By JOHN DALY
There is so much conflict when it comes to advice on which type of guitar would be the best to learn playing, the acoustic or electric one. At the end of the day, it will inevitably come down to your preferred musical taste and playing style.
For instance, if you enjoy playing metal and rock, the electric guitar is the right choice while if you prefer to play country or classical music, acoustic is the way to go. If you are indecisive, here is some advice that will hopefully help you to choose between electric and acoustic guitar.
The Electric Guitar
The electric guitar is made in a way that when played, its sound comes from an amplifier. That would mean that it is typically too quiet as a standalone instrument. An electric guitar needs the assistance of a magnetic pickup.
Basically, those are magnets with wire coils placed around them and are located below the strings. Strings will vibrate when played which will lead to disturbance of the magnetic field in the area around the pickup. The wire coils would transform this into a signal, an electrical signal to be precise.
Afterward, it would be passed down to an amplifier. An amplifier is connected to the guitar by a cable and will turn the signal into a corresponding sound. There are many pros when you think about electric guitars. Blane Morgan from Musical How would say that one of them is it can last for a lifetime in case you are an average individual playing the electric guitar not as often. Other would-be obvious, Like producing the desired sound which corresponds to your musical taste in metal or rock. Here are some other benefits of the electric model which may help you in your decision:
- It is much easier to hold down the chord than on acoustic guitar
- The amp and electric guitar combination can deliver a broad palette of sound
- On this type of guitar, the neck width is liable to be short
- The strings of an electric guitar are much softer than the ones on the acoustic. That would mean that there is a lot less discomfort on your fingers while playing
- Strings have a light nature and thus it will be easier to play bar chords
- Others will not be disturbed by the electric guitar since you could do is to plug in headphones into the amp
The Acoustic Guitar
The acoustic guitar does not need to be connected to the amplifier as the electric guitar would. Most of them are built with a hollow body. The strings are included with a circular sound hole beneath them. Acoustic guitars are played by plucking the strings. They would vibrate as a result and that would lead to the soundboard vibrating. The soundboard is a vital part of this instrument and it is placed in the top section of the guitar.
A full and woody tone would be created as a result of this sound resonating in the body of the guitar. Almost all of the sounds produced by the acoustic guitar will exit through this circular hole. There is no need for any extra hardware or equipment which makes this type of guitar relatively simple to play.
As a plus, there is always an option to purchase them at prices that are more affordable when compared to those of electric guitars. The main reason is that there is no need to invest in obtaining an amplifier. Here are some other benefits of acoustic guitars:
- You will have the ability to play the same music on an electric guitar if you manage to learn how to play on a steel-stringed acoustic guitar which can not be always said when it is the other way around though
- The sound of an acoustic guitar is much calmer and smoother and it is less distorted than with an electric model
- There is no need to invest in cables, amplifiers, or other hardware before buying an acoustic guitar. All you would need are a few pics and a couple of basic tunes and if you want a case to keep it inside of
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer when it comes to choosing between acoustic and electric guitar. However, each has its own aspects which can at least help you to make the final decision. After comparing their strengths, your choice will be clear. All that’s left for you to do afterward is to practice until you drop. And who knows, you might even become a master guitarist.