The main type of guitars for contemporary music
Guitar types - electric, acoustic, Spanish, classical, western ...
There are many types of guitars available, each with its own characteristics. For example, an electric guitar is different from a classical guitar in several ways. An electric guitar typically has a solid body and requires an amplifier to produce sound. Its neck is narrower compared to that of a classical guitar and is more similar to that of a western guitar. Additionally, electric guitars use steel strings. This makes transitioning from a western to an electric guitar relatively straightforward.
For beginners, we often recommend starting with an electric guitar. It is generally easier to play, puts less strain on joints and muscles, and is versatile across a wide range of musical styles, including pop, rock, funk, classical, and heavy metal. Equally important as the guitar itself is the amplifier, which plays a crucial role in shaping the sound.
The choice of amplifier is very personal. Each amplifier has a unique sound, so it’s best to test different models in a music store. Consider the intended use of the amplifier. For home use, 20 watts is usually sufficient. However, if you plan to use it in a rehearsal room, you should consider a 100-watt amplifier to ensure it can compete with a drum set. Well-known and reputable brands include Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, Godin, Ibanez, PRS, and more. In short, there’s plenty of choice! For a starter package that includes an electric guitar and amplifier, you should expect to spend around 400 euros.
Electric guitar… Some brands and figures
For a minimum professional electric guitar you quickly have to count on 1200 euros and more (for just the guitar, without amplifier and peripherals). Fender USA is a solid, professional and not too expensive brand where you get styles from pop, funk, rock to metal. Please note that Fender USA is mentioned on the back of the head, there are also Mexican Fenders as well as many copies made in Indonesia and China. Fender itself can be divided into 3 price categories (read quality labels): Fender Squier (cheap brother of Fender), Fender Mexican (split version of Fender), Fender USA (the one and only …). You can already get a good Fender, e.g. Standard Stratocaster, for approx. 900 euros. Gibson can also be divided into Epiphone (cheaper version) and Gibson itself, with a wide range of electric, acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars.
Gibson is a very good and legendary brand, but you pay for a large part the name and only then the quality. Personally, I don’t think Gibson has the right price/quality ratios. A good Gibson starts from 2000 euros, cheaper models of 1000 to 1500 euros sound rather cheap to me personally compared to the price tag. Ibanez, the most universal when it comes to music styles, and the price / quality is very correct. But please note, many models have a floating bridge, which is not always practical for certain musical styles. You already have a decent Ibanez for 1000 euros, but models by Steve Vai and Joe Satriani are quickly around 2000 euros. For those who have a somewhat larger budget, there are of course other beautiful guitar brands such as: ESP (Metallica, …), PRS (Santana, …), Music Man (Steve Morse, John Petrucci, Steve Lukather), etc.
Classical or Spanish guitar
Most beginning students start on a classical guitar. The disadvantage of this guitar is that the neck is a bit wider in contrast to the somewhat narrower neck of a western or electric guitar. This makes playing chords a lot more difficult, especially for people with smaller hands. In addition, it is also quite limited in terms of music styles that you can play on this. An advantage of this guitar is that it has nylon strings. This material is a lot friendlier to the fingertips for a novice student. A classical guitar is already for sale for 60-70 euros.
The sound of such a guitar is just not really good. When a guitar has a solid top, like the classical guitars have in a higher price range, the sound immediately becomes a lot better. You should then think of a price from about 200-220 euros. A classical guitar has a warmer sound than a western guitar due to its nylon strings. These usually sound a little clearer because they have steel strings.
Western, acoustic or steelstring guitar
Narrower neck, clear sound, fine volume and very diverse! Western (or also called Steelstring and acoustic) guitars are mainly used in pop, rock and blues music. The sound of a steel string is clearer than with classical guitar because steel strings are stretched on it. The sound box is also a lot larger, so the volume is also a bit higher. The advantage over a classical guitar is that the neck is much narrower, which is often easier for beginners to play chords. The steel strings are a point that many beginning students fall over. After some intensive practice, you will really have to give your fingertips a rest.
Of course you get used to this, but you have to take into account that both a classical and western guitar is much more stressful for joints and muscles than an electric guitar! Western guitars are already for sale for less than 100 euros. My advice is to spend a little more and buy a steel string with a solid top for about 250 euros. The sound is really much better! Please note, a good western guitar is much more expensive than a good electric guitar. For a professional and good sounding acoustic guitar you quickly pay 2500 to 3000 euros (without amplifier or peripherals).