A Quick Overview on the Most Popular Types of Guitars
For those who are interested in learning how to play the guitar and have decided to take the exciting step of signing up for guitar lessons in Scottsdale or Phoenix, you should begin by exploring all of the different types of guitars available to find out which one most fits your musical needs. Much like candy, guitars come in a variety of different types, each with their own unique characteristics and special traits, but all of which are as equally amazing as the next.
To help you figure out which type of guitar is best for you, we’ve put together this handy guide summarizing three of the most popular types of guitars.
Electric Guitar
If you like your music loud with a metallic feel and a variety of cool-sounding effects, then the electric guitar is your instrument. Like the name suggests, the electric guitar is designed to be plugged into some sort of amplification system to project sound properly. When amplified, an electric guitar produces a very loud, sharp sound with a long decay. In general, most electric guitars have a small body, thin neck, and light gauge strings, making it fairly easy to handle (especially for beginners).
Acoustic Guitar
When it comes to different types of guitars, it’s helpful to think of acoustic guitars as the simplified version of electric guitars, but only simplified in setup, not sound. Unlike an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar doesn’t rely on amplifiers, cords, or electronic power of any kind. For that reason, acoustic guitars aren’t as loud or intense as their electronic counterparts. Instead, acoustic guitars have a more personal and cozy quality.
It should be noted that there are actually two different types of acoustic guitars: steel-string and classical. While similar on many levels, the main difference between the two is that steel-string acoustic guitars most often use steel-strings as opposed to the nylon strings used in classical guitars, and has an overall brighter sound. Additionally, classical guitars have a wider neck and are thought to be more musically restrictive in sound and style than steel-string guitars.
Bass Guitar
When it comes to types of guitars, many people often forget about the bass guitar, perhaps because they don’t understand that there’s a distinct difference between the bass guitar and a standard guitar. The main difference between the two is that the bass guitar plays notes in a lower register than regular electric guitars. Other differences include the number of strings, with standard guitars having six strings and bass guitars only four. Physically, the two types of guitars are also different. Bass guitars are typically larger in size with heavier gauge strings and a thicker neck, all of which help contribute to its ability to play deep pitches.
Final Thoughts
Like any decision, picking out the right guitar boils down to several factors including tone, cosmetics, body style, and the musician at hand. Choosing from so many different types of guitars makes the process overwhelming at first, but the good news is no matter what type of guitar you end up getting, there’s no chance of making a bad choice. After all, the only bad choice is not choosing one at all!
Once you’ve made that ever-so-important decision, be sure to make your investment worthwhile by properly caring for your guitar and developing your skills to the fullest through bass lessons or guitar lessons taught by Scottsdale Music Academy . Until then, read, research, and rock out every chance you get, with or without an instrument!