Guitar Buying

Interested in buying a guitar, but which type? Guitars are recognized as one of the primary instruments in flamenco, jazz, blues, country, mariachi, rock music, and many forms of pop. They can also be a solo classical instrument. Guitars may be played acoustically, where the tone is produced by vibration of the strings and modulated by the hollow body, or they may rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Such electric guitars were introduced in the 1930s and continue to have a major influence on popular culture.

There are many brands of guitars, but some commonly known brands are Fender , Gibson, Dean, Gretsch, Ibanez, Martin, Jackson, Schecter, Taylor, and Paul Reed Smith.

Types of guitar
Guitars can be divided into two broad categories, acoustic and electric:

Acoustic guitars
- classical and flamenco guitars;
- steel string guitars
- twelve string guitars and the arch top guitar.

Electric guitars
- Acoustic-Electric
- Seven-string guitar
- Eight string guitar
- Ten-string guitar
- Twelve string guitar
- 3rd Bridge
- Double neck guitar

Guitar accessories
Though a guitar may be played on its own, there are a variety of common accessories used for holding and playing the guitar.

Capo – A capo (short for capotasto) is used to change the pitch of open strings. Capos are clipped onto the fret board.
Slide Guitar – A slide is used in blues and rock to create a glissando or ‘Hawaiian’ effect.
Plectrum – A “guitar pick” or “plectrum” is a small piece of hard material which is generally held between the thumb and first finger of the picking hand and is used to “pick” the strings.