Different Types of Guitars

Intro

When first looking to purchase a guitar, one could very easily be overwhelmed by all of the different types, shapes, and colors offered; it can make your head spin! But, that's why we are here and, more importantly why you are here, right now... on this page! Congrats on starting your journey, let's quickly discuss the main "types" of guitars to be on the lookout for.

Hollow Body Guitars

Hollow body guitars are larger, naturally louder, and did I mention BEAUTIFUL to look at?! These guitars are generally considered "acoustic" guitars, meaning it can be played on it's own, whenever and wherever you wish, without any need for any other equipment (other than your hands/fingers of course, or tongue if you are creative). This type of guitar is normally played in slower, more intimate songs and is commonly found in Country, Blues, Indie, and Soft Rock categories of music.

 

Solid Body Guitars

On the opposite side of the guitar spectrum, we have Solid Body guitars. These types of guitars often include special electronics (called Pickups) to "amplify" the sound of the guitar, as it would not naturally be loud enough to be heard on a stage or even a small room on it's own. additional equipment is needed for a solid body guitar, such as an Amplifier (also known as an amp) and an instrument cable to plug the guitar into said amp. Think of it like plugging a microphone into a speaker in order to be heard!

Solid Body guitars can really SCREAM! With an amplifier, one can achieve that classic "dirty" or "distorted" sound heard throughout Classic Rock, Blues, and Metal music.

Semi-Hollow Body Guitars

This type of guitar bridges the gap between Hollow Body guitars and Solid Body guitars, providing that "acoustic" quality of a Hollow Body guitar, but also included the electronics (pickups) that are found in Solid Body guitars. Also known as a Holy Grail of guitar types, one can traditionally hear this form of guitar played all throughout Jazz, Blues, and Soul music (but encompassing ALL other forms of music as well!)