Before deciding what kind of guitar to buy, you
should determine what style of music you would like to play. Each type of
guitar, because its material and construction, produces a very different tonal
quality and hence is used for different styles of music. You should choose
the guitar based on the style of music and the sound you like.
Here is a
chart of guitars and appropriate styles of music.
|
Guitar Type |
Style of Music |
|
Acoustic Guitar |
folk,
country, ragtime, blues, pop
|
|
Classical Guitar |
classical, pop, folk, Latin, jazz |
|
Electric Guitar |
rock, heavy metal, blues, country, jazz
|
|
Here are the descriptions for different types of
guitars.
|
Acoustic
Guitar
|
|
Also called Dreadnaught guitar, steel-string
guitar, folk guitar, or flat-top guitar. This type of guitar's tone
quality is bright, brassy, and forceful. It is perfect for folk,
country, ragtime, blues, and pop styles. Beginners should use light
gauge strings on this guitar for ease of playing because light gauge strings
are easier on the fingers. If you desire you can work your way up to
medium or heavy gauge as your fingers grow stronger and tougher.
A cutaway acoustic guitar refers to an
acoustic guitar with cutaway shape to allow for better access to the upper
range of the fretboard. This is a great feature for players who play
upper range frequently.
An acoustic electric guitar refers to
an acoustic guitar with built-in pick-ups so sound can be transmitted
through an amplifier. An acoustic electric guitar produces sound the
same way as an acoustic guitar through its sound chamber therefore it can be
used without an amplifier. When the guitar is connected to an
amplifier, the sound of the guitar is enhanced through the amplifier.
For playing with an amplifier, an amplifier between 10 to 30 watts will be more than adequate for home practice.
In addition to buying an acoustic guitar, you
may also need the following accessories:
|
|
Classical
Guitar
|
|
Also called nylon-string guitar or nylon-string
acoustic guitar. Nylon strings have a lower tension and are easier on
the fingers of a beginner hence making classical guitar a popular choice for
beginners. This guitar has a rich repertoire of classical music but is
also suited for pop, folk, Latin, and jazz. The nylon string guitar is
best suited for fingerstyle playing where the strings are plucked with the
fingers of the right hand.
Due to the style of music, classical guitar
is less frequently used with an amplifier. But if you wish to attach a transducer or pickup
on the guitar and amplify the sound, an amplifier between 10 to 30 watts
will be more than adequate for home practice.
Steel strings have a higher tension
requirement and should never be put on a classical guitar. Classical
guitar lacks the necessary neck strength to support the tension of steel
strings.
In addition to buying a classical guitar, you
may also need the following accessories:
|
|
Electric
Guitar
|
|
Without amplification, this guitar is too soft
to be heard except for individual practice. It relies almost entirely
upon the pick-ups and amplifier. The pickups are used to pickup the
sound vibration from the guitar and transmit the output to an
amplifier. The sound can be further enhanced by using different effect
pedals and other means to alter the tone. This type of guitars is used
almost exclusively for rock, heavy metal, blues, country and jazz music.
An electric guitar can have double cutaway
or single cutaway. The cutaway shape is to allow for better
access to the upper range of the fretboard. Double cutaway refers to a
guitar with cutaway shape on both side of the guitar while single cutaway
refers to a guitar with cutaway shape on only one side of the guitar.
An amplifier is necessary if
you want to play an electric guitar. For home practice, an amplifier
between 10 to 30 watts will be more than adequate.
In addition to buying an electric guitar, you
may also need the following accessories:
|
|
