An All-encompassing Guide to Buying the Right Guitar .
There’s no denying that guitars are some of the most popular instruments of all time. Whether you’re a beginner just starting out on your musical journey, or a seasoned professional looking to upgrade your sound, choosing the perfect guitar can be an intimidating, yet rewarding, task.
From all the different makes, models and features to styles of playing and musical genres, the amount of information available can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s why in this article, we’re providing an all-encompassing guide to buying the right guitar. Read on to find out everything you need to know about picking the perfect instrument for you.
The Different Types of Guitar
The first thing to consider when choosing a guitar is the type of instrument you’re looking for. There are a few major categories of guitar, but the two most significant are acoustic and electric.
Acoustic guitars produce sound through the vibration of strings that are stretched over their soundboard, or face. This vibration is then amplified acoustically and resonates through the body of the instrument, providing a balanced sound with gentle fingerpicking tones and powerful strumming patterns. Acoustic guitars are traditional instruments and are ideal for any type of folk, country, bluegrass, or classic rock.
Electric guitars, on the other hand, rely on a pickup embedded in the guitar’s body to convert the string vibration into electrical signals. These signals are then amplified using an amplifier, allowing you to tap into a huge array of sounds such as powerful distorted riffs and sweet, shimmery chords. Electric guitars are versatile instruments and are perfect for rock, pop, jazz, blues, and anything else.
If you’re having trouble deciding which type of guitar is right for you, it’s useful to understand the styles of music you’ll be playing. If you know you’ll be playing mostly acoustic-style music, then an acoustic guitar is probably a better choice. If you’re more interested in electric styles, then an electric guitar is the way to go.
The Anatomy of a Guitar
Before you begin shopping for guitars, it’s essential to understand the various components and how they affect the sound and playability of the instrument.
The headstock is the top of the guitar where the strings are anchored and tuned. In electric and acoustic models, there are typically six tuning pegs which are used to tension the strings and tune them to the correct pitch.
The neck is attached to the headstock and is most commonly made out of maple or mahogany, depending on the make and model of the guitar. In electric models, the neck is often bolted on, while in acoustic models, it’s typically glued on.
Fretboards are the flat wooden surfaces on the top of the neck where notes are fretted and played. Frets, which are metal ridges embedded in the fretboard, divide the fretboard into semitones, allowing you to play different combinations of notes and chords.
The body of the guitar is the hollowed out wooden portion that amplifies the sound of the strings and typically consists of two bouts, or sides, and a cutaway. The two bouts are the treble and bass, or upper and lower bouts, respectively. The treble bout is where the neck joins the body, while the bass bout is the bottom of the guitar.
The bridge is where the strings are anchored to the guitar body and is typically made out of either wood or metal, depending on the type of guitar. In acoustic models, the bridge is usually made out of rosewood, while in electric models, it’s usually made out of either ebony, maple, or rosewood.
The pickups are the magnetic devices embedded in the guitar’s body which capture and convert the string vibrations into electrical signals. In electric guitars, there are typically two types of pickups – single-coil, which produces a brighter, more treble-centric sound, and humbucker, which produces a fuller, warmer sound.
The controls are the various knobs and switches which allow you to shape your sound and adjust the tone, level, and gain of the guitar. In electric guitars, these usually consist of a master volume knob, a master tone knob, and some type of switch, such as a toggle switch or a pickup selector switch.
The strings on a guitar are made out of steel and can be changed depending on the type of sound you’re trying to achieve. Generally, the gauge of the strings determine the sound – thicker strings produce a fuller sound, while thinner strings provide a brighter sound.
Choosing the Right Guitar for Your Playing Style
Now that you have a better understanding of the components that comprise a guitar, it’s time to decide what type of instrument you’re looking for. Generally, there are three main types of guitars – acoustic, electric, and classical.
Acoustic guitars are typically the choice for singer-songwriters and strummers due to their ability to project their sound unamplified. Generally, acoustic guitars come in a few different sizes, such as a parlor, dreadnought, jumbo, and classical. As these sizes vary, so does the tone of the guitar, with parlor and classical models producing a warmer, mellower tone and dreadnought and jumbo models producing a bigger, bolder sound.
Electric guitars are the instrument of choice for any type of amplified music, from blues and rock to metal and jazz. Unlike their acoustic counterparts, electric guitars require an amplifier in order to be heard. Generally, electric guitars come in two categories – single-coil, which produces a brighter, more treble-centric sound, and Humbucker, which produces a fuller, warmer sound. Different types of electric guitars have different pickup configurations, ranging from the classic single-coil-Humbucker combination to more exotic seven-string and twelve-string configurations.
Finally, classical guitars have a longer neck and wider fretboard than their acoustic and electric counterparts and are mostly used to play Classical, Spanish, and Flamenco music. However, due to their mellow tone and wide range of sound possibilities, many rock, folk, and country players also use classical guitars.
Conclusion
Choosing the right guitar for your playing style and musical genre can be a daunting task. With this guide, you can now make an informed decision and select the perfect instrument for your sound!