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The Guitar
There are two main categories of guitars: acoustic and electrics.
Within each there are subgroups.
Acoustics
Nylon string guitars, often called 'classical',
are the friendliest of all guitars, and my recommendation for beginners.
The nylon strings are thicker, looser and much easier on the fingers
than steel. Getting a decent sound out of a nylon is easier. The
neck is wider which gives your fingers clearer access to the strings.
They are ideal for learning finger style guitar.
Steel string guitars are the most popular of
acoustics. They are louder, janglier and more versatile than nylon.
The only problem with starting out on a steel string is that they
are more difficult to play. The steel strings are tough on soft,
pink beginner's fingers. It hurts to press them down hard enough
to get a tone and it takes a couple weeks at least to develop calluses
thick enough to feel no pain. I'm sure thousands upon thousands
of beginning guitarists gave up within days of trying to learn
on a steel string. You've really got to love it to get through
those first two weeks.
12-string guitars have 6 pairs of strings -- the six normal strings paired
with thinner strings tuned to the same note or an octave. 12-strings are large,
cumbersome, very difficult to play and I wouldn't recommend them if you're
starting out.
Resonators are usually acoustic, always steel
string, and have a speaker-like 'resonator' built into them. Originally
designed to add volume to the instrument, they are now often played
with a slide or bottleneck.
Electrics
Hollow body guitars are, generally speaking,
the preferred instrument of jazz guitarists. The fact that some
of the acoustic quality gets amplified gives them a mellow tone.
They are traditionally simpler in their set up, relying more on
their natural sound rather than gadgetry and electronics.
Solid body. Rock players prefer solid body guitars.
Because they are untainted by any acoustic sound, they are more
versatile. They can be played at high volume with more control
and their sound can be more easily processed.
There are no hard fast rules though. Getting a good sound out of any electric
guitar is the difficult bit, and I recommend you start out on acoustic, preferably
nylon.
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