The following instruments are generally known as 'Folk Guitars', but some people refer to them as 'Acoustic',  'Folk', 'Westerns', 'Dreadnoughts' or 'Jumbos'.  They are characterised by their large, distinctive body shape, which is designed to produce a big generous sound and wide tonal output.  These guitars use 'ball ended' steel strings which are held in place behind the bridge of the guitar using pegs, and with metal 'machine heads' or 'tuning pegs' on the headstock of the guitar.

  Many folk guitars have rounded backs and soundboards as opposed to the 'flat top' style of the classical or Spanish guitar.  It is the soundboard of the guitar that gives it its distinctive sound and tonal characteristics, along with the shape and volume of the body which helps produce the wonderful resonance of an acoustic guitar.  Many of our guitars featured here have tops made of spruce, which some consider matures with age in such a way as to enhance the sound of the guitar as it gets older, although this is often found to be true of most acoustic guitars when looked after properly.