As a guitarist, the best of your character comes out when you are strumming up a blues classic on your guitar. From Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton, it is the emotions that are behind the songs that makes blues music what it is. Blues guitar numbers are not just music, they are a state of mind and a way of life. Playing something as expressive as the blues requires you to feel the underlying emotions. While technique is the core of any guitar player’s style, the ‘feel’ of the sound produced is what differentiates a blues player from the others. Learning to play the blues is a commitment that is going to give you a lifetime of happiness and perfecting the art of playing the acoustic guitar can be quite an accomplishment.
Today we are going to take a look at what we think are among the best guitars available for perfecting the art of blues.
Martin 000-28
Pro: Professional guitar that is modelled after the taste of the great eric Clapton himself, phenomenal tone quality, top notch construction.Con: Some players may find the size a bit too bulky, the guitar has a ‘v’ profile neck and if you are someone who is looking to upgrade after having used a guitar with a round neck profile for long, then it is going to take some getting used to.
That’s right! We have the Eric Clapton signature, with the 000-28 from Martin. The construction of this acoustic is of phenomenal quality, with no stone left unturned to ensure that you get the best sonic experience on this guitar when you are playing. It has a top made of Sitka spruce, the type that is known to give the guitar a versatile tonal quality, that is also loved by country music guitarists and the blues players alike. Once you hold it in your hands, you cannot help but notice the level of craftsmanship that has gone into the making of this guitar. With so much attention to detail, you can be rest assured of getting remarkably bright tones without worrying about hearing some profound lows in your tone, as the guitar gets older. The guitar has an ebony fretboard, on a neck that is secured to the guitar with a dovetail neck joint.
Gibson B-25 VINTAGE
Pro: Awesome heritage based product.Con: Price is on the expensive side.
Some of the best blues music has been written on Gibson’s, They have been the frontrunners of the guitar driven style of music, that the blues are, Gibson have a vast heritage to back them up and it shows with the Gibson B-25 Vintage. The champion from the 1960s, the B-25 vintage is still capable of producing some great sounds thanks to its Sitka Spruce top and Mahogany back and side construction. The guitar comes equipped with bone nuts and a bridge, along with bone pins as well. An absolute pride of the owner, the Gibson B-25 is a timeless classic.
Gibson LG-2 American Eagle Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Antique Natural
Pro: Superb tone, vintage feel, small and comfortable.Con: If you regularly play for performances, the volume of the guitar may fall short, this again is because of how much smaller it is that a dreadnaught.
If you are a guitarist who predominantly plays finger picked licks, then you are going to love this guitar! Designed to be a versatile instrument, Gibson have ended up making a guitar that produces the nostalgic country vintage feel to it. The American eagle is refreshingly American with its tone. It is made to be significantly smaller with a shorter scale length, for fast-paced playing. The neck is secured onto the guitar with a dovetail joint and has a crisp, bright tone. Working your way on the pentatonic scale with the finger picking style is going to be a pleasure on this one. The fretboard is made of rosewood and the nut width is made to be comfortable for a range of guitarists too.
Martin 00-15M
Pro: A well made, well-rounded product for an upgrade as an intermediate player, Mahogany construction, excellent value for the price.Con: The purists may miss having a cedar top on the guitar.
Martin is known to make some great quality and great sounding guitars and with the 00-15 M, they have created an absolute blockbuster of an instrument. Everything on this guitar is high grade. To begin with, it has an all mahogany construction with solid Mahogany wood used on the top, sides and the bottom. The fretboard and the head plate are made of Indian rosewood, another wood, renowned for its tonal quality and reliability. The guitar has a nut and bridge made of actual bone giving a great playability. This especially stands out as an advantage for playing fast numbers, you are going to need that for spicing up your blues style. The Martin 00-15 is what you should be looking at as a professional grade acoustic guitar with high craftsmanship, without breaking the bank!
The Loar LH-200-NA Flat Top Acoustic Guitar
Pro: Superb value for money, stunning good looks with the sunburst finish, bright tone.Con: Very easy to grow out of this one, once you begin to try and explore your tone as you develop your style of playing.
An incredibly good looking guitar, the Loar is styled with a sunburst finish. It has a solid spruce top and is constructed to put out bright sounding tone, the kind that a beginner needs to train their ears to. At this price, the guitar is surprisingly well made. It has a vintage design and has that classic, small body design. The guitar has a rosewood fretboard. The Loar is a quality made instrument for someone looking to get started off on the way of the blues. If this is your first guitar, then we would like to say, good choice!
Recording King ROS-06 Classic Series 12th Fret 000 Acoustic
Pro: Excellent value for money, superb tonal versatility, and tone, well-made product for this price.Con: If only this was a dreadnought size guitar, you would be using it for a long time to time.
Get ready to surprise yourself with the Recording King ROS-06. It is made from Solid Sitka Spruce Top, which is the first surprise. Thanks to the amount of attention to detail that is given to making this guitar, it sounds wonderfully bright. The nut and bridge and secured well and the string height is low. The overall size of the guitar is smaller than the dreadnaught but the volume of the sound it produces is prominent, so much that you can comfortably keep up with someone playing a dreadnaught. It has the slotted headstock, mahogany back and sides with a rosewood fretboard. This guitar right here is bang for your buck!
Morgan Monroe MMV-5B Acoustic Guitar, Vintage Tobacco Sunburst
Pro: Very well made product.Con: At some point, you will find the necessity to go for an upgrade after playing this guitar.
The Morgan Monroe is a 22 .5 inches scale length guitar that has a Solid Spruce top. A beautifully bright sounding guitar, the Morgan Monroe is a solid instrument that is the perfect travel companion and is great for studio use and live performances alike. Even though it is not as big as the standard dreadnought shaped guitar, the tonal quality is good and loud. It has a mahogany back and as well as on the sides. The Rosewood fretboard fits in well with the dark colored look of the guitar. The fretboard feels comfortable for players with larger and smaller hands alike, at a medium width. Equipped with bone nut and saddle, the string height is pretty low and the guitar stays in tune well, requiring tonal tune up very rarely. The Morgan Monroe comes with Wilkinson Tuning machines. The MMV -5B is surprisingly well made for a guitar at this price range and is great for a beginner guitar. For an aspiring blues guitarist, this great is a great way to train your ears with its rich tone. You simply could not ask for more from an instrument at this price range