Folk Guitar

Louis Armstrong (or Big Bill Broonzy, depending on where you read it) once said:

"All music is folk music; I ain't never heard no horse sing a song,"

There's some truth there. You can play 'folk music' on pretty much any instrument you like. I'd guess that many people who play 'folk' style would use various types of nylon strung guitars - it probably depends what part of the world they're in. I certainly play folk songs on my classical guitar. But a lot of popular commercial western folk music has been played on steel string acoustics, with 'jumbo' or 'dreadnought' style being pretty popular, so that might be the sound you think of as 'folk'.

But I'd say, just use whatever you happen to own. :)

If The Byrds (Roger McGuinn) could use a 12-string electric, I don't see why you can't use a classical guitar. :)

Might as well ask what kind of guitar should I play rock music with - you'll get many answers, all of them valid....there are just as many subdivisions of folk music as there are rock music....The Byrds, early (and not-so-early!) Dylan, Steeleye Span, Pete Seeger, The (English) Spinners.....all folk music, but a huge gulf between them all....

I suppose the guitar you need depends on the kind of sound you want.....but for folk music, a good 12-string acoustic'll get you a good start....

:D :D :D

Vic

Would about for playing like some Jack Johnson?

Why not try Googling your man's name and see what he's playing. :)

Looks like a pretty standard steel string acoustic to me. Similar to the one in my avatar pic, which is just your basic 6 string....

Caution... he may own more than one guitar though. Many of us do... once you get infected it's hard to stop at one... :wink:

I might have the wrong man too, seeing as I never heard of him. But I'm sure you'd pick him and what he was playing if you searched a little. Might find some useful info on his music too. Good luck.

Let's do a survey:

Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary)

Here he is again with the rest of the trio, and some other folkies in the background.

How about Joan Baez.

Here she is again, with Bob Dylan.

Woody Guthrie

and Woody again

Seems the old-school folkies weren't married to any specific type of accoustic.

I looked up another artist Timmy Curran I don't know if anyone has ever heard of him , and in all the pictures he was using a classical. Thanks for the help I got a little nervous that the classical guitar I have wouldn't cut it.

Would about for playing like some Jack Johnson?

For playing Jack you're going to want a steel string acoustic, probably a 12 string for a fuller sound, but overall, I'd say 6 string steel acoustic.