2 Interesting and Different Types of Guitars

2 Interesting and Different Types of Guitars

1. Acoustic guitars

When we refer to acoustic guitars, we usually think of the 'flat top', with a distinctive soundhole. They are usually bigger than classical, and feature a somewhat thinner neck and metal (steel) strings. They come in a variety of sizes, from the smaller 'parlour' and 'concert' sizes, tothe larger 'dreadnought' and 'jumbo' sizes with the most typical being the 'dreadnought'. They have a distinctive warm (although sometimes metallic) sound and can be strummed for playing rhythm in a wide range of popular music genres, including country, pop and rock, or played 'fingerstyle' for country blues, ragtime and folk. A plectrum or 'pick' can be used, for instance in the bluegrass 'flatpicking' style.

Acoustic guitars are used in a variety of genres. There are many different kinds; some kinds are rarely considered guitars,such as the ukulele. It is the most popular instrument in today's society. The body is large and hollow, allowing the sounds to resonate and providing a natural means of amplification. The sound is characterized partly by a weak sustain, meaning notes will fade after being struck. However, some master-built classical guitars ("concert guitars") feature very good sustain and excellent overall performance.

Acoustics are often used in performance. When the performance is in a personal setting or in an amphitheater an acoustic guitar can often be heard with no amplification. In most other performance scenarios amplification is required for the audience to be able to hear it well. An acoustic guitar can be amplified by placing an amplified microphone near (possibly

within several inches) the soundhole or by installing an electric pickup.

2. Electric guitars

The electric guitar is the workhorse of rock music, but has its uses in other genres such as blues, jazz and pop music. While an acoustic can be played right off the rack, an electric guitar requires amplification. Amplification and especially overdrive will increase the apparent sustain, and feedback can allow a note to be sustained indefinitely, even for several minutes. The sound of an amplified electric is very different from that of an acoustic guitar, even when no effects or distortion are used - the pickups and amplifier define the sound to a large extent.

Technically speaking an electric guitar is any guitar with an electromagnetic pickup to amplify the sound created by the vibration of the strings. Electrics come in a variety of shapes and sizes which are not always limited to the acoustical qualities of the shapes and thus can be more comfortable to play.

The two most popular basic shapes of electric guitar are the Stratocaster style and the Les Paul style. Most electric guitars that are solid body create very little sound on their own and therefore require an amplifier for all performance purposes.

Electric guitars are typically easier to play since the strings usually are much thinner (the strings do not have to resonate as much as with an acoustic), and are closer to the neck, requiring less force to press them down. The multitude of variations amongst these guitars allow them to have a vast variety of different tones.

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