Basic Guide to Guitar Types

While many people tend to see guitars as mostly one thing, there are so many different types you will come across. If you are interested in learning the guitar, there are a few options to choose from. The differences will be based on the sound produced by the instrument, the techniques used to play it and the designs available.

The acoustic guitar is what comes immediately to mind when you picture a guitar. So this is the most common type that you will come across. They have steel strings and they work in much the same way. An acoustic guitar has a bright tone. The material it is made from will have a slight impact on how it sounds. Some of the materials used for acoustic guitars are ebony, mahogany and spruce. Generally, you will either strum or play the acoustic guitar with a pick. The classical guitar has the characteristic shape that you see in most guitars you find today.

These have nylon strings and this affects the tone considerably. It gives a soft and mellow sound when you play it. There is a wide fretboard to classic guitars which lend it well to fingerpicking. While the typical guitar has six strings, you can find 12 string guitars that have twelve. You can tune this guitar in the same way but when there are two strings for a note you get to enjoy a more powerful tone. There are different vibrations for the notes giving more of a chorus effect.

As classic and acoustic guitars are not able to create a loud sound without the use of an amplifier, the electric guitar was introduced. You will not find a resonator box in an electric guitar and the body is made from solid wood. Pickups will convert the vibrations into electrical signals and you will hear this as sound. There are thin necks for acoustic guitars which increase playability of the instrument.

The tone of an electric guitar can be changed in a variety of ways allowing you to experiment to a greater extent. Archtop design was seen in the first electric guitars but the common electric guitar designs currently are solid and semi-hollow bodies. The archtop guitar is difficult to construct and is more expensive. Instead of a flat guitar top, you have an arched top that gives its name. These are generally used by jazz guitarists.

Semi-hollow electric guitars are also used by those who play jazz. There is a solid block of wood in the middle of this guitar compared to the hollow center part that you see in archtop guitars. There are acoustic electric guitars that read a midpoint between electric and acoustic guitars. The design mimics the acoustic guitar version but you will have pickups that allow you to produce a louder sound.

This is great for performers who prefer the acoustic sound. There are acoustic and electric bass guitars that are generally bigger in size and come with a longer scale. You will find more electric bass guitars than acoustic ones. This generally comes with four strings.