As a guitar teacher, men and women continually ask me what type of guitar they really should purchase prior to they begin with their lessons. The answer depends upon many elements regarding your plans and who is the guitar for.
A wife could purchase a guitar for her husband as a birthday gift, or could be for her son, daughter, etc.
Let´s examine our choices
ACOUSTIC GUITAR:
It is a good choice if you like to sing or play with friends. You can learn basic chords and in a few weeks you´re ready to party. Any style of music can be played with an acoustic guitar but it´s mostly used for soft rock, pop, romantic, traditional and classic music styles.
If you're interested in learning classical music, you must be really serious about it because it requires a real commitment. If you like to sing, a few basic chords will give you a quick start off.
Acoustic guitars come with nylon strings but some might come with steel strings. They are called "folk" guitars or "steel-string" guitars. They have the same "neck" or "fretboard" as an electric guitar but do not need an amplifier.
ELECTRIC GUITAR
This one needs an amplifier. It is a good choice if you like rock, blues, heavy, alternative, or even pop and country styles. The lessons, books or materials you will find are more "solo" oriented. This means that you might need to practice some extra exercises and scales, beside your regular chords because the idea of a "solo" is to show off the guitarist expertise. Therefore, your lessons are more skill oriented.
You could also just learn a few chords for your electric guitar and you're good to go. Nothing is written in stone, especially in the music world.
ELECTRO ACOUSTIC GUITARS
They are the same as acoustic guitars but come with an output so you can connect a cable to an amplifier. There are "steel-string" electro acoustic guitars and regular "nylon" string. Your choice will depend on the style of music you want to practice.
SIZES
You can find acoustic guitars on numerous different sizes and shapes. They could be custom made if you find somebody who "makes" guitars. Different body shapes produce a different tonal balance. A larger body produces a louder volume.
Acoustic guitars are also made from different woods which could heavily increase the price. But all this wood and shape details are the passion of professionals. If you are a beginner, a regular acoustic guitar would do just fine.
Electric guitars could also be custom made. If you want to put real diamonds on the fretboard, well... be my guest, but the most useful feature would be, a smaller size guitar to help small children because a regular electric or acoustic guitar might be too big for kids between 6 and 10. But you really should also consider how soon this kid will grow up and "leave" his small size guitar.
The rule, according to my experience is to take the youngster with you when you visit the guitar shop. Ask him or her to sit and hold the guitar. If it seems too big and difficult to maneuver, well... it's because it is. Ask if they have a smaller size then. After 12 or 13 years old, regular size will be ok.
In case you need a guitar, you will find a very cool widget in the bottom section of my website where you can search for guitars online. You can search for pictures, price and details. It could be sent to you with a few clicks if you want. And of course, you will also find my guitar lessons online (also available in Spanish). You're welcome to visit. Thanks for reading !!
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