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Which top’s right for your acoustic guitar? Shapes and woods that matter
If you're building an acoustic guitar, one of the first decisions is choosing the right size of tonewood for the top. In this guide, we share the standard dimensions for the most common body shapes and give you practical advice to help you choose the right top for each format. We also go over the tonewoods available at Maderas Barber and how to make the most of each one.
What Are the Dimensions of Each Acoustic Guitar Body Shape?
The following measurements refer to the maximum width of standard acoustic guitar bodies currently on the market. They’re approximate values, but they’ll help you choose a top that fits well without pushing the margins.
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Jumbo → 590 x 230 mm
A bold body built for volume, projection, and powerful bass. Popularized by Gibson in the 1930s with the J-200 model, used by artists like Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. If you’re building a Jumbo, let us know the exact dimensions when placing your order: our website lists size ranges, and we can send you the set that best fits your plans.
At Maderas Barber, we offer tops ideal for this format: German spruce, Alpine spruce, or Red cedar, all naturally air-dried for decades.
Source: Cifraclub. Elvis Presley with his Gibson J-200
Dreadnought → 570 x 220 mm
The most widespread acoustic guitar model. Martin introduced it in 1916, and it became the standard for bluegrass, folk, and country. Johnny Cash, Neil Young, and Kurt Cobain all played dreadnoughts. Its size provides a balanced yet powerful tone. Since it’s also a large model, it’s best to confirm the dimensions when ordering to ensure an optimal working margin.
You'll find perfect tops for dreadnoughts in our catalog: Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, or Adirondack among others.
Source: Youtube. Live On MTV Unplugged. 1993.
Source: Youtube. Live On MTV Unplugged. 1993.
Dreadnought → 570 x 220 mm
The most widespread acoustic guitar model. Martin introduced it in 1916, and it became the standard for bluegrass, folk, and country. Johnny Cash, Neil Young, and Kurt Cobain all played dreadnoughts. Its size provides a balanced yet powerful tone. Since it’s also a large model, it’s best to confirm the dimensions when ordering to ensure an optimal working margin.
You'll find perfect tops for dreadnoughts in our catalog: Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, or Adirondack among others.
OM / 000 / Auditorium → 540 x 210 mm
A slightly smaller-bodied guitar, appreciated for its dynamic response and fingerstyle comfort. A favorite among modern luthiers, featured in guitars like the Martin 000-28. Players like Eric Clapton and John Mayer have used it in iconic acoustic recordings.
These guitars perform best with lightweight tops. At Maderas Barber, you can choose from tight-grain German spruce, European spruce, or high-quality Cedar for a top rich in nuance.
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00 / Grand Concert → 520 x 200 mm
A balanced and easy-to-handle format with a clear, defined sound. Ideal for acoustic blues, early music, or as a studio instrument. Brands like Collings and Santa Cruz offer modern versions of this shape, also favored by luthiers like Jason Kostal.
Our standard tops easily cover this size. You can work with Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, or try a fine Red cedar top.
Source: Station Music Shop. Martin 00 Custom Grand Concert.
Source: Station Music Shop. Martin 00 Custom Grand Concert.
00 / Grand Concert → 520 x 200 mm
A balanced and easy-to-handle format with a clear, defined sound. Ideal for acoustic blues, early music, or as a studio instrument. Brands like Collings and Santa Cruz offer modern versions of this shape, also favored by luthiers like Jason Kostal.
Our standard tops easily cover this size. You can work with Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, or try a fine Red cedar top.
Parlor → 500 x 190 mm
Small format with lots of character. Parlor guitars have a bright tone, great for blues, ragtime, and 19th-century salon music. Iconic Washburn or Stella models inspired players like Robert Johnson and Joan Baez.
Source: Reddit. User: r/guitars. NGD: Guitarra Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor.
Travel / Mini → 450 x 175 mm
Compact designs made for travel. Guitars like the Taylor GS Mini or the Martin LX1 fall into this category. Even though the bodies are smaller, don’t skimp on top dimensions: maintaining a good surface area is key for stability and tone.
These guitars can be built with smaller tops, even leftovers from other sets. If you’re unsure, get in touch and we’ll help you find the best option for your project.
Source: Kendall Guitars. Taylor GS Mini Guitar Review. 2018.
Source: Kendall Guitars. Taylor GS Mini Guitar Review. 2018.
Travel / Mini → 450 x 175 mm
Compact designs made for travel. Guitars like the Taylor GS Mini or the Martin LX1 fall into this category. Even though the bodies are smaller, don’t skimp on top dimensions: maintaining a good surface area is key for stability and tone.
These guitars can be built with smaller tops, even leftovers from other sets. If you’re unsure, get in touch and we’ll help you find the best option for your project.
Available Tonewoods for Acoustic Guitar Tops
At Maderas Barber we have a specialized catalog for luthiers, with tops selected by species, grain pattern, and drying process. Some of our most popular choices include:
- German spruce (Picea abies): clear, powerful tone, very stable.
- Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis): good stiffness and volume.
- Engelmann spruce: soft, warm, highly responsive.
- Alpine spruce: balanced tone, visually stunning.
- Red cedar (Thuja plicata): warm, quick response, ideal for fingerstyle.
- Adirondack: a stiff top that enhances the projection of steel-string guitars.
$101.72
Dimensions: (550x215x4,5 mm)x2
Botanical Name: Picea engelmannii
Origin: Canada
Density: 350 – 410 Kg / m3
Description: The AAA Engelmann Spruce harmonic tops (Canadian or American) for classic, flamenco or western guitars (dreadnought) have few growth rings that go from the center to the ends, with a little variation among...
$42.16
Dimensions: (550x215x4,5 mm)x2
Botanical Name: Thuja plicata
Origin: Canada
Density: 330-390 kg/m3
Description: It is the most demanded quality in Red Cedar Acoustic Guitar tops because of its quality/price ratio. Within this we can find variations, but always maintaining the characteristic features of a medium quality. Stable growth...
$114.41
Overview AA Adirondack Tops Acoustic Guitar:
You can't go wrong with an Adirondack spruce top.Adirondack Spruce or Red Spruce (Picea Rubens) is a wood that grows near the northern Atlantic coast of America. From Nova Scotia to North Carolina, it gets its name from the mountain range where it commonly grows. They are majestic trees, some of them centuries...
$62.92
Overview AA Sitka Spruce Tops Acoustic Guitar:
Originally Native to North America, sitka spruce possesses a perfect combination of elasticity and strength. It shares many of the qualities of other spruces, which makes it a first choice for instrument tops. A versatile wood like few others, sitka spruce tops will offer great sonic response whether...
MB Sound: Guitar Tops with Acoustic Analysis and Audio Samples
Want to take it a step further when choosing your top? At Maderas Barber, we’ve developed—together with luthier Giuliano Nicoletti (Iulius Guitars)—a unique line called MB Sound: guitar tops with complete acoustic and mechanical analysis.
This system is based on Nicoletti’s method, explained in his book "Mastering the Sound of the Acoustic Guitar," also available on our site. A groundbreaking tool that lets you choose your top not just by its appearance, but by how it will behave acoustically in your instrument.
If you want to build with precision and confidence, check out the MB Sound line in our catalog.
Whether you’re working on dreadnoughts, OM models, or custom shapes, at Maderas Barber we have the top you’re looking for.
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