Are All Dreadnought Guitars the Same?

As a guitar player, I’ll admit to having a soft spot in my heart for dreadnought acoustic guitars. Ever since I bought my first Yamaha FG-160 back in high school, I’ve always preferred dreadnoughts. There’s something about the warmth and projection of a dreadnought that connects with me. And clearly, I’m not the only one.

What Defines a “Dreadnought” Guitar?The History of DreadnoughtsThe Dreadnought SoundTake a ListenAlvarez Yairi DYM60HD Acoustic GuitarGibson Acoustic ’50s J-45 OriginalLarrivée D-40MH Mahogany Acoustic GuitarMartin D-18 Acoustic GuitarTaylor 517 Grand Pacific Builder’s Edition V-ClassWhat About the Specs?Which Did You Prefer?

What Defines a “Dreadnought” Guitar?

The dreadnought body style (as first introduced by C. F. Martin & Company in 1916) was a large-bodied guitar with a wider lower bout, a deeper body, a longer scale length, and a broad waist (the narrow part between the upper and lower bout). Its bountiful cubic volume allowed it to produce a louder sound and fuller tone than the parlor guitars that Martin was making at the time. It offered a bigger, fuller sound than other large guitars, such as jumbo styles.

The History of Dreadnoughts

Let’s start with a little history before we listen. If you look up “dreadnought” in a history book or online, then you may be surprised to find out it’s the name of a battleship from the early 20th century. Yes, the Royal Navy’s HMS Dreadnought was launched in 1906 and, with its turbine power and “all-big-gun” armament, ushered in a new era in battleship design. It drew a hard line between two ship classes: dreadnought and predreadnought. According to history, its mighty arrangement of big guns made preceding ships obsolete.

Thankfully, Martin’s revolutionary Dreadnought guitar design did not make other acoustic guitars obsolete, but it did drastically change the voice and role of the guitar in music making. The guitar’s name was actually inspired by the “big-gun” battleship. Frank Henry Martin, who championed the guitar model, said, “This is the biggest guitar ever made. Let’s name it in honor of the biggest British battleship ever made.” And thus, the dreadnought guitar was born.

According to Martin: The Journal of Acoustic Guitars, Six Generations of Innovation, published by Martin Guitar, the Dreadnought (before receiving its official name) was originally labeled as “extra large” and a “massive custom guitar” for performing live. Ultimately, the journal continues, quoting current Martin executive chairman Chris Martin IV, it was “marketed as a ‘bass’ guitar — not because it had four strings, but because of its powerful rumbling bass sound.”

The Dreadnought Sound

Most acoustic guitar makers these days offer a guitar with a dreadnought body. Have you ever played different dreadnought guitars and wondered how the guitars could sound so different — even with similar dimensions and made from the same woods? Thom Grant, Sweetwater’s category manager for electric guitars, has played dreadnoughts for years and noticed those differences as well. He proposed a comparison that’s never been done before: he wanted us to put five dreadnought guitars side by side and record them for you to hear.

How different can they possibly sound, you might ask? We researched and chose five of our top-selling dreadnought guitars — all similarly featuring mahogany backs and sides and spruce tops. How different could they be? We took them into the studio to find out. We were shocked by what we heard.

The Martin D-18, the Gibson Acoustic ’50s J-45 Original, the Larrivée D-40MH, the Taylor 517 Grand Pacific Builder’s Edition V-Class, and the Alvarez Yairi DYM60HD acoustic guitars.

These five dreadnought guitars came from our extensive inventory (honestly, on any given day, there are approximately 8,000 acoustic guitars available). We pulled them straight from Sweetwater’s Fulfillment Center. These are just a few of the thousands of guitars we ship to customers every day.

Take a Listen

Sweetwater content creator Don Carr eagerly offered to play all these amazing guitars, and Sweetwater Studios‘ Jason Peets recorded Carr’s playing. Peets used a Telefunken U47 microphone into a Hazelrigg Industries VLC vacuum tube microphone preamp on the guitar body and a Neumann KM 184 microphone into a Maag Audio PREQ2 dual mic preamp on the neck. We listened through Studio A‘s Rupert Neve Designs 5088 32-channel analog mixing console. All samples were recorded into Avid Pro Tools through Avid MTRX converters, and we listened on Ocean Way Audio HR3.5FL powered studio monitors.

Alvarez Yairi DYM60HD Acoustic Guitar




The story of how the Alvarez Yairi DYM60HD acoustic guitar was created is fascinating. While looking for the right tonewood combination for a guitar being built for Nashville-based guitarist Jack Pearson, Adirondack spruce paired with Honduran mahogany seemed to be the best combination to match the tone he sought. Alvarez founder Kazuo Yairi collected tonewoods all his life; most of his tonewood collection was in or around the Alvarez factory, but some of it was stored at a location miles away. Most of the wood had darkened from exposure to the elements, so employees were unsure of what type of wood it was exactly. As they searched for just the right mahogany, they shockingly found perfectly conditioned billets of old-growth Honduran mahogany that had naturally seasoned for almost 50 years. This guitar’s warm low end and smooth treble are results of that aged mahogany and AAAA Adirondack spruce top.

Gibson Acoustic ’50s J-45 Original




Featuring a mahogany body and Sitka spruce top, this classic Gibson Acoustic ’50s J-45 Original evokes a tone that you will instantly recognize from years of hearing it on records played by some of the world’s greatest musicians. Its forward yet embracing tone sets it apart from most dreadnoughts. Its mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard are a delight to play. From its Vintage Sunburst finish to its cream button tuners and ’50s-era tortoiseshell pickguard, this guitar will feel like home from the first time you strum it.

Larrivée D-40MH Mahogany Acoustic Guitar




The diamond inlay fret markers on the ebony fingerboard, the scalloped-hybrid top bracing, the bold-rope top purfling on the satin-finished Sitka spruce top, and the bone nut and saddle all combine to make this outstanding Larrivée D-40MH mahogany acoustic guitar one of a kind. And the sound of this dreadnought? It has to be heard to be believed. Listen closely to the width and depth of this beautiful guitar.

Martin D-18 Acoustic Guitar




From the heritage of the original dreadnought guitars, the Martin D-18 acoustic guitar is still the standard bearer for dreadnought tone. With scalloped bracing under the spruce top and mahogany back and sides, a tortoiseshell-pattern pickguard, an Old Style 18 multi-stripe rosette, and an ebony fingerboard, this guitar is true Martin through and through.

Taylor 517 Grand Pacific Builder’s Edition V-Class




A torrefied Sitka spruce top paired with tropical mahogany makes this Taylor 517 Grand Pacific Builder’s Edition V-Class harken back to the dreadnoughts of old. Combine that with Taylor’s new V-Class bracing, and this guitar yields greater sustain and better intonation than most dreadnoughts. And the best part? It sounds like a great dreadnought, but it plays like a Taylor. Who could ask for anything more?

What About the Specs?

After we pulled the guitars out of their cases and all played them, we wondered what could account for the differences we heard. I pondered whether the measured specifications could be that different. After compiling the specs (e.g., body length, body depth, fingerboard material, etc.), I realized the numerical similarities far outweighed the differences. All five guitars have 20 frets, the same body woods, and oversized bodies. But that’s where the similarities end. All the other dimensions are within a few percentage points of each other (overall length, nut width, neck radius, and body length) but aren’t identical. There didn’t seem to be a correlation between the measurements and the sound that we heard.

Which Did You Prefer?

How would you describe what you heard? We noticed differences in tonality, presence, fullness, and width. And those aspects don’t even address the differences in playability. Which guitar did you prefer?

Our takeaway was that each guitar builder puts their own unique stamp on the sound of a guitar. Even with the same ingredients and similar dimensions, each has its own strength and sonic signature.

Sweetwater Has Your Next Acoustic Guitar

Sweetwater has hundreds of amazing acoustic guitars in all sizes and price ranges. If you need help deciding which guitar is right for you, then call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700, and they can assist you in narrowing down your options for the perfect acoustic guitar.
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