by Ronald Craig

Created on: December 11, 2008

Which guitar is right for you? Why invest hard-earned money in a household ornament? You should be playing that decoration. Make the right choice and play the guitar. Make the wrong choice and dust it.

There are three basic kinds of guitar: classical, folk
(often called acoustic, though technically the classical is acoustic as well), and electric.Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

A classical guitar uses nylon strings (which look plastic), the electric and acoustic guitars use metal and metal wound with another kind of metal for the lowest sounding strings.

The electric guitar's strings are easy to press with your fingers when you play, but you need to buy an amplifier as well. The classical guitar's strings are easy to press also, but the neck is wider and more difficult to stretch across. The acoustic guitar is the most difficult to press with your fingers, though, generally speaking, the better the quality the looser the strings.

If you are looking for volume or special effects on your guitar then the electric is the way to go. You could use an acoustic guitar or a classical one with an amplifier, in conjunction either with a microphone in front of the sound hole or a pickup that fits inside the sound hole and plugs into the amp. Another choice is the electric acoustic. It is an acoustic guitar which has a built-in pickup that can be plugged into an amp. The amp allows for the sound effects and volume.

If you are not looking for either volume or effects, but want something with strings that are easy to press when playing, the classical guitar is your choice. It is used in every decent music school for guitar instruction and is the choice of classical guitarists across the globe. When a good classical guitar is played properly it has a rich, vibrant sound that catches people's ears.

Perhaps you just want to play some chords to accompany your singing. You might use the guitar at small public gatherings, such as parties. The acoustic guitar is ideal, with its distinctive ringing bell sound when strung with fresh strings and the strings are given time to stretch. For small public performances, nothing beats the ease, mobility and natural quality of the acoustic guitar.

Whichever guitar is your choice you should calculate in the extra startup costs of buying a guitar. For acoustic and electric guitars you must buy a strap and picks. For the electric-acoustic and the electric guitars, do not forget the cost of the amplifier and the cable that connects the guitar to the amp. The classical guitar has the least startup costs. Together with the other two categories of guitars you should buy for the classical guitar polish and a polishing cloth plus a tuning crank and tunner. You should not use a pick on a classical guitar. Acoustic and electric guitars have a special plate to protect the body from the pick when it is used, which the classical guitar lacks.

Buy a cheap guitar and keep searching aimlessly for your skill. Visit a local music store and try pressing and plucking on a couple of different kinds of guitars. You are likely to make a wiser choice even if you do not yet know how to play. Try if before you buy it!

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