How to Choose an Acoustic Guitar: Sizes, Shapes & Pickups

Whether you're buying a first guitar, choosing one for your child, or replacing the one that's survived twenty campfires, the acoustic wall can look overwhelming. It isn't, once you know the handful of decisions that actually matter.

We've been matching players to guitars at our Footscray store since 1997, and this is the same advice we give across the counter every week: string type, body shape, kids' sizing, what a solid top buys you, and whether you need a pickup at all.

Steel or nylon: the first decision

Every acoustic guitar belongs to one of two families. Steel-string acoustics make the bright, punchy sound you hear on almost every pop, folk and country record. Nylon-string guitars, usually called classical guitars, are warmer and softer, with a wider fingerboard and much gentler string tension.

For teens and adults who want to strum songs, a steel-string is the right call for most. Yes, your fingertips will be tender for the first two or three weeks. That's normal, it passes, and you end up with the sound you actually wanted instead of a guitar that never quite sounds like the records.

For kids under about ten, nylon wins. The strings are far easier on small fingers, classical guitars come in proper child sizes, and it's what most school programs teach on. A child who isn't fighting sore fingers practises more. It really is that simple.

One warning from the repair bench: never fit steel strings to a classical guitar. Classicals are braced lightly for nylon tension, and steel strings can lift the bridge or bow the neck. If you want steel, buy a steel-string guitar.

Dreadnought, folk, jumbo or traveller: shapes in plain English

Once you've settled on steel strings, the body shape decides how the guitar sounds and how it feels on your lap.

• Dreadnought is the big, square-shouldered shape most people picture when they hear the word guitar. It's loud with strong bass, brilliant for strumming chords, and the campfire and singalong favourite for good reason. Browse our dreadnought range.
• Folk and orchestral bodies are a size down with a curvier waist. They're more comfortable to hold, more balanced from bass to treble, and the usual choice for fingerpickers, singer-songwriters and smaller-framed players. Start with the folk-size acoustics.
• Jumbo is the biggest of the lot, with huge volume and low end. Great if you're a big strummer who wants the room to ring; awkward if you're slight of build.
• Traveller and mini guitars are compact instruments that fit a car boot or an overhead locker. They're genuinely playable these days and make a great second guitar or couch guitar.

If you're torn, sit with a dreadnought and a folk size back to back. The right one is usually obvious within a minute, because your strumming arm and shoulder will tell you.

Kids' sizes: quarter, half and three-quarter

Fractional guitars exist because a full-size guitar in small hands is a recipe for frustration. As a rule of thumb:

• Quarter size suits roughly ages 4 to 6, up to about 115 cm tall.
• Half size suits roughly ages 6 to 8, about 115 to 135 cm. Our half-size classicals are the most common first guitar we sell for primary schoolers.
• Three-quarter size suits roughly ages 8 to 11, about 135 to 150 cm, and comes in nylon or steel. See the three-quarter size acoustics.
• Full size is right from about age 12, or around 150 cm and up.

Age is only a guide; height and arm length matter more. Sitting down, your child's strumming arm should drape over the body without the shoulder hiking up, and the fretting hand should reach the first fret without a full stretch. Between sizes? Go smaller. Comfort beats growing room every time, because the comfortable guitar is the one that gets played.

For the under-fives, also consider a ukulele as a first step. It's cheaper, smaller and quicker to get a song out of; our ukulele guide covers it properly.

Solid top vs laminate: when it actually matters

The top (the soundboard) does most of a guitar's sound-making, so it's the one spec genuinely worth paying for. A laminate top is layers of pressed timber: tough, stable and cheap to build. A solid top, usually spruce or cedar, is a single piece of timber that vibrates more freely, sounds richer, and actually improves as it's played in over the years.

Under about $300, nearly everything is laminate, and that's completely fine. A well-set-up laminate guitar is exactly the right buy for a young child or a try-it-and-see beginner, and it shrugs off knocks, school corridors and temperature swings.

From around $400 to $500, solid tops appear, and that's where we steer anyone who's even half serious. The difference isn't subtle; play the two back to back and you'll hear the solid top ring longer and fuller. From around $1,500 and up you get solid back and sides as well, which is Maton territory and where guitars become genuinely lifelong instruments.

One care note for solid timber: keep it away from heater vents and out of hot cars, and it will look after you for decades.

With pickup (acoustic-electric): who actually needs it

An acoustic-electric is simply a normal acoustic with a pickup and preamp built in, so it can plug into an amp or PA. Unplugged, it sounds exactly like the same guitar without one.

You genuinely need a pickup if you'll perform: open mics, gigs, church, school concerts, anywhere you must be louder than the room. Singer-songwriters who plan to play out should buy from the with-pickup range from day one, and most onboard preamps include a tuner, which is a handy bonus.

You don't need one for bedroom practice, lessons or the campfire. The electronics add to the price without changing the unplugged sound, and a quality pickup can always be retrofitted later if your plans change. If the budget is tight, put that money into a better top instead; you'll hear it every single day, not just on stage.

Action, setup and what else you'll need

Action is the height of the strings above the frets, and it makes or breaks a beginner. High action means pressing harder for every single chord, and it's the number-one reason cheap, unchecked guitars end up in cupboards. It's also why we'd rather you buy a properly set-up $250 guitar than a poorly set-up $400 one.

Everything we sell is genuine, authorised Australian-dealer stock with the full manufacturer warranty. And when your strings go dull, our in-store restring service is $55 plus the cost of strings, fitted with a clean included.

Day-one extras worth having: a clip-on tuner, a spare set of strings, a few picks (start thin for strumming), a gig bag if one isn't included, a stand so the guitar lives out of its case and gets played, and a capo once chords arrive. A footstool helps young classical players sit properly. A good beginner's pack bundles most of this with the guitar and takes the guesswork out.

Orders over $150 ship free Australia-wide, tracked and insured, with same-day dispatch on weekday orders before 2pm AEST, or grab Click & Collect from the Footscray showroom. Afterpay and Zip are there if you'd rather pay in instalments. Still tossing up between two sizes or shapes? Call us on 03 4151 5751 or drop into 284-288 Ballarat Rd, Footscray and play them back to back. It's the fastest way to know.

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Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying a full-size guitar for a young child to grow into A guitar they can't reach around is a guitar they won't play. Buy the size that fits today; fractional guitars make great hand-me-downs and resell easily.
• Treating nylon as the beginner option for adults Nylon isn't easier-mode steel; it's a different sound for different music. Pick the string type that matches what you want to play, and let your fingertips toughen up for a fortnight.
• Ignoring the action High strings make every chord a fight and are the single biggest reason beginners quit. If a guitar feels hard to press everywhere, it needs adjustment, not more effort.
• Paying for a pickup you'll never plug in If you won't perform, that money buys a better top instead, and you'll hear the difference every day. Pickups can always be retrofitted later.
• Fitting steel strings to a classical guitar Classical guitars are built for nylon tension only; steel strings can lift the bridge and bow the neck. If in doubt about what your guitar takes, ask us before you restring.

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Keep reading: Guitar Strings Buying Guide · Ukulele Buying Guide · Electric Guitar Buying Guide