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What You Should Know About Guitar Sizes and Measurements
Guitars are not produced in standard sizes and have different sizes.
Guitars are produced in different sizes and scales, and this has a great impact on ease of playing and sound. It will be very difficult for a child of a certain age to play a full-size guitar, just as it will be difficult for an adult to play with a small size guitar.
In this article, we will try to answer frequently asked questions about guitar sizes and dimensions. You will learn how to choose the guitar that is the right size for you.
How to Determine Guitar Sizes?
First of all, we need to learn how to determine guitar sizes and dimensions. In this way, you will have information about the guitar sizes that are suitable for you.
There are two ways to measure what dimensions a guitar has. The first way is to measure the overall length of the guitar from end to end. The second way is to find the scale between the sill and the stem.
Although it is easier to find the dimensions of the guitar by measuring it from end to end, it will be more useful for you to find the scale between the sill and the neck. How?
We know that every guitar has different sizes and dimensions. For example, although there are size differences between the classical guitar and the electric guitar, there are many production methods, especially in electric guitars, from structural differences to style differences. Therefore, measuring the guitar size from end to end may mislead you.
The guitar consists of 3 main parts. These are;
Whether acoustic, classical or electric guitars, they all consist of these 3 basic parts. (New generation guitars that do not have a headstock part are an exception.)
How to Measure Guitar Size?
Guitar dimensions are easy to measure. Guitar size can be determined by measuring from the headstock to the bottom of the body with any tape measure. Of course, these are the dimensions of the guitar you measure.
When you measure from the very end of the body of the guitar to the headstock, that is, to the very end where the curves are, you will find the exact size of that guitar. However, as we mentioned in the picture above, this measurement will vary from guitar to guitar, which may cause confusion.
Guitar sizes range from 90cm to 130cm.
The ranges we give are the general guitar production dimensions, but they should not be taken as the appropriate size for you. The headstock, body and neck parts of the guitars can be short or long. For this reason, never accept the total size as the ideal size.
Measuring the Scale Length of the Guitar
As you can see in the picture, the guitar scale is the distance between the sill and the neck. When you measure from the last part of your threshold to the neck, that is, the end of the neck (the beginning of the headstock), the result gives the scale of the guitar.
What is the “Full Size” Guitar Size?
As we mentioned at the beginning of our article, the term full-size guitar varies from guitar to guitar. However, the dimensions of almost every guitar brand can be close to each other.
How many inches is a full-size guitar?
A typical full-size guitar is about 38.5 inches (96.5 cm) long and about 25.5 inches (64.8 cm) scale long. This varies greatly between brands and types of guitars.
If you own a guitar and want to know if it’s a full-size guitar, the first thing you should check is the scale length. If the scale length is about 25 inches or higher (63 cm), it is likely to be a full-size guitar.
Even if the overall length i.e. guitar size is much longer or shorter than 38 inches, if the scale length is approximately 25 inches or higher, it is a full-size guitar.
If the scale length is well below this range (eg: 20 inches or 50 cm), it’s likely to be a scaled guitar like a 3/4 guitar. There are many different types of guitars that are used for different purposes.
Some scaled guitars are designed as travel guitars because they are shorter, making them easier to carry. Other scaled guitars are designed for people with small hands or for children. Guitars with these dimensions have a different sound compared to full-size guitars.
What Are the Different Guitar Sizes?
Since there are so many different sizes when it comes to guitars, let’s take a look at what are the most common guitar sizes. Knowing the typical size of different types of guitars can help you find what’s right for you.
Typical specifications between classical guitar sizes and acoustic guitar sizes are generally the same.
The 4/4 guitar shown above is a full-size classical guitar. The other three guitars are scaled versions.
While you might expect a 1/2 sized guitar to be half the size of a full-sized guitar, you can clearly see in the photo above that this is not the case.
A 1/4 guitar isn’t a quarter the size compared to a full-size guitar, of course. A typical 1/4 scale guitar has a scale length of 48 cm (19 inches) and an overall dimension length of 78 cm.
The point to remember here is that the names are just trying to simplify the different options. They don’t actually fit the size of guitars.
What Should Be the Guitar Sizes for Kids?
It would be silly for kids to try to play a dreadnought acoustic guitar because of their age and size. As you know, acoustic guitars have very wide bodies.
A classical guitar can be considered more ideal. Those who think that they will leave a little enthusiasm due to the affordability buy cheap classical guitars for their children.
Here are some general guidelines for what size guitar to buy for kids:
Although the size rules above are given as a generalization, it may make a little difference from person to person. Also, if your child is 7 years old, it will be more beneficial to buy a 3/4 size classical guitar instead of buying a 1/2 guitar. Children grow quickly, but the guitar size does not grow.
Our mothers say that when buying shoes, let’s buy a little bigger, you can wear them next year… You can think of it like him.
I hope that the question marks in your mind about guitar dimensions and dimensions have been cleared.
