Two acoustic guitars with the same wood and the same strings can sound completely different, because the body is the speaker. A bigger body moves more air: more volume, more bass. A smaller one sounds tighter and sits more comfortably, especially for smaller players or when you play sitting down.
The shapes at a glance
| Shape | In stock | Median price | Sound | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parlor and folk | 164 | $435 | Focused, mid-heavy | Couch, travel, fingerpicking, smaller players |
| Concert, OM, 000 | 135 | $1,284 | Balanced, clear | Fingerstyle, recording, singer-songwriters |
| Dreadnought | 518 | $1,172 | Loud, deep, punchy | Strumming, bluegrass, playing with others |
| Jumbo | 91 | $2,658 | Biggest bass and volume | Big strummed chords, a bold look |
| Roundback | 66 | $591 | Bright, feedback-resistant | Plugging in on stage |
Parlor and folk: small and comfortable
The smallest full-scale bodies, with a narrow waist. They don't have the bass of a dreadnought, but every note is clear and they feel natural on the lap.
Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor, $273
A vintage-styled parlor in laminated sapele, small enough for the sofa and a backpack. #2 of 101 folk acoustic guitars.
Concert, OM and 000: the all-rounder
These are Martin's names for mid-sized bodies: 0, 00 and 000 from smaller to larger, and OM, a 000 body with a longer neck. Other brands make the same shapes under names like "concert" or "auditorium". They balance bass and treble, which is why fingerstyle players and recording engineers like them.
Gretsch Jim Dandy Concert, $222
The concert-sized sibling of the parlor above. #4 of 85 0/00/000 acoustic guitars.
Fender's California Deluxe Monterey, with a pickup, is $369.
Dreadnought: the standard
Square shoulders, a wide waist and a lot of air inside. It is the shape most people picture, the loudest at its size and the one that holds its own in a group. It is also by far the most common: 518 of Thomann's acoustic guitars.
Fender California Standard Redondo, $228
A cutaway dreadnought with a spruce top and a pickup. #4 of 282 dreadnought acoustic guitars.
Jumbo: the big one
The widest lower bout of all, made famous by Gibson's J-200. It gives the most bass and volume and the biggest stage look, but the size takes getting used to, especially for shorter arms.
Epiphone J-200 Studio, $496
The J-200 shape with a solid spruce top, a cutaway and a pickup, for a fraction of the Gibson. #2 of 50 jumbo acoustic guitars.
Roundback: built for the stage
Ovation's rounded synthetic back reflects sound differently and resists feedback when amplified. It is a stage guitar first: comfortable standing, less so on a lap because the back slides.
How to choose
- You play sitting down, travel, or have shorter arms: parlor or concert.
- Fingerpicking and recording: concert, OM or 000.
- Strumming and playing with others: dreadnought.
- The biggest sound and a bold look: jumbo.
- Playing through a PA every week: a cutaway with a pickup, in any shape, or a roundback.
- For a child: see What size guitar for a child?
Where the numbers come from. Every acoustic guitar Thomann had in stock on October 31, 2026, sorted into shapes by Thomann's own categories; parlors are listed under "folk". Prices are Thomann's US-dollar prices.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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