From the mellow nylon strings of a classical guitar to the roaring pickups of a solid-body electric, the world of guitars is incredibly diverse. At guitarplayers.net, we understand that navigating this vast landscape can be daunting, especially for newcomers. This guide is designed to explore the incredible Guitar Variety available, helping you understand the unique characteristics of each type and find the perfect instrument to match your musical aspirations and playing style. Whether you’re a budding beginner or a seasoned strummer, understanding the different guitar varieties is the first step in your musical journey.
Classical Guitars
Classical Guitar on a stand
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Classical, Jazz, Folk, Pop, Flamenco
The classical guitar stands out with its warm, mellow tone and is instantly recognizable by its nylon strings and wide neck. Renowned for fingerpicking styles, the variety of classical guitars makes them a versatile choice for genres from traditional classical pieces to contemporary pop arrangements. Typically smaller in body size than steel-string acoustics, classical guitars offer a bright and articulate sound, perfect for highlighting individual notes in complex fingerstyle compositions.
Crafted from various tonewoods, classical guitars are almost exclusively strung with nylon. These strings are significantly gentler on the fingertips than steel strings, making them excellent for beginners and those developing calluses. The wide, flat fretboard is another key feature, providing ample space for fingerstyle techniques and comfortable fretting. Moreover, the variety extends to scaled-down sizes, making classical guitars accessible for younger learners. For those seeking smaller instruments, explore options designed specifically for students.
While primarily used for fingerstyle playing, classical guitars can be strummed. However, their tonal profile, lacking in mid-range and low-end punch compared to steel-string guitars, might make them less ideal for singer-songwriters seeking a robust strumming accompaniment.
For an excellent all-around classical guitar for beginners, consider the Deluxe Cutaway Classical Electro Guitar by Gear4Music. Its full-size body, cutaway for upper fret access, and built-in electronics provide a comprehensive package for learning, performing, and recording. The comfort of nylon strings combined with the accommodating neck profile makes the classical guitar a fantastic entry point into the world of guitar playing, with a variety of affordable, beginner-focused models readily available.
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Steel-String Acoustic Guitars
Yamaha F310 Steel-string Acoustic Guitar in Natural finish
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Folk, Country, Rock, Pop, Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical
When most people think of an “acoustic guitar,” they picture a steel-string. This is the dominant variety of guitar in popular music, evolving over decades to suit diverse musical styles. Steel-string acoustics encompass a wide range of body shapes and sizes, each contributing to a unique sonic character. The dreadnought, perhaps the most iconic shape, is known for its powerful and resonant voice, delivering volume and rich tonal complexity thanks to its larger body.
Originating from Martin Guitars in the 1930s, the dreadnought has remained a consistently popular choice for guitarists across genres. Other body shapes in the steel-string acoustic variety include the jumbo, favored for its big, chord-friendly sound; the parlour, appreciated for its bright and articulate tone in a smaller package; and the concert, bridging the gap between parlour and dreadnought sizes.
Tonewood selection significantly impacts the sound of steel-string guitars. Mahogany and rosewood back and sides paired with a spruce top are among the most common and sonically balanced combinations. Guitar bodies are constructed using either solid or laminate woods. Solid wood guitars, while generally more expensive due to material costs and aging benefits to tone, are prized for their rich and evolving sound. Laminate wood guitars, constructed from glued layers, offer greater durability and affordability, making them an excellent option for beginner guitarists and those needing a robust travel instrument.
The balanced tonal qualities of steel-string guitars make them a favorite among singer-songwriters, providing a full-bodied accompaniment for vocals. For those starting their musical journey, the Yamaha F310 is a highly recommended steel-string acoustic. Its versatile voice and comfortable playability make it suitable for both strumming chords and exploring fingerpicking techniques, representing the excellent variety available in beginner steel-string guitars.
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Resonator Guitars
Sunburst Round Neck Resonator Guitar with wooden body
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Blues, Bluegrass, Country, Folk
Often overlooked by guitar newcomers, resonator guitars offer a distinct sonic flavor and visual appeal. This unique guitar variety fills a special niche with its twangy, metallic tone and eye-catching design. Born in the 1920s to overcome the volume limitations of traditional wooden acoustics in ensemble settings with louder instruments like horns and percussion, the resonator guitar emerged as a solution for greater projection.
Inventor John Dopyera pioneered this innovation, founding a company to produce the first resonator guitars. These instruments departed from traditional acoustics by utilizing a metal bridge and “resonator cones” instead of a wooden soundboard. This design achieved significantly increased volume and a bright, treble-focused tone. After his initial venture, Dopyera established Dobro, further developing resonator guitars. The name “Dobro” became synonymous with resonators, a term still widely used today when discussing this variety of guitar.
Resonator guitars come in two primary styles: round-necked and flat/square-necked. Round-necked resonators are played similarly to standard acoustic guitars, tuned to standard E tuning, but with the characteristic metallic resonance. Square-necked resonators, designed for lap-style playing due to their neck profile and high string action, are played horizontally.
In terms of genre application, lap steel resonators are predominantly used for slide guitar in country and bluegrass music. Round-neck resonators find their place in country, bluegrass, and blues, but their standard guitar action offers versatility for exploring other genres. The Hartwood Renaissance Resonator is an excellent entry-level option for guitarists curious about this variety. Features like a bone nut, steel alloy construction, and a biscuit-style resonator contribute to its sparkling and twangy sound, making it a great introduction to the resonator world.
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Electro-Acoustic Guitars
Koa Taylor Baby Taylor Electro Acoustic Guitar
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Pop, Rock, Folk, Country, Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical
Electro-acoustic guitars expand the guitar variety by offering amplified acoustic sound. They are fundamentally acoustic guitars with the crucial addition of electronics, allowing them to be plugged into amplifiers for significantly increased volume. This eliminates the challenges of miking acoustic guitars, making electro-acoustics ideal for live performances and recording scenarios. They allow musicians to connect directly to PA systems, DIs, or amplifiers, projecting their acoustic tone to larger audiences.
Electro-acoustics operate with a pickup and preamp system that converts the guitar’s acoustic vibrations into electronic signals. The pickup captures the sound, while the preamp enables tone shaping through equalization (EQ). Pickups in electro-acoustic guitars come in three main types, each influencing the amplified sound:
- Piezo pickups: These consist of magnetic strips placed under the saddle or bridge.
- Microphone pickups: Small microphones are mounted inside the guitar body.
- Soundhole pickups: These flat pickups are mounted across the soundhole, similar to those found on solid-body electric guitars.
Piezo pickups are the most common in electro-acoustics due to their compact design, unobtrusiveness, and resistance to feedback. The variety of electro-acoustic guitars is vast, ranging from affordable beginner models to high-end, handcrafted instruments featuring advanced electronics. This broad spectrum makes them suitable for players of all skill levels. Many electro-acoustics also include onboard tuners, adding convenience for both beginners and performing musicians.
For players seeking a robust sound and user-friendly electronics, the Sigma GJME Grand Jumbo Electro Acoustic is a notable option. Its jumbo body delivers ample volume and tonal depth, while Sigma’s electronics offer ease of use, making it a versatile instrument for plugged and unplugged playing, showcasing the amplified guitar variety.
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Semi-Hollow and Hollow-Body Guitars
Epiphone Casino hollow-body guitar in sunburst
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop
Bridging the gap between acoustic and solid-body electric guitars, semi-hollow and fully hollow-body guitars present a unique guitar variety. They feature large, elegantly arched bodies with resonant chambers and electric guitar-style pickups. Key visual characteristics include F-holes, archtop bodies, and adjustable tailpieces.
The distinction between semi-hollow and hollow-body guitars lies in their internal construction and resulting sound. Hollow-body guitars are almost entirely hollow, producing large, resonant tones with exceptional clarity and rich acoustic character. They are particularly well-suited for clean jazz and blues styles. However, fully hollow bodies can be prone to feedback at higher volumes, which can compromise their pristine sound.
Semi-hollow guitars address this feedback issue with a center block running through the body. This reduces feedback, allowing for higher gain levels suitable for crunchy and distorted tones. The semi-hollow design’s sonic flexibility has made it a popular choice for modern rock, blues, and pop, offering a clearer and more controlled sound. The iconic BB King’s “Lucille” ES-355 stands as a prime example of an archtop semi-hollow guitar’s legacy.
For fully hollow guitars, John Lennon’s Epiphone Casino is a legendary model, known for its thinline construction that minimizes feedback and contributes to its distinctive style, representing a unique facet of guitar variety. If you’re drawn to the archtop aesthetic and rich tonality, the Epiphone ES-339 is an excellent starting point. Its semi-hollow construction and powerful humbucker pickups offer versatility for clean jazz, bluesy crunch, and rock ‘n’ roll, demonstrating the broad appeal of this guitar variety.
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Solid Body Electric Guitars
Tobacco Sunburst Fender Player Stratocaster Plus Top solid body electric guitar
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Rock, Metal, Blues, Country, Jazz, Pop, Electronica
Solid body electric guitars are synonymous with 20th-century music and particularly “rock” music. This guitar variety has shaped genres and been wielded by generations of influential artists, from Jimi Hendrix to modern virtuosos. Their versatility has led to their integration into countless contemporary music forms.
Unlike acoustics and hollow-body electrics, solid body electric guitars derive their tone primarily from pickups. These magnetic components, available in numerous variations, are positioned under the strings and significantly influence the guitar’s sonic character. Pickup variety is a key aspect of solid-body electric guitars, allowing for a wide spectrum of tones.
Neck profiles also vary widely among solid-body electric guitars. “Shredder” guitars designed for fast metal playing often feature thin necks for speed and agility, while jazz guitars may have thicker necks for comfortable chording. The sonic possibilities of solid-body electrics are virtually limitless. Their electric signal allows for extensive tone manipulation using effects pedals, ranging from subtle overdrive to extreme digital delays and reverbs, showcasing the immense sonic variety.
The Fender Stratocaster is arguably the most iconic solid-body electric guitar. The Vintera ’60s model captures the essence of early Stratocasters, offering a vintage aesthetic and sparkling, versatile tones quintessential for rock, blues, and many other genres, embodying the enduring appeal of this guitar variety.
Bass Guitars
Buttercream Fender Player Precision Bass guitar
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Rock, Pop, Blues, Funk, Soul, Metal, Jazz, Country
Imagine an electric guitar, elongated and strung with significantly thicker strings – you’ve essentially visualized a bass guitar. This guitar variety, invented by Leo Fender in the 1950s, solved the problem of acoustic double basses being overpowered in band settings. While acoustic basses exist, primarily used in jazz or stripped-down acoustic music, electric basses dominate due to their versatility and tonal projection.
Like electric guitars, bass guitars utilize pickups to capture and shape their sound. Pickup variety in basses ranges from vintage-style, lower-output pickups to high-output humbuckers designed for aggressive and crunchy tones. The bass guitar serves as the rhythmic and harmonic foundation in most musical genres. Traditionally, bassists provide the low-end support and rhythmic backbone of a song. However, modern bass techniques, like slap bass, allow bassists to take a more prominent, lead role in ensembles, expanding the instrument’s expressive variety.
The Fender Player Precision Bass (often called a “P Bass”) is an iconic and widely recognized 4-string bass. Known for its comfortable playability and single split-coil pickup, this model is versatile enough for genres from disco to indie rock, representing a cornerstone of bass guitar variety. For those seeking a heavier sound for genres like metal, the Ibanez SRMD200D offers dual pickups for extended frequencies and a more aggressive tone, at a more accessible price point for beginners exploring bass guitar variety.
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7-String Guitars
Transparent Black Sunburst Ibanez GRG7221QA GIO 7-string guitar
Beginner-Friendly? No
Musical Genres: Metal, Djent, Progressive Metal, Jazz Fusion, Instrumental Rock
Extend your sonic palette with 7-string guitars. This guitar variety features an additional low B string, expanding the instrument’s frequency range into thunderous bass territories. This extended low end makes 7-string guitars particularly well-suited for heavy genres like metal, where dark, booming rhythms are central. The added low B string enhances the menace and depth of heavy guitar “chugs”. Beyond metal, jazz and jazz fusion genres also explore the expanded range of 7-string guitars, creating richer bass lines and unique chord voicings, showcasing the versatility of this guitar variety.
Most 7-string guitars are designed with metal in mind, often featuring sleek bodies and humbucking pickups. To accommodate the extra string, they typically have thinner, slender necks. Extended-range guitars, including 7, 8, and 9-string models, frequently incorporate multi-scale fretboards. These feature slanted frets that align more naturally with the hand’s playing position, facilitating fast and fluid soloing, a key feature in the design variety of extended range guitars.
While 7-string guitars offer significant low-end extension, 8 and 9-string guitars push the sonic boundaries even further into lower frequencies. These are often instruments for highly technical and virtuoso players who seek to explore extreme musical complexity. For guitarists venturing into 7-string territory, the Ibanez GRG7221QA GIO is a robust and well-crafted entry point. Equipped with powerful, metal-ready pickups, a string-thru bridge for tuning stability, and a 5-way selector for tonal versatility, it’s an excellent choice for aspiring metal guitarists looking to explore this guitar variety.
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12-String Acoustic Guitars
Taylor 150e Dreadnought 12 String Acoustic Guitar
Beginner-Friendly? No
Musical Genres: Folk, Rock, Country, Blues, Pop
12-string acoustic guitars produce a shimmering, octave-rich sound that has graced iconic songs like “Hotel California” and “A Horse with No Name”. This guitar variety creates a lush, harmonically dense texture. Instead of having twelve independent strings, 12-string guitars utilize pairs of strings. Each pair is played as a single course, simplifying playing technique while dramatically enriching the sound. Within each pair, one string is tuned to the standard pitch, and the other is tuned an octave higher.
This pairing creates a dynamically rich, chorus-like effect, transforming simple chords into majestic, sweeping sounds. However, 12-string guitars are not typically recommended for beginners. To handle the increased string count and tension, the neck must be wider and thicker, which can be challenging for players who haven’t yet developed fretting hand strength. Maintenance is also more involved, with twelve strings to change during restringing and potential neck adjustments needed to maintain consistent playing action due to the significant tension change.
Despite these challenges, the allure of the harmonically lush 12-string sound is undeniable. For those captivated by this guitar variety, the Fender CD-140SCE offers an enchanting sound without an overly high price. Its cutaway body provides access to higher frets, and built-in electronics simplify recording and live performance, making the 12-string experience more accessible.
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Ukuleles
Laka Soprano Ukulele with light wood finish
Beginner-Friendly? Yes
Musical Genres: Pop, Rock, Folk, Indie, Blues, Jazz
Small, bright-toned, and incredibly fun to play, the ukulele is a welcoming instrument for both novice musicians and seasoned guitarists. This guitar variety, though technically not a guitar, is closely related and offers a unique charm. Ukuleles come in various shapes and sizes, but share common traits: a small guitar-like body, typically four strings, and a lively, treble-focused sound.
Originating in Europe but strongly associated with Hawaii, the ukulele evokes images of tropical beaches and relaxed island culture. Its resurgence in popularity is due to its affordability, ease of learning, and appeal in social media content. While not invented in Hawaii, it was enthusiastically adopted there. Hawaiians, impressed by a Portuguese musician’s small guitar and rapid playing style, named it “ukulele,” meaning “jumping flea.” Its popularity soared, even capturing the interest of the Hawaiian monarch.
Ukuleles are constructed similarly to scaled-down acoustic guitars. Material variety ranges from inexpensive laminate/plastic models to higher-end instruments crafted from solid tonewoods. Body shapes also contribute to tonal variations. Soprano ukuleles are the most common and smallest, producing a bright, high-pitched sound. Concert ukuleles are slightly larger and have a warmer tone. Tenor ukuleles have a longer scale length and a tuning closer to guitars. Baritone ukuleles are the largest, with an even longer scale and extended bass range, demonstrating the tonal variety within the ukulele family.
Ukuleles are excellent for beginners due to their low cost, simplicity, and suitability for sing-alongs. The Luna Vintage Concert Uke, larger than a soprano, offers enhanced tonal options and built-in electronics for amplified performance, making it a versatile choice within the ukulele variety.
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Weird Electrics
Sea Foam Matte Ibanez Q54 Q Series Headless Guitar
Beginner-Friendly? No
Musical Genres: Metal, Progressive Rock, Jazz Fusion, Experimental Rock, Djent
“Weird electrics” encompass a fascinating guitar variety of unconventional designs that deviate from the standard six-string electric guitar format. This category includes instruments designed for specialized sonic purposes and featuring distinctive aesthetics:
- Double-necked guitars
- Extended range & multi-scale guitars
- Headless guitars
- Baritone guitars
Double-necked guitars, famously played by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, combine a 12-string and a 6-string neck in one instrument. This variety offers both the lushness of a 12-string and the standard electric guitar tones in a single, albeit heavier, instrument.
Extended range and multi-scale guitars, building upon the 7-string concept, provide even lower frequencies for heavier styles and allow virtuoso players to explore the full fretboard with greater sonic depth. Headless guitars, such as the Ibanez Q series, represent a radical design departure. Eliminating the headstock and using a zero fret offers advantages like smoother open-to-fretted note transitions, even string tension, improved intonation, easier string changes, and reduced size and weight, showcasing design variety driven by functionality.
Baritone guitars are designed for lower tunings. Their longer scale length maintains string tension when tuned down, making them ideal for heavy genres and drop tunings. However, their versatility extends beyond heavy music, finding applications in surf rock, country, and jazz, demonstrating the surprising genre variety for baritone guitars.
More Acoustics
Barnes & Mullins BM400 Abbott Mandolin with sunburst finish
Beginner-Friendly? No
Musical Genres: Folk, Bluegrass, Country, Irish Traditional, Classical
Concluding our exploration of guitar variety, we delve into a selection of acoustic instruments often categorized as “folk” instruments, but with broader applications:
- Mandolin
- Banjo
- Harp guitar
- Lap steel/pedal steel guitars
These instruments offer a wide spectrum of sounds, often chosen by guitarists seeking specific timbres and textures. Mandolins are compact instruments with paired strings, similar to 12-string acoustics, but with four pairs. Their small body and paired strings create a bright, treble-focused sound that cuts through mixes effectively, offering a unique tonal variety.
The banjo is instantly associated with country music, but its bright, jangly tone and rhythmic capabilities extend to Dixieland jazz and even modern rock. Its versatility goes beyond its country origins, fitting into diverse genres, showcasing unexpected variety. Harp guitars represent a more radical departure, combining a harp and a nylon-string acoustic guitar to achieve an extended frequency range. Their mellow tones and soundscapes make them a captivating choice for adventurous players seeking sonic variety.
Lap steel and pedal steel guitars offer alternative playing methods. Lap steels are played horizontally on the lap with a slide, while pedal steels are mounted on tables and feature pedals to change string pitches during playing. Pedal steels offer immense sonic possibilities and expressive variety, making them highly versatile instruments for specialized styles.
In conclusion, the variety of guitars available is truly astounding. From the familiar acoustic and electric guitars to more specialized instruments like resonators, 7-strings, and even ukuleles, there’s a guitar out there for every player, genre, and musical aspiration. Exploring this vast landscape is a rewarding journey, and we hope this guide has illuminated the path to finding your perfect guitar match at guitarplayers.net.
