Acoustic guitars may have strings made from various materials, including most commonly nylon. It is believed that nylon provides a good, crisp sound, as is kind on the fingers - especially important for beginners. However, strings made from steel provide an unmistakably crisp sound, which is very lovely to hear. However, the downside of using steel strings is that they can be very tough on fingers - and beginners may find the experience deeply off-putting. However, with time and effort, and a hardening of the fingertips, the sound is well worth the effort in most people's opinions.



Acoustic guitars can sometimes be amplified, for the benefit of larger audiences, by the use of a microphone situated near to the opening of the body. In the case of steel strung acoustic guitars it is possible to combine this microphone pickup with the natural frequency of the steel strings and include an electromagnetic pickup such as is seen in the electric guitar.

These are sometimes referred to as piezo-electric pickups, often positioned under the bridge of the guitar, or even inside the body itself. Purely electro-magnetic pickups used in this way will simply convert the vibration of the steel string into an electrical signal sent to an external amplifier, but more commonly used are those pickups which combine the electrical signal generated purely through the movement of the strings with the natural resonance and amplification of sound created by the natural cavity of the body.

Electric acoustic guitars are still regarded by most people as being acoustic guitars at heart, despite having electrical amplification which works more like a standard electric guitar. One significant difference in many instances is that the magnetic pickups used in these hybrid acoustic electrical guitars generate the signal not from the physical movement of the strings, but of the actual body of the guitar itself. Effectively, once a string is struck, it vibrates the air around it. This movement of air is then captured and amplified naturally by the shape of the body of the guitar, and the air inside vibrates to the same frequency - creating the note we hear.

Because of the fairly thin and flexible walls of the guitar body, this air movement creates very slight vibrations in the guitar body, and it is this movement that can be detected by the pickup. Not surprisingly this movement, and subsequent sound, has to be very much amplified to be able to be heard. However, the advantage of this is that the resulting sound is still more faithful to that of the acoustic guitar than a purely electrical one.

The advantage of having an electric acoustic guitar is that it can of course be played to larger audiences, and provides the performer with far greater flexibility and versatility - being able to play purely acoustic music, or switch to a hybrid guitar which can combine electrical effects with the natural acoustic sound, or even play music one would more typically associate with purely electric guitars. Perhaps not suitable for the beginner, but for the more seasoned performer, a fascinating mix of styles and opportunities.