The 90s saw a rise in the popularity of the Grand Auditorium shape/design as a promise to deliver on both fronts – strumming and fingerpicking. The resulting instrument is a middle point for medium-strength picking and strumming. A jack of all trades.
The GA design is credited to Bob Taylor (1994), although other brands have created similar acoustics over the years. The Taylor GA-style guitars feature a 25-1/2” scale length with 20” x 16” x 4 5/8” dimensions (L x W x D).
These types of acoustic guitars are perched on a sweet spot in the size chart. Everything larger than them (the dreadnoughts and jumbos) cater to flatpicking and strumming. Everything below (Parlour, Grand Concert, etc.) is considered ideal for fingerstyle playing. But GA guitars are good for both styles.
WHAT DOES A GA SOUND LIKE?
Grand Auditorium guitars are known to sound well defined, balanced, and versatile. They usually have a noticeable (but not overbearing) emphasis in the midrange. Grand Auditorium guitars are sometimes touted as the best all-purpose acoustic guitars. Whether that is true or not, they certainly rank among the most popular body shape at the moment.
Taylor 214ce, Fender Newporter, and Alvarez AG70 are some exemplary examples of acoustic guitars with the Grand Auditorium shape.
