonance, ART’s ability to faithfully recreate natural tone and body dynamics means that the combination of CPX’s full, open tone is perfectly reproduced, together with every dynamic detail of your performance.
Yamaha CPX1000 - Jumbo
Yamaha CPX1000
CPX guitars combine the on-stage prowess of the legendary APX series with a bigger-bodied design for a louder, fuller acoustic sound and a more traditional look.
CPX1000 matches hand-selected tonewood construction, real wood inlays and the incredible SRT pickup system to give you the perfect partner whether you’re on-stage or in the studio, mic’d or DI’d.
Eastman E1D - Dreadnought
Eastman E1D
This Eastman E1D comes with the acoustic guitar service package
worth € 75.00 consisting of:
- Tuning before delivery/shipping
- A guitar tuning voucher
- Pick holder
- Official Joh.deHeer warranty certificate
Eastman E2D - Dreadnought
Eastman E2D
This Eastman E2D comes with the acoustic guitar service package
worth € 75.00 consisting of:
- Tuning before delivery/shipping
- A guitar tuning voucher
- Pick holder
- Official Joh.deHeer warranty certificate
Eastman AC422CE - Auditorium
Eastman AC422CE
This Eastman AC422CE comes with the acoustic guitar service package worth € 75.00 consisting of:
- Tuning before delivery/shipping
- A guitar tuning voucher
- Pick holder
- Official Joh.deHeer warranty certificate
Bold Luxury
Adopting exciting, forward-thinking design improvements, the new AC Series acoustics stand out like never before. Further refinements to the already future-forward line have taken comfort, functionality, and elegance to the next level.
A New Horizon
Newly available finishes add depth to the AC Series, including a lush Goldburst and a brand new Dakota Fade. Inlay upgrades are featured on models throughout, including beautifully ornate maple leaf found on headstocks and fingerboards. Welcome to a beautiful future.
Eastman T486RD - Thinline Guitar
Eastman
The T486 is a beautiful thinline guitar from Eastman. Eastman is an American company that was founded in the 1990s by the Chinese Qian Ni. Qian Ni emigrated to Boston to study music, but once he arrived in America he was not impressed by the quality of American stringed instruments. As a result, he started his own company, Eastman, producing violins. Over the years, Eastman's range has expanded significantly and guitar building techniques and quality standards have improved greatly. Eastman therefore guarantees quality. As a result, they are one of the most popular in the field of acoustic guitars, and in terms of quality they are close to brands such as Martin and Taylor.
The Thinline
The T486 is a thinline guitar. Thinline guitars fall under the hollow-body categorization. Hollow-body guitars are electric guitars with large sound boxes, in which the vibration of the string resonates in the sound box and is then picked up by the pickups. This creates a beautiful and unique sound. This combines the full and warm sound of an acoustic guitar with the power and versatility of an electric guitar. Thinline guitars are basically an improvement on this. After the production of hollow-body guitars it soon became clear that the guitars were very large, which could sometimes be uncomfortable, and that the guitars suffered a lot from feedback. Thus, the thinline was invented. The thinline also has a sound box, but it is a lot thinner, so that the resonance is still good, but the guitar is also a lot more comfortable. Thinlines are mainly popular among jazz guitarists, however thinlines are becoming increasingly popular in other genres.
The T486
The T486 is one of the most popular thinline models on the market. The sound box is made of laminated maple wood. This means that the walls of the guitar consist of several thin layers of maple wood that are glued together. This is a very sustainable way of using wood that is becoming increasingly popular in guitar building. A laminated wood guitar is also more resistant to climate change than authentic tone woods. Laminated guitars are therefore the ideal choice for someone who lives in very dry or very humid climates, the guitar will not crack or warp. This makes the guitar very easy to maintain. The neck of the guitar is made of solid maple and the fingerboard of ebony, this provides a nice playing experience and that the neck slides well through the hand. Finally, the appearance of the guitar is also an important point; the great red color provides an authentic look with a striking appearance. In short, a great guitar for a good price!
