Types of guitars

Types of Guitars

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Today, many different types of guitars exist. Each type has its own unique sound and genre. The guitars vary from each other on the basis of its shape, size and the number of strings. Knowing the types of guitars will help you make an informed decision when buying a guitar. Basically, there are only two types of guitars- acoustic and electric.

1. Acoustic: These are the traditional and most commonly used guitars. Classical guitars are made of thin wood and are large in size. These guitars produce good quality sound and don’t need amplifiers. These guitars can be used for a wide variety of music such as folk, country and acoustic rock.

2. Electric: These guitars require amplifiers for their music to be heard properly. The strings are usually made of thick steel and the guitar itself is made out of a piece of thick wood.

3. Acoustic- Electric: This term is used for acoustic guitars which can be plugged into amplifiers or PA systems through the pick ups installed in them. Structure wise they are similar to conventional acoustic guitars.

4. Classical: Also called nylon string guitar. They have a wider neck as compared to other guitars.  Classical guitars get their name because they are better suited for playing classical music such as ballads or Flamenco. Their sound is very warm and gentle.

5. Twelve string: Unlike normal guitars which have 6 strings, these guitars have 12 strings. All 12 strings of the guitar are grouped in pairs of two. Both strings in one pair are tuned to the same note, but one is at a higher octave than the other. This unique arrangement of strings creates a semi chorus effect when the guitar is played.

6. Steel: Playing of steel guitars requires special training. While playing, the instrument is kept flat on its back (on the player’s lap or on a stand) and its strings are raised about half an inch from the board. The two types of steel guitars are pedal steel guitar and lap steel guitar. The sound produced from this guitar is of the old country music style.

7. Bass: The strings of this type of guitar are thicker and longer than other types of guitar. A bass guitar can have anywhere between 4 to 6 strings. The most commonly used is the 4 string type. Their sound is very distinctive.

8. Hollow body: This is a traditional type of electric guitar that has chambers in the body to provide more sonic resonance. They are preferred for blues and jazz music.

9. Resonator: These guitars are also known as resophonic guitars and were designed to enhance the volume of music from traditional guitars. This type of guitar is popular in blues and country music.

10. Archtop: This guitar can be both electric and acoustic. Also, it could be either hollow or semi hollow. It has an arch like shape at the top which sets it apart from other guitars. It is mainly used in jazz music.

To really understand the difference between all types of guitars, you should try playing each one of them. This will help you in deciding which guitar suits your style the best.