Dreadnought

The Dreadnought is one of the most recognizable body styles in existence. Made famous by folk singers and blue grass pickers alike, it has a distinctive, bass-strong presence that can be heard in the crowd. What many people don’t know is that it can also be built to produce a very even, crisp sound to satisfy finger style players as well. String spacing and neck width can be varied to suit any player’s requirements.

Top woods for Dreadnoughts are traditionally red spruce, sitka spruce, and red cedar. In recent years redwood has been used quite successfully as well. Another traditional favorite is the all mahogany body made famous by early Martins. The choice you make brings its own subtleties to the sound of your guitar. There’s no right or wrong here, only what gives you the voice you’re looking for.

The basic Dreadnought uses East Indian rosewood for the back and sides and either a red spruce or Englemann spruce top. As opposed to classical guitars, when you enter the world of steel string guitars the choices for back and side woods increases considerably, as do your choices for embellishment.

By changing things like wood combinations and bracing configurations you can have a dreadnought that reflects your style and your music. Twelve and fourteen fret necks, cutaways, and 12 strings are some of the choices you get to make. To explore the endless possibilities for your guitar, review the choices and options outlined in the Pricing section. For wood choices not listed, call to discuss.