Guitars can broadly be divided into two categories: acoustic and electric.
Acoustic guitars:
Acoustic guitars are generally crafted from wood, be it the low cost laminates or the pure hard wood like spruce, or a combination of both. Acoustic guitars are hollow-bodied and do not need an external amplifier. However, their utility is hampered in bands and orchestras which call for mandatory electric amplification. Amplification can be done through piezo and magnetic pick-ups.
There are many types of acoustic guitars. Among them, classical and steel string guitars are the most popular. The classical guitar is adorned with nylon strings. The strings are plucked with the fingers or finger-nails. Besides pure classical music all kinds of modern music too can be played on it. The music repertoire of the classical guitar is vast and varied. The roots of the classical guitar can be traced back to the lute, the vihuela and the renaissance guitar.
The steel strings of a steel-string acoustic guitar offer a brighter and louder sound. It is essentially larger than the classical guitar to accommodate the tension of the steel strings. A plectrum is a must for playing a steel-string guitar.
Electric guitars:
Unlike the case of an acoustic guitar, pick-ups are a must in electric guitars. Pick-ups convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy. A proper and compatible pick-up is a must for good tonal quality. Pick-ups which have found popularity among most musicians are either electromagnetic or piezoelectric.
The modern day electric guitar is made of solid wood like maple and mahogany. Some plastic material and aluminum alloys are used to give a sleek finish. Jazz, blues and rock-and-roll are the popular versions of music played on an electric guitar.
Lloyd Loar was one of the earliest inventors of the electric guitar but the first commercial guitar was made by Stromberg-Voisinet in 1928. In recent times, the electric guitar has revolutionized the music industry, especially rock music. The American culture is incomplete without the electric guitar.
The thin neck of an electric guitar allows the musician to comfortably hold and play the strings of the guitar. Being lightweight is another advantage of the electric guitar. Sophisticated equipment complements the electric guitar and a variety of effects can be produced like tapping and effects pedals. Modern electronics has a say in the tremendous sound effects that an electric guitar can produce.
Electric guitars can be of many types: solid body, hollow body and metal body. A solid body electric guitar is carved from hardwood and sports a lacquer finish. Pick-ups are used to reproduce sounds, which then pass through an amplifier and are heard from a speaker. Les Paul was one of the earliest inventors of this form of the guitar.
The hollow body electric guitar has a lighter weight and greater resonance. The pick-ups are lined up on the body of the guitar and it has one or two sound holes.
Metal body guitars were first manufactured in the 1950`s, but did not gain much popularity because of their inherent weight problem. Holes were dug into some of their variants which hampered the sound effects of the electric guitar.
Conclusion:
So, all we can infer is that acoustic guitars are a classical musician`s delight whereas an electric guitar is the soul and life of a band.
Acoustic And Electric Guitars
So you've chosen to take up the guitar. Good for you! Now comes the hard part: which guitar is the best to start playing on? Well, the answer to that question depends on many things. It depends on what kind of music you enjoy listening to, what kind of music you are looking to play, and what kind of level you wish to reach--amateur or professional.
Before we go over each topic, let us first discuss the differences between Electric and Acoustic guitars.
The main difference between an Electric and Acoustic guitar is the fact that the Electric must be plugged into an amplifier in order to be heard loudly, while the Acoustic can be played and heard without the use of an amp. This is because Acoustic guitars have sound holes, which produce the sound. Electric guitars, on the other hand, don't have a sound hole and are thus known as Hollow-body's. Electric hollow-body's can be heard by the people playing them, but are inaudible to others without the use of an amp. Additionally, there are Electric guitars with the ability to be played both acoustically and electrically because they have little sound holes. These are known as semi-hollow bodies and are very versatile because they can sound one way unplugged and another way on an amp. Finally, there are some Acoustic guitars, known as Acoustic-Electric's, that can be played acoustically or on an amp. However, these are very different from semi-hollow bodies, because they sound pretty much the same unplugged or plugged--the only difference being that the Acoustic-Electric when plugged into the amp.
OK, now that we've briefly gone over the different types of Acoustic and Electric guitars, we can now move on to the criteria for choosing a guitar.
The Music You Enjoy Helps You Decide What Guitar to Buy: Let's start off with the first topic. Obviously, those who enjoy listening to a certain kind of music are most likely going to want to play it on guitar. That is why you must take this into consideration when looking for a guitar. Choosing the wrong type of guitar could lead to frustration and giving up the instrument all together. Do you enjoy rock music--metal, modern, alternative and otherwise? Then chances are a hollow-body electric guitar is a wise choice. If that is the case, you will also want to purchase an amp. But what if you like rock music that makes use of both acoustic and electric guitar? Then perhaps a semi-hollow body guitar is the best choice. Or maybe you don't like rock and instead enjoy country or mellow music. Acoustic or Acoustic-Electric guitar is then your best bet.
What Kind of Music Do You Want to Play?: Maybe you're a big rock fan, but would rather learn to play mellow, acoustic-based songs. That's perfectly fine, and if that's the genre you wish to play, you definitely want to pick up an Acoustic or Acoustic-Electric guitar. It's also possible that you're a big fan of acoustic-pop but want to start playing rock & roll. Do yourself a favor and pick up a semi-hollow or hollow body guitar.
What Level Do You Wish to Achieve?: Are you just taking up the guitar for recreational purposes and not looking to form a band or master the instrument? The Electric guitar is probably a good choice. This is because Electric guitars are much easier to start playing on than Acoustics are. Electrics have thinner strings (which are easier to start playing on) and, when plugged into an amp, allow room for error. Beginner mistakes can be easily covered up with Electric guitars. However, you cannot expect to make mistakes and be a pro. Acoustic guitars do not cover up your mistakes at all--if anything, they highlight them. You are forced to play songs correctly and master techniques the right way. The learning curve of an Acoustic is steeper, but you will reap the rewards if you master it. A transition from Acoustic to Electric guitar will be incredibly easy, whereas a transition from Electric to Acoustic guitar will be a bit harder. Thinking about what you want to accomplish on the guitar is a big factor in your decision.
Well, there you have it. After you think deeply about the above topics, you should be able to decide what type of guitar to get. Once you've made that decision, you'll probably want to check out our articles on "Choosing the right Acoustic guitar" and "Choosing the right Electric guitar".
Both Roberto Sedycias & Gray Rollins are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Roberto Sedycias has sinced written about articles on various topics from GPS Cell Phones, Writing and Movie Reviews. You can have access to portuguese articles about guitars from page Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for. Roberto Sedycias's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.
Gray Rollins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Property Investment, Guide Guitar and insurance agents. Gray Rollins writes for GuitarsLand.com. Once you've decided on which guitar you want to get, check out our and our. Gray Rollins's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.
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