A Beginner’s Guide to Guitars
If you’re new to guitars, you might be wondering which type to start with, should you buy new or second hand and how much should you spend? Here is a brief guide to the main types of guitar on offer to beginners:
- Acoustic Nylon String Guitar
This is the guitar that many people begin with and it’s also referred to as a classical guitar. They are often a good price for beginner level and a wide fret board, which is helpful for learner fingers. Nylon strings are also more comfortable which is important as your fingers will ache when you first start out. They are ideal for learning on but expect to outgrow one quickly if you’re serious about your guitar playing. Unless your dream is to become a professional classical guitarist.
- Acoustic Steel String Guitar
This is known as just a classical guitar, with strings that are louder when played. You can get a much more versatile sound from this type of guitar, whether folk, jazz or rock is your thing. Expect to suffer some fingertip discomfort to begin with. You’ll soon develop tougher skin, or you could learn to use a pick. These are great fun to play and you can learn almost any style of playing on one. For Gloucestershire Guitar Shops, visit https://www.guitarsmiths.co.uk/
- Dreadnought Guitar
These are the most popular variety of acoustic guitar with a steel string. This style was developed by Martin Guitars in 1916 and was significantly bigger than other guitars of that time. Due to its size, it was named after the huge battleships of the time.
- Jumbo Guitar
The dreadnought of 1916 was big, but Gibson decided to top this in 1936 by releasing the SJ-200, known as the Jumbo. Also, with steel strings, this large instrument is rounded at the shoulders with a very obvious waist and wider bottom section. They became popular with country music performers but today are used by many different artists. They offer big sound and wonderful projection.
- Electric Guitar
For ultimate fun, electric guitars are extremely popular – but your neighbours might disagree! The only negative is that you will need amplification or good audio interface software and a set of headphones. The narrower fret boards can feel tricky for learners but that is off-set by the low string action. If your dream is to become a rock God, then you’ll definitely want to invest in one of these at some point.
6. Electro-Acoustic Guitar
This is, as the name suggests, a combination of the benefits of both the acoustic and electric guitar. It is an acoustic guitar that has a built-in pickup, allowing the instrument to be plugged into an amplifier or PA system.