Dreadnought (guitar type)

The dreadnought is a type of acoustic guitar developed by American guitar manufacturer C.F. Martin & Company. The style, since copied by other guitar manufacturers, has become one of the most common for acoustic guitars. In its most frequently encountered shape it is characterized by square shoulders, a relatively flat tail end, a wide waist with a large radius curve, and a 14-fret neck (i.e., 14 frets clear of the body) although when first introduced, the body was longer, with round shoulders, and only 12 frets clear of the body. 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.