A Flat Top Guitar (flǽt tɑ́p gətɑ́r) is a guitar that is completely flat across the entire body with no arch at all. The flat top guitar body style is typically seen in steel string acoustic guitar models, where the flat top and metal strings combine to create this model’s characteristic bright, loud sound. This can be contrasted with the softer, quieter tones generated by nylon-stringed arch tops.

The flat top guitar design is not solely the realm of the steel string acoustic, however. Electric guitars like the Fender Telecaster, Fender Stratocaster and Gibson’s Les Paul Special and Les Paul Junior are just a few of the very popular non-acoustic guitars that employ a flat top guitar layout.