People think that folk musicians are some random singers playing acoustic guitars. However, their definition has a lot more to it. A true folk musician is someone who plays traditional songs in addition to his or her own music. Traditional songs are the ones passed down by memory from one generation to the next.
A few examples would be This Land is Your Land and On Top of Old Smokey. These songs are mostly for those who belong to the working class. In folk music, a lot depends on the guitar. It can be quite tricky to tell what are the qualities of a good folk guitar. Ever since folk music became mainstream, people have been arguing about this.
You might be feeling lost trying to figure out which is the best folk guitar for you. In such a situation, the best way would be to know the guitars used by the famous folk artists. Here, we’ll try to explore the most popular guitars that have been used by the folk musicians:
1. Yamaha Acoustic FG720S
The FG in the name of this model stands for Folk Guitar. There are quite a few artists from the folk genre who like to play this Yamaha guitar. It has been played by Paul Simon from the American folk rock duo, Simon & Garfunkel. While recording one of the legendary songs, Sounds of Silence, he said that it was his favorite guitar.
Even though he played a few other acoustic guitars, he loved the FG720S. This is an astonishingly inexpensive guitar. You can also get cheaper versions of it, such as the Yamaha Acoustic FG700S. They differ slightly from the FG720S.
2. Martin 0-45
One of the most popular guitars used for folk music, the Martin 0-45 has been used by many musicians. This is mainly because this guitar feels incredible while playing, as it has an amazing versatility in its tone. Another great feature is the stunning craftsmanship of this guitar. Among the musicians who played Martins 0-45 were Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Woody Guthrie, and Paul Simon.
This was the favorite guitar of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan had also played one. These compact guitars with a narrow waist have a traditional sound. This is one of the reasons why they’re making a comeback on the folk music scene. One of their downsides is that they have a lower volume than the larger models. So, you need to use much of the strength of your fingers to make them sound loud.
3. Taylor 714ce
We had to include Taylor 714ce here as many of the new folk singers enjoy playing it. The Taylor guitars have been on the folk music scene since 1974, but weren’t as popular. Many of the folk artists from the 1960s or earlier used other guitars. They would’ve been more popular if they were introduced today.
The guitarists who play the Taylors are into a more contemporary style of folk. A good example of this would be the Taylor 714ce that was played by Sam Beam. It has a pretty sweet, dark, and rich sound.