What Types Of Guitars Are There?

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Acoustic guitars
An acoustic guitar is essentially the simplest form of guitar made out of wood. The body of any acoustic guitar is large and hollow; acting as a resonating chamber which amplifies the sound of the strings. There are two kinds of acoustic guitar: steel-string and classical. Classical guitars have a wider neck and use nylon strings. The nylon strings of the classical guitar enhance the overall playability of the guitar. Steel-string guitars have a defined and sharp sound that is a distinctive component of a wide range of popular music styles; country and rock are two examples. Both types of guitar can be played using a plectrum (pick) or finger-style. The steel-string acoustic is sometimes referred to as a flat top. The word top refers to the face or front of the guitar.

Electric guitars
An electric guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is capable of a multitude of sounds and styles because of its ability to be amplified and connected to a loudspeaker. The electric guitar is capable of producing sounds and effects that would be difficult on an acoustic. These guitars are amplified with ...
... the help of pick-ups that are usually installed on the body of the guitar. The pickups are vital to the sound of the guitar. The pickups and amplifier used with a solid-body electric guitar creates a sound that is metallic with a lengthy sustain. The strings of an electric guitar are thinner than the strings of an acoustic and closer to the neck; therefore less force is needed to press them down.

Since the output of an electric guitar is an electric signal, the signal may easily be altered using electronic circuits to add "color" to the sound. Often the signal is modified using effects such as reverb and distortion. The design of the electric guitar is not determined by the need for the deep resonating body that acoustic guitars must possess and this had led to the development of contoured and thin electric guitars which can be more comfortable to hold and play. The design variations amongst electric guitars allow them to produce a wide variety of tones. The two most popular basic shapes of the electric guitar are the Fender Stratocaster design and the Gibson Les Pauldesign.

Electro-acoustic guitars
The need for guitars that retain their acoustic qualities when plugged into an amp or PA led to the invention of the electro-acoustic guitar. These guitars usually use under-the-saddle piezo pickups.

Electro-acoustic pickups are designed to sound neutral with little alteration to the organic acoustic sound.
In every other aspect electro-acoustic guitars are similar to acoustic guitars.

Twelve-string guitars
The twelve-string is usually acoustic though twelve-string electric guitars are available. Twelve-string guitars have the regular six strings and a second set of thinner strings with each string of the second set corresponding to the note of its regular string counterpart. The second set of strings are tuned an octave higher. The strings form pairs; so you still play the guitar in the same manner as a standard six-string.Twelve-string guitars produce a brighter and more prominent tone and are harder to play than a standard six-string guitar.The additional strings require more pressure to press down and bend notes.

Archtop guitars
An Archtop is a hollow or semi-hollow acoustic or electric guitar which uses steel strings. The arched top along with other elements taken from the design of the mandolin or violin add to the distinctive tone of the archtop guitar. The body of the Archtop guitar, whether hollow or semi-hollow, has a sound block in the middle and they also have violin f-holescut into the table. The semi-hollow archtop was developed to make feedback less of an issue. Archtop guitars have been particularly popular in jazz music because their thicker strings add tone.

Bass guitars
Bass guitars have a longer scale-length and thicker strings as compared to a standard guitar. This results in all the notes being an octave lower than the guitar. Acoustic and electric bass guitars are available but the electric bass is more common. The standard bass is the four string bass though five and six string basses are also manufactured. The four strings of the bass correspond to the lowest four strings of the guitar an octave lower.