Guitar with a long neck. Types of acoustic guitars

It can be difficult for a novice musician to navigate among the abundance of instruments on offer. Fortunately, the types of guitars are now represented on the market in the maximum volume. There are both for completely different sound extractions (classical, pop, blues), and for individual musical genres. Not only beginners study and get acquainted with the list, but also experienced band members who want to diversify their repertoire and experiment with sound. Let's try to understand in more detail what guitars are.

Types of acoustic guitars

Oddly enough, but six-string (and not only) girlfriends in the hands of guys from the yard, bards at the Grushinsky festival and world musicians differ not only in price and quality, but also in their intended purpose. Some of them have very exotic names. But do not be surprised that the types of acoustic guitars presented may be familiar to you. Of course, there are several more of them. But let's take a short tour of the most common.

Dreadnought (western guitar)

A giant in the world of acoustics. Renowned for its powerful resonant sound and versatility. The name "western" speaks for itself - it is used to play in the styles of country, blues, acoustic rock. A bright representative in the world of music is Amy Macdonald. Sometimes it is difficult for beginners, because narrow (it is difficult for some to get their fingers into the strings, so the distance between them is small). But if in doubt where to start your "yard" career - old Dread will be a good choice.

jumbo

You are more familiar with an old children's ball game than with the name of a currently rare guitar. Ringing chords with deep mids and rich bass notes. Such cool things were used primarily by the rockers of the 80s when they played their songs without the accompaniment of the main group. Acoustic rock, pop-rock, country - it's all about a handsome man with an elegant cutout from the 15th fret. Rick Springfield and Bruce Springsteen's stadium hits were recorded with a jumbo in hand.

small jumbo

This comrade is inferior to his older brother in size and sound volume. But what he does not hold is softness and intelligence. Thanks to the neckline of the kataway, it seems to invite you to put your hand on it and play a ballad. The crisp and expressive tone and wide dreadnought neck are ideal for studio work. Modern folk musicians often use it. The representative is the girl duo First and Kit.

Auditorium (Auditorium/Orchestra)

It is easy to guess from the name that the instrument is used for playing in auditoriums - that is, small and medium-sized concert halls. Most often used to work in orchestras. And here the main thing is not to step on the "throat of someone else's song." Therefore, the bass and treble frequencies are reduced, and in general it sounds somewhat quieter than the same jumbo. It is characterized by a 14-fret neck (to the body). Genre - chamber music, pop, folk, blues. Celebrities - Eric Clapton.

grand auditorium

An enlarged version from the example above, often in models there is a cutout for cutaways. spruce (deck), mahogany (shell) and rosewood (overlay) are used. The hull is slightly smaller than that of the dreadnoughts. Collected low frequencies, the middle range is pronounced, but not booming. Suitable for any genre. From modern performers - Taylor Swift.

folk guitar

Friedrich Martin improved the body of the classical guitar so that metal strings could be strung on it. Nowadays, folk refers to guitars of various shapes and sizes. Basically, this is a reduced copy of a western. As you might guess, it plays mostly folk music. It is also a great type of guitar for beginners. Represented by Bob Dylan.

Travel guitar

This little one is great for those who like to take their faithful girlfriend with them to nature and on a long journey. It is similar in size to a ukulele - more often than not more than 80 cm in length and weighing about a kilogram. The sound is not the richest and loudest, but for a romantic ballad by the fire, such a faithful companion will do.

Parlor

The elegant case of a small size often makes such an instrument belong to a female one. In fact, he has no gender prejudices. But the sound is best suited to soft pop ballads or romances. Again, it is useful for hiking, since the sound is juicier than that of the travel. Stars - Ian Anderson.

Seven-string "Russian"

The system is radically different from the six-string - re-si-sol-re-si-sol-re. It was popular before the revolution in Tsarist Russia. Used for both classical and gypsy music. Artists - Vladimir Vysotsky.

Classical/Flamenco

Classics - a wide hollow body, a massive neck and nylon strings. It is practiced both in music schools and in conservatories. For playing a fight on this guitar, you can get a hand from the teacher (the main working instrument of the musician). The resonating part is made of rosewood. The repertoire is extensive: classical music, Spanish motifs, bossa nova, samba, etc. Stars - Paco De Lucia.

The first differences are in the material. The resonator parts of the body (in particular the back and side walls) of flamenco are made of cypress. The body is smaller and thinner than the classic. The sills are located a little lower - this allows you to make the sound when playing with rasgueado techniques and various fights sonorous, lively and sharp. In addition, flamenco musicians often use the "golpe" technique - rhythmic beats on the top deck. On the right hand, professionals can have nails, so the deck is protected by a goalkeeper. Stars - Didula, Steve Stevens.

Twelve-string

Acoustic. It differs from 6 primarily in formation. 1 and 2; 3 and 4 sound in unison. 5 and 6 - in an octave. Thanks to this, an interesting "medieval" sound with a rolling echo is obtained. In general, these types of guitars are used to obtain a rich, surround sound. Basically - for solo accompaniment in bard music and acoustic rock. Singers - Alexander Rosenbaum.

Electroacoustic. Such "dvenashki" are often acquired by vocalists of rock bands. The accompaniment on them sounds louder, louder and adds unusual notes to the band's sound. Stars - Tom Kiefer from Cinderella.

electroacoustic

This is an advanced type of acoustics that can be connected to an amplifier. It differs by a cutout (catave) in the shell for the signal preamplifier and an equalizer for adjusting the timbre sound. Tone block (it has a slot for batteries, some models have a tuner). These types of guitars are used for performance from the stage or in the chamber hall. It is also possible to use guitar effects, but the sound will not be very "appropriate".

Semi-acoustic (Archtop, Jazz, Blues)

Hollow body with several resonating holes + pickups and electronics. Without connection, it will still play even quieter than the travel. There is no large dreadnought resonator here.

The main thing that catches your eye is the vintage design. They look insanely stylish. No wonder, because such an instrument was used by cult rock and roll players like Eddie Cochran. Most often they have two humbuckers, the sound between which is not too different - rather softer, and more rocky. The neck is slightly domed, as Gibson originally made them in the likeness of violin instruments. The sound is warm, soft, chamber. Most often used in jazz bands, surf / rockabilly bands, solo improvisations.

resonator

The main detail of this miracle is a resonator (it looks like a cone expanding from bottom to top) under a nickel-plated cover. From above, all this is closed with a lattice of three types: "spider", "biscuit" or "tricone". This tool is designed to , country, slide blues. Specific sound distinguishes it from dozens of other timbres. Artist: Muddy Waters.

Ovation

The original model of the body and the location of the springs make for a unique sound among acoustics and semi-acoustics. Carbon-fiber body, figured resonators in the form of cherries. Star - Yngwie Malmsteen.

electric guitars

Solid body, no resonators and pickups. Made with electronics. Different models have a different number of single-coils and humbuckers, which distinguish not only but also a stylistic purpose. Style - punk rock, hard rock, metal. Star: Steve Vai.

bass guitars

Provides a rhythm section in groups. Characterized by a low chest sound and thick metal strings.

Doubleneck with two necks

A hybrid version that can combine the neck of an acoustic, electric and bass guitar. It is interesting to see such types of guitars photo. Used for concert activities. When there is only one guitarist in the band, but it is necessary to alternate parts and there is no time to take off and change instruments famously. A prime example: Jimmy Page on the track "Stairway to Heaven".

This article will focus on the most famous and common forms and modifications of electric guitars.

1 Stratocaster

The most popular, often found and copied form of the guitar in many replicas. It is difficult to list all the countries in which Stratocasters are made, and it would be even more difficult to list all the brand names of electric guitars of this form. The classic, original Fender Stratocaster is produced in the United States, equipped with three single-coil pickups and a Vintage Tremolo. Strat has a special, recognizable "glassy" sound. Often this electric guitar can be seen in the hands of hard rock, indie, pop rock guitarists.

2. Telecaster

No less legendary model from Fender, even more "ancient" than the Stratocaster. The design of the Telecaster is deliberately simple, it looks like it has been sawn from one single piece of wood - which is not surprising, given that its deck is made using exactly this technology. More often on Telek there are two singles, but there are also modifications with humbuckers. The deck material is ash or alder. The sound is generally very pleasant on a clean tone and somewhat "glassy" on overdrive.

3 Les Paul

The Gibson Les Paul is another famous electric guitar model that set one of the trends in the movement of the guitar industry. Les Paul is easily recognizable by its shape, associated with a female waist, distinctive pickups and a body assembled from expensive mahogany. This guitar is recognized by many as the most versatile, and for this reason it is often used in recording studios. Les Paul is widely copied all over the world, sometimes licensed, and sometimes not very much (Chinese manufacturers are especially guilty of the latter).

4. Superstrat

Superstrats are an extensive family of guitars, consisting of many models from different manufacturers. In appearance, they are somewhat reminiscent of Stratocasters, but have a large number of design differences in the “voices”, the shape of the headstock, the tailpiece, the wood of the body, neck and fingerboard.

Some manufacturers have made a name for themselves on such instruments - Ibanez, Kramer, Cort are examples. And the first to master the Superstrat design was Jackson. In the original version, these were just copies of the Stratocaster with complicated fittings and from more valuable wood, later changes also affected the shape of the body.

5.SG

The horned Gibson SG is the very instrument on which AC/DC guitarist Angus Young cuts down his solo parts. In addition to the shape of the body, it differs from the Les Paul in that the SG deck is made from a single solid mahogany board, and not glued from several separate elements. Actually, the letters SG themselves stand for solid guitar (solid guitar). The belt button for this instrument is located not at the end of the “horn” of the body, but on the back of the deck in the upper part.

6. Mockinbird

Firm B.C. Rich has become famous for the unique shapes of its musical instruments. One of them was the Mockinbird - not the best in terms of playing comfort, but a very unusual-looking electric guitar. The most famous guitarist to play this instrument is Saul "Slash" Hudson of Guns N' Roses.

7. Warlock

The “devilish” design of another brainchild of B.C. Rich - Warlock guitars with a pointed wide body and a demonically horned headstock - you certainly can't confuse them with anything. This instrument for its appearance is extremely loved by guitarists playing in the genres of black and heavy metal.

8.Explorer

The body shape of the Gibson Explorer is somewhat reminiscent of a star. Externally angular guitars of this shape, however, are quite comfortable to play, which is facilitated by a fairly light neck. A characteristic feature of the Explorer was also the switch for "voices" - for electric guitars of this design, it is placed right at the corner of the deck.

9. Flying V

On the Gibson Flying V, many metal guitarists almost pray. The name of the model speaks for itself - it is a light flying arrow with a headstock in the form of a sharp tip. Many famous musicians have used this electric guitar to find their new image - and among them Jimi Hendrix, who owns the instrument shown in the photo.

10. Firebird

Firebird from Gibson is somewhat reminiscent of the orientation of the outlines of another guitar of this company - the Explorer. But the "Fire Bird" (namely, this is how the name of this instrument is translated) is endowed with its own special features: smoothed corners of the soundboard, a headstock similar to a bird's beak, a logo in the form of a bird, evoking associations with a yellow-black flame. A solid-body electric guitar is usually equipped with humbuckers, regular or mini (sometimes P-90), in number from one to three.

11.Jazzmaster

The Fender Jazzmaster was developed in the late 1950s primarily for jazz players. Due to the rounded shape of the body with a smooth notch, the instrument is comfortable to play while sitting, which is often practiced by jazz players. For its time, this electric guitar was stuffed with very modern electronics, including switching the playing mode from rhythm to solo.

12. Bass guitars

The design of bass guitars is often quite similar to that of a guitar, taking into account the features of the instrument - after all, the size of the scale, and hence the dimensions of the body and neck, are much larger in basses. But they also have their own characteristic basic forms. The main ones are the Precision Bass and Jazz Bass instruments developed by Fender, the founders that laid the foundation for the history of the bass guitar and largely determined the basic directions of its development.

As a special form of bass, one can, perhaps, single out fretless bass. According to the principle of playing, this instrument is a little closer to the double bass. Bez fret allows you to get a softer sound and expands the technical arsenal due to the ability of the bassist to take microtone intervals - but it is much easier to make a mistake on it due to the lack of frets that clearly align each note.

13. Semi-acoustic guitars

Semi-acoustic is a combination of an electric guitar and a conventional acoustic instrument. Hollow-body inside with efs allows a semi-acoustic guitar to sound fully without being connected to electrical equipment, and the “voices” inherent in electric instruments and the rest of the electronics receive from it an electrical signal caused by sound with the possibility of its further processing and amplification. Semi acoustics are especially loved by blues guitarists - they are attracted by the ease of playing this instrument, its vintage appearance and special warm sound.

So, in this article, we have briefly covered the basic, most common forms of electric guitars. The vast majority of electric guitars that exist and are currently produced belong to them or somehow come from them.

In this article I will tell you about the types of acoustic guitars. For many people who are ignorant of the subject of guitar, the combination "acoustic guitar" is strongly associated with the description of a classical guitar. In fact, the classical guitar is just one type of acoustic guitar.
New sounding standards and guitar patterns appear as older instruments are modified. Today, there are several major types of acoustic guitars:

Classical guitar.

classical guitar - the ancestor of all guitars that exist today. Its roots go back to 4- and 5-string plucked instruments. This type of guitar gained great popularity in the 19th century. In Spain, they played (and still play) flamenco on it, and in general in Europe - classical music. In the 20th century, the classical guitar became widely known throughout the world thanks to the work of A. Segovia.
Today there are classes of this type of guitar in all musical institutions. The wide neck and soft sound make the classical guitar ideal for playing classical compositions. However, this does not prevent its use for accompaniment to songs (classical guitar is widely used among bards).
Classical guitars usually use nylon strings, although metal strings are sometimes used. There is a simple rule that will help you not to make a mistake with the choice of strings: if you buy a guitar with nylon strings, then in no case should you put metal strings on it - the neck may not withstand the load. If the classical guitar initially has metal strings, then both types of strings can be put on it.
Classical guitars use a finger technique.

Non-classical acoustic guitar.

"Non-classic" - this is acoustic guitar type with body type Western(western), dreadnought(dreadnought) jumbo(jumbo). Very popular with guitarists. In general, non-classical acoustic guitars became widespread only in the 20th century.
As you can see, among non-classical acoustics there are also different subspecies, the difference is mainly in the shape of the case. But How are acoustic guitars different from classical guitars? ? The main difference in shape is the relatively large body and narrower neck. In addition, only metal strings are installed on them. In general, such a guitar gives a powerful, rich and bright sound. Very often it is played as a mediator. In this regard, there is a special teardrop-shaped protective plate on the case - pickguard.
Another feature - often such guitars are found with a cutout in the body ( Kataveem- from English. cutaway). This makes the last frets more accessible.
The non-classical look of acoustic guitars gives an excellent sound when played with a fight. It is also used for solo parts, for example, in the blues.
Non-classical acoustic guitars are most often used in country, folk, blues, rock styles.
Of particular note is the subspecies of acoustic guitars with a body type jumbo(Jumbo). This guitar has the largest body. It has rich bass tones and loud sound. Ideal for accompaniment and strumming.

Electroacoustic guitar.

Type of acoustic guitars with built-in piezo pickup is hybrid. If we take any of the guitars listed above and embed a pickup into the body, we get electric acoustic guitar . Such instruments can be connected to an amplifier (column, combo). Quite often in the body of electro-acoustic guitars there is a cutaway (cutaway) for better access to the upper frets.
Often, the acoustic guitar pickup itself has a built-in equalizer and tuner for tuning the instrument.
If you plan to play in a band and play live, or just like to experiment with sound, then this kind of guitar is for you.

Semi-acoustic guitar.

It's somewhere between an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. Semi-acoustic guitar has a cavity in the body, which makes it similar to an acoustic guitar, as well as pickups and tone controls, which brings it closer to an electric guitar.
The soundboard of a semi-acoustic guitar is quite large, but the sound from this does not become louder. This is due to the fact that semi-acoustic guitars have a reduced and modified resonator hole (most often it is like a violin - in the form of the letter “f”).
Sometimes this type of acoustic guitar is called a jazz guitar, jazzmen love it very much :) They play it most often through an amplifier and using a pick.

Twelve-string guitar.

This guitar has 12 strings arranged as 6 pairs of 2 strings. Wood for such an instrument needs to be strong enough to withstand the tension of twelve strings well. Therefore, twelve-strings are massive instruments. Don't buy the cheapest twelve-string guitar - this is fraught with a quick breakdown of the neck.
A 12-string guitar is intended for playing by a strike (in any case, it is problematic to play by brute force).
To roughly imagine the difference between the sound of six and twelve strings, you can draw a parallel between a regular photo and an HDR photo. HDR is obtained by superimposing three photos taken with a change in exposure. As a result, we get an extended range and much more shades than a regular photo.

So it is with guitars: a twelve-string guitar has a much wider, more voluminous and rich sound than a six-string one.

Seven-string guitar.

Among acoustic guitars, Russian seven-string guitar , which was quite popular until the middle of the 20th century. Its popularity is associated with the guitarist and composer A. O. Sikhra, who wrote about a thousand works for her. The seven-string guitar is determined primarily by the presence of an additional string and a third-quarter tuning. Today, seven-string guitars have given way to their six-string cousins.

Types of acoustic guitars: conclusion.

Above, I have listed the main types of acoustic guitars that are found today. I hope this article clears up some of the terminological confusion that sometimes arises in guitar circles. In summary, none of these types of acoustic guitars are better than the other. They are just different and used for different purposes. Each type of guitar has a special, unique specificity of sound, device and playing technique. By the way, we have a detailed article about

The only thing left is to buy a suitable tool and go into battle. You are coming to the store and here it turns out that there are much more types of guitars than you could imagine, and they also have a lot of differences.

And now you are already on my site with the question " types of guitars and their differences" and " what are the guitars?". Want to know everything about guitars? And so let's go in order:

• classical
• acoustic
• electroacoustic
• electrical
• bass guitar

First of all think about what you want to play.

classical guitars

If you are going to play classical music, then this type of guitar is the most suitable for you. These guitars have a quieter and softer sound than "acoustics".

They are fitted with nylon strings.(because the neck does not have a truss rod to allow the neck to withstand the tension of the metal strings), they have a wider neck and a relatively smaller resonant cavity.

All flamenco virtuosos use only the classical type of guitars., these guitars are also called "Spanish", since Spain is the ancestor of this type of guitar.

Semi-acoustic guitars

This is a more expensive and improved version of the acoustic guitar, a distinctive feature of this type of guitar is the presence of an additional electronic sensor (sound pickup), which allows you to connect your guitar to an amplifier, for example, at a concert.

But keep in mind - this does not make it a fully electric guitar, its main purpose is to get a clear sound with the ability to connect to an amplifier, however, using additional sound effects (gadgets) you can get a very interesting and varied sound, the same as on full electric guitar.

bass guitars

Bass guitar - can be either acoustic or electric. As a rule, they have four strings, but there are also options with five or more strings. themselves the strings are very thick, which gives a characteristic low bass sound.

1. Without a doubt, the most popular of all time remains Stratocaster(Fender), he is perhaps the most copied instrument in the world. As a rule, the material is alder or ash, the neck is fastened with 4 bolts, the pickups and electronics are assembled on a false panel. Neck at 21-22 frets, pegs in a row. Usually a vintage tremolo is used (attached with 6 screws, it only works for lowering). The scale length is 25.5". The classic strat is equipped with three single-type pickups. The simple design and reliability have made this instrument popular with many musicians - Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, SRV, Tom Delonge, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton.

Les Paul

2. The next most popular I would put Les Paul(Gibson). An equally common type and almost as often copied instrument. The neck is made of mahogany, the fretboard is usually rosewood, the neck is glued into the body. Body material - mahogany (mahogany) with maple top. The guitar has two, rarely three, humbuckers. The neck has 22 frets, the pegs are arranged in a 3+3 pattern. Scale length 24.75". The strings are rigidly attached to the body, the Tun-O-Matic (TOM) bridge is used. Used by musicians such as Gary Moore, Jimmy Page.

telecaster

Randy Rhoads

5.Jackson Randy Rhoads. It is a logical continuation of Flying V, designed according to the wishes of Randy Rhoads. Usually made of alder, neck-through, 22 frets. Pickups - two humbuckers, string fastening - Floyd Rose® Original ™. The pegs are arranged according to the scheme 6 in a row.

explorer

6 Gibson explorer. Just like the Gibson models already reviewed, it has a 24.75" scale, 22 fret neck, two humbuckers. The strings are fastened with TOM. The wood and fittings are basically close to the SG model. The tuning pegs are arranged according to the 6 in a row pattern.

Flying V

7. Flying V-- Flying V , Gibson 's avant - garde body design . At the time of publication, this shape of the guitar was more than unusual. In terms of technical characteristics, this tool is close to the SG and Explorer - constructively and in terms of the materials used in production. Scheme of pins 3 + 3.

PRS Santana

8. Signature model of Carlos Santana from PRS- quite often found in copies or guitars approximated in outline. Two horns, almost symmetrical body. Two humbuckers, string attachment - machine, works in one direction. A characteristic feature is the scale of 24.5". The scheme of the pins is 3 + 3.

Superstrats

9. In this section, you can combine different external case models, but they have one thing in common - they fall under the category of "superstrat". That is, these guitars are a development of the Statocaster, they usually have 22-24 (sometimes more) frets, different neck and bridge designs (typewriters), different types of wood, etc. In most cases, superstrats are simply more extreme and ergonomic developments of the Stratocaster shape (eg sharper and longer horns, easier access to 22-24 frets, etc.).