A Guide to Different Guitar Shapes: Acoustic & Electric

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Find out how a guitar’s shape affects its sound

Co-authored by Ricky Armellino and Jennifer Vasquez, BA, MA

Last Updated: June 12, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Acoustic Guitar Shapes
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• Electric Guitar Shapes
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• Choosing the Right Guitar Shape
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Acoustic guitars and electric guitars come in different shapes and sizes. This affects the sound they produce and how they’re played. If you’re a beginner or a seasoned musician on the hunt for a guitar, this guide can help. We’re explaining the various acoustic guitar shapes and electric guitar shapes. Plus, find out how to choose the right guitar shape for you.

What are some different guitar shapes?

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• Dreadnought: Acoustic guitar with a wide waist and square shoulders. Great for flatpicking.
• Grand Concert: Acoustic guitar with narrow waist and shoulders. Great for blues musicians.
• Solid Body: Electric guitar with a dense body made of wood. Great for playing rock and funk music.
• Hollow Body: Electric guitar with a larger body size. Produces a full sound and is great for playing jazz and country music.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Acoustic Guitar Shapes

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   Dreadnought The Dreadnought has the classic guitar shape with a wide waist and square shoulders. Due to its wider waist, it lays higher in a musician’s lap while sitting and playing. It creates balanced sounds and is able to hit low, mid, and high ranges seamlessly. Its traditional appearance appeals to folk music players.

   • Best for: Flatpicking, bluegrass musicians
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   Parlor Parlor guitars have the most petite shape. They’re about 24.9 to 25.2 inches (63 to 64 cm) in length and are noticeably slimmer around the bout when compared to other guitars. They produce a focused and clear sound, are lightweight, and comfortable to hold. While a parlor guitar produces less bass, it delivers great mid-range frequencies.

   • Best for: Blues and folk musicians, fingerstyle players, beginners
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   Grand Concert A Grand Concert guitar is known for its compact size. It features a narrow waist and shoulders and produces a crisp sound. Since it is a smaller guitar, it’s ideal to play in spaces with a lower-volume ceiling so the sound carries better. Its size also makes it comfortable to position on your lap if you’re playing while sitting.

   • Best for: Fingerpickers, light strummers
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   Orchestra Model An Orchestra Model guitar has a tapered waist and a shallow, mid-size body. It’s easy to play while sitting and holding it in your lap. It was created by C.F. Martin & Co. in the early 20th century and was their first six-string, 14-fret flattop guitar. Bass, midrange, and treble are equally balanced, and the guitar has a long scale and higher string tension.

   • Best for: Fingerstyle players, flatpicking
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   Grand Auditorium The Grand Auditorium guitar has a mid-size body shape. It combines the characteristics of the Dreadnought and Grand Concert guitars, giving it a more versatile playing style. It has a wider lower bout, which provides good depth, while its narrow waist delivers clear high notes.

   • Best for: Fingerstyle players, flatpicking, performers, recording musicians
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   Jumbo The Jumbo guitar gets its name from its larger body shape. It’s bigger than most acoustic guitars in regard to depth, width, and length. While measurements range, the smallest models have a width of 17 inches (43 cm) and a depth of 5 inches (13 cm), which are still bigger than the Dreadnought. It’s impressive size makes it possible for this guitar to deliver big sounds.

   • Best for: Players who perform sitting down or able to handle a larger guitar
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Section 2 of 3:

Electric Guitar Shapes

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1. 
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   Solid Body A solid body electric guitar is completely solid and made of wood. This type has no holes or hollow spaces, except for where the controls and pickup are situated. Due to its solid body construction, the sound is heavier and fuller. It also offers a high resistance to feedback and boosts sustain.

   • Best for: Playing rock, metal, pop, and funk music
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   Semi-Hollow Body A semi-hollow guitar has design elements of both an electric and acoustic guitar. Its shape and size are like most electric guitars, while its hollow spaces in the body create the sound of an acoustic guitar. It’s not completely empty and has a block of wood that goes through the center of the instrument, which helps with removing speaker feedback when playing with an amplifier.

   • Best for: Playing blues, jazz, rock, and indie music
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   Hollow Body A hollow body guitar has a larger body compared to other electric guitar types. Sizes can range, but generally it has a lower bout width of around 16 inches (41 cm), a depth of 2.5 to 3 inches (6.4 to 7.6 cm), and a length of 42 to 43 inches (110 to 110 cm). Like an acoustic guitar, it produces a full, round sound. It uses a standard electric guitar pickup to amplify sound.

   • Best for: Playing jazz and country music
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   Offset Offset guitars are recognized for their asymmetrical body shape, specifically around the waist. This area is slanted, giving the instrument a “leaning” appearance. They come in a variety of weird and quirky shapes. Their non-traditional, unique look makes them popular with bands playing alternative or experimental music genres.

   • Best for: Rock, indie and shoegaze guitarists
   • Some of the most popular offset guitars include the Fender Jazzmaster, Fender Jaguar, Fender Mustang, and Gibson Firebird.
5. 
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   Stratocaster A Stratocaster guitar has an S-style body shape with sleek curves and a double-cutaway body. Its beveled top makes it comfortable to hold against your arm. When it comes to musicality, this guitar is great for a variety of styles. Famous musicians, like Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly played a Stratocaster.

   • Best for: All types of music, including blues, funk, classic rock, and pop
   • Musician Ricky Armellino says the electronics on a Stratocaster are “called single coil electronics or pickups, and it has a completely different tone to it.” He also mentions that the band Iron Maiden uses this type of guitar.
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   Telecaster The Telecaster guitar has a flat wooden body and one cutaway. Also referred to as a T-style guitar, it has more pronounced contours than the Stratocaster. It also features two single-coil pickups, which provides a balance between aggressive sounds and warmer tones. Musicians also like its sturdy design.

   • Best for: Playing country, blues, and indie music
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Section 3 of 3:

Choosing the Right Guitar Shape

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1. 
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   Consider the sound you want to create. This is especially important with acoustic guitars. The shape can affect tone, range, and volume. For example, a bigger acoustic guitar with a wider lower bout delivers more robust lower pitches over higher ones. This is great if you prefer a stronger bass.
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   Choose a guitar that feels comfortable. Comfort while playing is key. Pick a size that is easy for you to hold and handle. Think about whether you play mostly sitting or standing. Some acoustic and electric guitar shapes are more ergonomic than others. For instance, the Grand Concert guitar and the Stratocaster are good choices for playing while sitting down.

   • If you’re a beginner, professional guitarist Nicolas Adams says it’s best to focus on choosing a guitar that’s the appropriate size and is comfortable for you. This makes it easier to play, he adds.
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