Acoustic Guitar Body Shapes

When looking at acoustic guitars there are a number of different shapes and sizes, some of which are suited to certain types of music and playing style. Here is a selection of body shapes and what music they are most suited to.

O Acoustic Guitar Body ShapeO

Specialism: Traditional blues, folk, rootsy Americana.

Used by: Joan Baez, Ian Anderson.

OO Acoustic Guitar Body ShapeOO

Specialism: Traditional blues, folk, rootsy Americana.

Used by: John Mayer, Steve Howe, Elizabeth Cotten.

OOO/OM Acoustic Guitar Body ShapeOOO/OM

Specialism: An all round guitar covering genres such as rock, folk and blues.

Used by: Eric Clapton, Lonnie Donegan, Woody Guthrie.

Grand Auditorium Acoustic Guitar Body ShapeGrand Auditorium

Specialism: Covers a wealth of styles and is ideal for both strumming and flat picking.

Used by: Taylor Swift, Simon Neil, Mike Keneally.

Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Body ShapeDreadnought

Specialism: Suitable for all styles, either strummed or flat picked.

Used by: Clarence White, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams.

Round-Shoulder Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Body ShapeRound-Shoulder Dreadnought

Specialism: Ideal for softer sounding strumming and rhythm guitar.

Used by: James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello.

Super Jumbo Acoustic Guitar Body ShapeSuper Jumbo

Specialism: More suited for strumming than flat picking.

Used by: Noel Gallagher, Pete Townsend, Bob Dylan.