Dreadnought_(guitar_type)
Dreadnought (guitar type)
Type of acoustic guitar
The dreadnought is a type of acoustic guitar body developed by American guitar manufacturer C.F. Martin & Company.[1] The style, since copied by other guitar manufacturers, has become the most common for acoustic guitars.
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At the time of its creation in 1916 the word dreadnought referred to a large, all big-gun, modern battleship of the type pioneered by HMS Dreadnought in 1906. A body much larger than most other guitars provided the dreadnought with a bolder, perhaps richer, and often louder tone. It is distinguished by its size and square shoulders and bottom. The neck is usually attached to the body at the fourteenth fret.[1][2]
Martin dreadnought guitars are also known as "D-size" guitars. Their model numbers consist of "D-" followed by a number, such as "D-18" and "D-45".[3] The higher the numerical designation, the more decorative ornamentation on the instrument.