[GODcrazed]

OK, so I was looking through my Musician's Friend catalog and noticed that some guitars are called Dreadnoughts and some aren't. First of all, what do you call guitars that aren't dreadnoughts? Also, what differs a dreadnought from others?

[Fireboy_2002]

I think drednaught is the shape. Notice all that say drednaught have the same shape. They sound different than non-drednaughts i'm pretty sure but i'd consult others before trusting my answer.

[Warblade]

Dreadnaught defines the shape of a certain guitar size. Martin came up with the name and design first in the early 1900s after the war ships of the same name. They produced much more bass and sound than the parlor guitars of yesteryear.

Other sides include (by taylor standards, martins differ and I'm not a martin enthusiast so don't know the names):
Smallest to largest
Grand Concert (x12): Good for individual notes. Small guitar that fits well for people. Cuts through a mix well. Good fingerstylist gutiar.
Grand Auditorium (x14): Also good for individual notes, but does well as a strummer also. Taylor's most popular line.
Dreadnaught (x10): Now the standard guitar by most makers. Lots of bass and sound.
Jumbo (x15): Larger bodied guitar which produces more bass than the dreadnaught guitar.

People often say that people choose guitars that are like their own body (ie, a skinny person chooses a smaller guitar, a larger person choose a jumbo), but I don't believe that's always the case. I'm a skinny guy and love the dreadnaughts, hehe. =)
Randall

[GODcrazed]

Thanks. What size guitar should a beginner get? The smallest one?

[byKnight]

There's nothing wrong with a beginner starting with a dreadnought. The key is to get a decent guitar and not pay too much for it. If you've got a friend who has experience playing the guitar, you're ahead. Take them with you when you go to check out a guitar. Have them play it for you. Do you like the way it sounds? Do they like the way it plays and sounds?

There are tons of choices out there. What matters most is getting a guitar that you're comfortable using and that sounds good to you.

FWIW, I only recently switched from a dreadnought to a concert-sized guitar (and with a thin body at that). Because I always play plugged in, I realized I really didn't need the dreadnought's booming sound as much. And the concert-sized is easier for me to handle.

[Aaron]

I pretty much did the same thing! I now have a Taylor 614ce

[thesteve]

The dreadnaught is pretty much a standard design. jumbos are seen more in country music and bluegrass and the like. Dreadnaughts are basically do everything guitars.

[Keenanforchrist]

I have a Torch guitar, Vintage series! (normal strat size shape etc), is that a dreadnought or what?

if anyone can help me please reply to it? thanks!

[thesteve]

It sounds like you got an electric there. I think the Strat design however is roughly based on the dreadnought design except for the higher fret access among other things.