What is a guitar?

Guitar is a stringed instrument, consisting of 6 strings. Its original form is acoustic, with a hollow body that forms a resonance chamber and a sound hole that acts as an acoustic amplifier.

Along the body is a neck, called the fingerboard, and at the end of the fingerboard are 6 tuning screws, which are used for tuning. The guitar typically has nylon strings, which are soft to play and won't cause sore fingers if you're a beginner.

History of the guitar

The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that originated in Spain around the 16th century. The first guitars were narrower and deeper than we know them today, with fewer carvings in the body that have since given the guitar its distinctive look.

From the 16th to the 19th century, there were several changes to the instrument. A fifth string was added before 1600. At the end of the 18th century, a sixth string was added. Before 1800, the double-stringed guitar was replaced by single strings tuned E-A-D-G-B-E, which is still the standard tuning today.

The violin-like headstock was replaced around 1600 with a flatter headstock with tuning screws mounted on the back. In the 19th century, metal screws were replaced by the tuning screws we know today.

The guitar used to have frets that were tied to the neck, these were replaced by built-in ivory or metal frets in the 18th century.

How do you play a guitar?

If you've been to concerts and seen musicians play stringed instruments, you already have a great deal of knowledge about how to play the guitar.

Along the neck are frets between which you can place your fingers to create different notes or chords. The strings can be struck with your thumb, a pick, or you can play fingerpicking where each string is played separately.

The difference between different types of acoustic guitars

Guitars come in a myriad of colors, shapes, sizes and price ranges. So what's the difference?

Most have 6 strings, but as always, there are exceptions. The body and neck are made of wood, with steel inlays making up the frets on the neck. The head is also made of wood and on the head are the tuning screws, which are either made of iron or hard plastic. In the sections below you can read about the different types of guitar.

Different guitar types - the most common

Spanish Guitar

A Spanish guitar consists of a resonance chamber, which is essentially a large cavity that makes up the body. Up along the body is a neck, which is called the fingerboard. At the end of the fretboard are six tuning screws, which are used to adjust and tune the strings.

A Spanish guitar is considered an acoustic instrument as its only amplifier is the guitar's own resonance chamber. Therefore, the type of wood it is made from is of great importance. Most often, the body of a Spanish is made of maple, while the neck is composed of different layers of wood, which together make for an incredibly durable yet flexible neck.

Another type of stringed instrument is the ukulele, which is similar to a small guitar. Then there is also a smaller version of the classical guitar called the children's guitar.

Western Guitar

A western guitar, like the Spanish guitar, consists of a resonance chamber that acts as an acoustic amplifier. The neck of a western is similar to a Spanish guitar, but the neck is usually a little thicker. This is because western has steel strings, so the neck needs more strength and flexibility.

If you go from a Spanish guitar to a western guitar, you will hear a big difference. So much so that you'll be surprised and the experience with your western guitar will suddenly become much more exciting.

Western Guitars have undergone a huge evolution over the last many years and it's hard to buy a "bad" western guitar today. However, there is still a clear correlation between price and quality.

Electric Guitar

Unlike Spanish and acoustic guitars, electric guitars are not equipped with a resonance chamber, but rather pickups that pick up the vibrations of the strings. The pickups on an electric guitar consist of magnetic coils placed under the strings, which send a signal to the control switch and volume control, and from there to the amplifier.

Electric guitars are often made from finer woods, which provide more sustain (longer notes) and thus a more beautiful sound. The sound of an electric guitar depends on many factors, such as the type of wood the body is made of, the type of wood the neck is made of, the type of pickup, the thickness of the strings and many more.

An electric guitar can give you more options and teach you to play many more genres, styles and more because of its versatility with all the accessories you can buy for it.

Guitar Action

The action of a guitar refers to the distance from the strings to the frets on the fretboard. The shorter the distance from string to fret, the easier and faster the guitar is to play. Most guitars have a continuous metal rod in the neck called a truss rod.

This can be tightened or loosened if the neck is shaped like an arc of lightning and is impossible to play, or vice versa if the strings are too low and the sustain disappears. This is usually done with an umbraco key at the head of the guitar.

Maintaining an acoustic guitar

Whether you own a Spanish, Western, electric or something else, there are certain things that should be maintained. As previously mentioned, the neck should be inspected annually, this can often be combined with a string change.

String changes are very individual and depend on how much you play the guitar. Compare it to a car, where you fill up the gas tank when it's almost empty. The same goes for guitar strings, you can feel and hear when they need to be changed.

Next, it's a good idea to clean the fretboard of your guitar, which can get really dirty due to hand sweat, metal dust from the strings and food residue from your fingers. We recommend using a special oil that is made for cleaning the instrument.

Accessories

If you've said guitar, you've also said gig bag. It's important to have something to store your guitar in so it's properly protected. A guitar doesn't like water or large heat differences, which can damage the guitar.

Next, it's a good idea to buy a capo, which can also be a great tool. A capo is placed over an entire fret, so you can play the same chords you know but suddenly in a different key. This can be helpful, for example, if you're playing with a female vocalist and are used to singing yourself. In this case, a capo can transpose without you having to think and concentrate on playing along.

Amplifiers

There are countless amplifiers for both Western guitar and electric guitar. They start in price ranges where we can all afford them, and otherwise just cost upwards.

A guitar amp lifier can be purchased as a combo amplifier or as a separate amplifier and cabinet. Neither is better or worse than the other, it's mostly a matter of appearance and type.

The separate amplifiers can often be a little easier to transport, but as a rule of thumb, amplifiers for guitarists are not particularly large.

Guitar pedals

Buying an electric guitar suddenly opens up a lot of options when it comes to pedals. Guitar pedals can be used to create different effects such as overdrive, distortion, wah-wah, flanger, fuzz and many more. As many guitars as there are, there are just as many pedals available for purchase.

How do I choose the right guitar?

To choose the right instrument, it's important to think about the context in which the guitar will be used. Will you be playing around the campfire, at home in your room, in the rehearsal room with your band or on the big stage?

As a beginner, a Spanish guitar is great, as its nylon strings are a little more gentle on your fingers than the steel strings on electric and western guitars. However, a Spanish guitar is not optimal in the rehearsal room with the band, as drums, bass and piano quickly drown out the acoustic amplification from the guitar's resonance chamber.

Western The guitar is great if you like to play chords and fingerpicking. Many Western guitars have the option to connect a jack cable so it can be played over the PA system (speakers) to keep up with the bass, drums and keyboard.

Electric guitar is an optimal choice if you want the option to plug in your own amplifier. The electric guitar is incredibly popular as it offers endless possibilities with the addition of different effects, amplifiers, pedalboards and much more.

A cheap alternative

In fact, you can get a cheap guitar at almost any guitar shop or online retailer. If you're buying a children's guitar or a school guitar for a young child who is learning to play, we know that there's a risk that it will be damaged or that the child will lose interest in playing guitar within a short period of time. In these cases, a cheap guitar can be the right choice.

We strive to have a guitar for everyone. That's why we have cheap guitars, mid-priced guitars and expensive A-grade guitars. If you need help, you can always contact our customer service.

How do you change strings?

Guitar strings are attached to the head and saddle of the guitar. Before and while loosening the strings, pay close attention to how they are tied, which way they are wrapped around the tuning screws.

• Once you've removed the old string, take the new string and feed it through the hole on the saddle.
• Get enough of the string through to make a loop around the long end of the string.
• Twist the short end a few times around the loop to make it more secure and tighten by pulling on both ends.
• Do the same at the other end, but instead of passing the string through a hole, wrap it tightly around the corresponding tuning screw.

What is a good beginner guitar?

The short answer is a Spanish guitar. It's the traditional beginner guitar recommended by music teachers around the world. It comes in a variety of sizes and the nylon strings are gentler on the fingers than steel strings. Spanish guitars are also cheaper than other types of guitars, but the theory is the same.

How long does it take to learn to play guitar?

There's no clear-cut answer, but it usually takes a few months of playing before you've learned basic chords and a few songs. Those who don't learn have stopped practicing after a month or less. Of course, it also depends on how many hours a day you put in and how enthusiastic you are about learning to play guitar.

If you need even more information, you can read our even more comprehensive guide written by our experts by clicking here.