Advanced Guitar Lessons

A List Of Types Of Guitars

Types of Guitars

Oh, the guitar. The beautiful stringed instrument we long to master. It looks so easy does it not? Pick it up, give it a strum and a beautiful sound comes out. Honestly, with a few simple lessons you would be amazed at what you can learn and with a little bit of time and practice, you could be able to rip off a few tunes.

But you will need a guitar first. Here is a list of different types of guitars for you to take a look at.

Acoustic Guitars
Here is a list of types of acoustic guitars that have come about over the years.

Classical
Typically what you think of when you think of a guitar. Your basic 6-string with nylon strings and a wide and flat neck.

Renaissance
These were some of the first guitars know to man. They are substantially smaller and quieter than a classical guitar. Plain an basic.

Baroque
Pretty much the same as the Renaissance, but the much more decked out version. Usually was decorated and used for special occasions.

Flamenco
With a spruce made top and cypress body the Flamenco guitar is much lighter than a Classical. You use your fingernails in a certain way to play this types of guitar so they all have a unique feature called Tapping Plates that help protect it.

Ten-string
The oldest type of Harp guitar. You play by plucking or strumming the 10 strings as opposed to freting them.

Portuguese
Has almost a round body and 12 strings.

Flat-top with steel-strings
Usually much bigger than a Classical and has a smaller neck.

Archtop
Popular with Blues and Jazz musicians because of it distinct sound.

Selmer-Maccaferri
Kind of weird looking with a 'D' shaped opening. Unless you are fan of Django Reinhardt you probably have not come across one.

Resonator
The original purpose of the resonator was to produce a very loud, distinct sound.

12-string
With its steel strings, it is widely used in folk, blues and rock and roll, baby. Check out your favorite 70's band. They probably had one.

Russian
An odd seven-string guitar that you don't see much.

Guitarrón
These are those usually large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass played by the mariachi bands. So next time you are at a Mexican restaurant, you with know what they are playing.

Tenor
Small four-string version of the steel-string guitar. It allows banjo players to pick up a guitar and play it.

Harp
Probably are not going to see many of these. 12 string.


Electric Guitars
Thanks to George Beauchamp for the first magnetic pickup for a guitar. He did it to the 1931 Ro-Pat-In, which later became Rickenbacker. Then by the 1940's, Gibson collaborated with Les Paul and Leo Fender collaborated with himself to come up with the completely solid-body electric guitar.


Well, there you have it. A bunch of guitars that you will probably never use. It's cool information to know, though. But first thing is first: get yourself a Classical guitar and start taking lessons. Both online and off-line classes are OK, it just depends on how you learn.

Get out there and do it. It's a lot of fun!

Types of Guitars