Guitar Models: Everything You Need to Know.
A guitar is one of the most popular instruments around, and whether you’re a beginner or a professional, there’s an appropriate model to suit your needs. With a vast array of different shapes, sizes and styles, it can be attractive and intimidating to shop for a guitar. But fear not, we’re here to discuss the various models of guitar, helping you make the most informed decision.
Electric Guitars
Let’s start with Electric Guitars. Electric Guitars are the most versatile type of guitar on the market. These come in a variety of body types, pickups and bridges, offering an array of auditory experiences for all ranges of the music maker. Electric guitars use the pickups and bridge to transfer the string’s vibrations into an electrical signal, which is then amplified and sent to an amp.
One of the most popular body types for electric guitars is the solid body. This is the traditional guitar style with a standard shape, six strings, and two pickups. The most common pickups used with this type of guitar are the humbucker and single coil pickup. The humbucker pickup is composed of two coils and produces a warmer, more powerful sound. Meanwhile, the single coil pickup is composed of a single coil and produces a ‘twangy’ sound.
Another type of electric guitar you might come across is the hollow body. This is a classic style of guitar, with a larger body than that of a solid body electric. The hollow body is often used in jazz, blues and traditional music, as the larger body is often joined with low wattage amps. The semi-hollow body is also frequently seen amongst jazz, blues and traditionalists. This body type has a smaller physical body, but its construction is combined of two separate sections of wood, splitting a solid body and a hollow body in one single guitar.
Lastly, there are the ‘super-strat’ guitars. This type of body offers a fantastic range of sounds and possibilities thanks to their six strings and two humbucking pickups. They are designed to offer the same power as a solid body, while its shape helps to give a more diverse range of tones.
Acoustic Guitars
Next up is Acoustic Guitars. Acoustic guitars come in a few different varieties, but all acoustic guitars feature a hollow body construction, and are the traditional type of guitar. These guitars rely on a variety of woods, pore rigid foam, neck and strings for their sound quality.
One of the most popular acoustic guitar types is the Dreadnought. These are large in size, with a great amount of sound projection. Dreadnought acoustic guitars come in a variety of woods, from spruce and mahogany, to rosewood and maple. The Dreadnought has a classic shape, allowing it to stand out in any genre of music.
The Parlor Style is another type of acoustic guitar. These are slightly smaller than the Dreadnought, but still have a great sound projection. They usually have a smaller body and shorter scale length, allowing them to be suitable for finger picking styles of music.
The Jumbo sized acoustic guitar is a giant version of the classic acoustic. These have an even bigger sound projection, and are often used in folk, country and bluegrass music. The Jumbo usually have an X-bracing system that helps keep the sound-barrel and topboard in shape, and will feature tonal softness and warmth.
Lastly, there’s the Classical acoustic guitar. This type of guitar is the classic and traditional type typically used in classical music. Classical Acoustic guitars have a wide neck and often feature nylon strings, giving it a warmer tone.
Bass Guitars
Finally, let’s take a look at Bass Guitars. Bass Guitars generally have four strings, and a longer scale neck than electrical and acoustic guitars. This neck size allows for wider fret spacing, presenting a more comfortable playing experience.
The Precision Bass is a popular type of Bass Guitar. This model usually consists of a solid body design and two single coil pickups, allowing the bass to cut through the mix with a warm, vintage tone.
One of the more modern bass guitars, the Jazz Bass has a distinct dual cutaway design and two single coil pickups on the bridge. This allows this type of bass to pick up a wider array of frequencies, with more articulate and punchy tones.
Finally, five string bass guitars are designed to provide additional bass range. This type of bass usually has four strings on the neck and an additional string on the bridge. This additional string allows the player to extend further up the range of notes.
In Conclusion
No matter what type of guitar you’re looking for, there’s a suitable model for your needs. It’s worth exploring the different types of guitars to find the one that’s perfect for you. So, don’t let the vast range of guitars intimidate you; break down each model and find your perfect fit. Happy guitar-shopping!