Types of Guitars: Acoustic, Classical, Electric and Bass

Walk into a music store and the wall of guitars can look like a hundred different instruments. In fact almost every guitar belongs to a handful of families. Once you know how they differ (how they make their sound, what strings they use, how big they are) the choice gets much simpler. This guide takes the families one at a time, answers the comparisons people search for most, and ends with a quick way to decide which type to buy.

Steel-string acoustic guitars

When most people picture "a guitar," this is it. A steel-string acoustic has a hollow wooden body with a round sound hole, six steel strings, and a narrow neck that joins the body at about the 14th fret. The strings end at a bridge on the top, held in place by small bridge pins. When you strum, the strings shake the thin wooden top, and the hollow body makes that sound loud enough to fill a room with no electricity at all.

The sound is bright, ringing and full, which is why the steel-string acoustic is the backbone of folk, country, pop, rock songwriting and campfire singalongs. It can be strummed hard with a pick or played gently with the fingers.

Steel-string acoustics come in several body shapes. The shape changes how loud the guitar is, how much bass it has and how comfortable it feels in your lap.

• Dreadnought. The most popular shape. A big body with broad, square shoulders and only a gentle waist. It gives a strong, booming sound with plenty of bass, made for strumming chords and for bluegrass. It is named after a class of large British battleships from the early 1900s.
• Auditorium and grand auditorium. A little smaller than a dreadnought, with a narrower waist so the guitar sits snugly on your leg. The sound is balanced: clear highs, solid lows, nothing too heavy. A great all-rounder for strumming and fingerpicking alike.
• Concert and orchestra. Close cousins of the auditorium shape, a bit smaller again, with a clear, even voice that suits fingerstyle playing. Players with a smaller frame often find these the most comfortable full-size acoustics.
• Parlor. A small, narrow, old-fashioned body shape that was popular in the 1800s. It has a focused, intimate sound with less bass, perfect for blues, quiet fingerpicking and playing on the couch.
• Jumbo. The biggest acoustic of all, with a wide, rounded lower body. It has a big, rich, room-filling sound and looks dramatic on stage. Because it is so large, it suits taller players best.

One more feature to look for is the cutaway: a scoop cut out of the body just below the neck. It lets your hand reach the highest frets, which lead players and fingerstyle players love. A guitar without a cutaway is simply called "non-cutaway."

For a labeled tour of each part, from the headstock to the bridge pins, see our guide to the parts of a guitar.

Acoustic-electric guitars

An acoustic-electric guitar is a regular acoustic with a pickup built inside it. Unplugged, it sounds and plays just like any acoustic. Plugged in with a cable, it can play through an amplifier or a PA system, so you can be heard on stage, at church, at an open mic, or on a recording.

• The pickup. Most use a thin strip called an under-saddle pickup, hidden beneath the white saddle on the bridge. It feels the strings' vibration and turns it into an electrical signal.
• The preamp. A small control panel on the upper side of the body. It usually has volume and tone controls, and many include a built-in tuner, which is very handy.
• The output jack. Usually built into the strap button at the bottom of the guitar, where you plug in a standard instrument cable.

Most acoustic-electrics have a cutaway, because players who perform also tend to play high up the neck. If you think you might ever play for other people, an acoustic-electric costs only a little more and keeps the door open. Browse our acoustic-electric guitars.

Classical guitars (nylon strings)

A classical guitar is an acoustic guitar built for nylon strings. It is the guitar of classical music, flamenco, bossa nova and Latin music, and it is often the very first guitar a young child plays. You can recognize it at a glance:

• Slotted headstock. The headstock has two open slots, and the strings wind around rollers that run sideways through it.
• Tie bridge. There are no bridge pins. Each string is tied in a loop around the bridge.
• Wider, flatter neck. About 2 inches (52 mm) across at the nut, compared with about 1 11/16 inches (43 mm) on most steel-string acoustics. The extra room helps with fingerpicking.
• Neck joins at the 12th fret. On a traditional classical guitar the body starts at the 12th fret rather than the 14th.
• Usually no pickguard. Classical players pluck with their fingertips and nails, not a pick.

The sound is warm, round and soft, and the strings are much easier to press down. Many classical guitars also come in 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 sizes for children. A flamenco guitar is a close relative, built lighter, with the strings set lower, for a brighter, punchier sound. Some classical guitars come with a pickup and a cutaway, so they can be plugged in on stage. See all our classical guitars.

Acoustic vs classical guitar: what is the difference?

A classical guitar is an acoustic guitar: both are hollow and make their own sound. When people say "acoustic vs classical," they mean a steel-string acoustic compared with a nylon-string classical. Here is how they differ:

• Strings. Steel on an acoustic; nylon on a classical. This is the big one, and it causes most of the other differences.
• Sound. A steel-string acoustic is bright, loud and ringing. A classical guitar is warm, soft and mellow.
• Feel. Nylon strings are lower in tension and softer, so they are kinder to new fingertips. Steel strings take a few weeks of practice before the fingertips toughen up.
• Neck. A classical neck is wider and flatter. A steel-string neck is slimmer and rounder, which many people with small hands find easier for chords.
• Headstock and bridge. A classical has a slotted headstock and a tie bridge; an acoustic has a solid headstock and bridge pins.
• Music. Choose a steel-string acoustic for pop, rock, country and folk strumming. Choose a classical for classical pieces, flamenco, Latin and gentle fingerstyle, or for a young beginner.

The string names and tuning are exactly the same on both: E, A, D, G, B, E. Our guide to the guitar string names explains them.

Nylon vs steel strings

Because the string type decides so much, it is worth knowing what each one does.

• Nylon strings. The three thin strings are plain nylon. The three thick strings have a soft core wrapped in fine metal wire. They pull on the guitar with far less force than steel, feel soft under the fingers, and give a warm, gentle tone. Most are tied at the bridge.
• Steel strings. Steel wire, with the thicker strings wrapped in bronze or a similar metal on acoustics (that is the golden color) or in nickel on electrics. They are brighter, louder and hold their tune firmly. Each has a small ball on the end that sits under a bridge pin or in the bridge.
• Good to know. Never put steel strings on a guitar built for nylon. Steel pulls much harder and can damage the neck and bridge. And nylon strings will not work on a steel-string guitar's pin bridge, or on an electric guitar's magnetic pickups. Always buy the strings your guitar was made for.

When it is time for a fresh set, our step-by-step guide to restringing a guitar walks you through it, and you can browse guitar strings in our shop.

Solid-body electric guitars

An electric guitar has a solid wooden body, so on its own it is quiet. Under the strings sit pickups: magnets wrapped in fine wire that turn the vibration of the steel strings into a signal. That signal goes through a cable to an amplifier, which makes the sound. Change the amp settings or add effects pedals and one electric guitar can sound clean and sparkly, warm and jazzy, or loud and distorted.

Electric guitars usually have lighter strings and a slimmer neck than acoustics, so they are often the easiest guitars to press down and play. Remember to budget for an amplifier; a small practice amp is enough for home. Three body styles cover most electric guitars you will see:

• S-style (double cutaway). A contoured body with two horns, three single-coil pickups and a five-way switch to choose between them, and often a vibrato bar for bending notes. Bright, clear and very versatile, from funk and pop to blues and rock. Probably the most copied electric guitar shape in the world.
• T-style (single cutaway, flat slab body). A simple, flat body with one cutaway, a bridge pickup mounted in a metal plate, and usually a second pickup near the neck. Famous for a bright, punchy "twang" in country, rock and indie music. Sturdy and easy to keep in tune.
• Single-cut (rounded single cutaway). A thicker body with a rounded shape and one cutaway, usually with two humbucking pickups and a fixed bridge. The sound is thick, warm and long-sustaining, a classic choice for rock, blues and hard rock.

Single-coil or humbucker? A single-coil pickup has one coil of wire and gives a bright, glassy, detailed sound. A humbucker has two coils side by side, which cancels the hum that single coils can pick up and gives a fuller, warmer, louder sound. Many guitars mix the two, and some let you "split" a humbucker to sound like a single coil.

Want to learn every knob and switch? See our guide to the parts of an electric guitar, or browse our electric guitars and amplifiers.

Semi-hollow and hollow-body electric guitars

Between the solid electric and the acoustic sits a family of electrics with air inside.

• Semi-hollow. A thin body with hollow wings on each side and a solid block of wood down the middle, usually with two f-shaped sound holes. It sounds warmer, airier and more open than a solid body, yet the center block keeps it from howling with feedback when you turn up. A favorite for blues, jazz, soul, indie and classic rock. Some guitars use a "chambered" body, with hollow pockets carved inside, for a similar effect.
• Hollow-body (archtop). A fully hollow body, often deeper, with an arched top and f-holes. It gives the rich, round, woody tone of classic jazz and rockabilly. Because it is hollow, it can feed back at high volume, so it shines at gentler levels.

Both plug into an amplifier like any electric guitar. They have a little acoustic sound of their own when unplugged, but not enough to play for a room.

Bass guitars

The bass guitar looks like a long electric guitar with fewer, thicker strings. A standard bass has four strings, tuned E, A, D, G, the same names as the four thickest guitar strings but one octave lower. It has a longer neck (a standard "long scale" bass is about 34 inches from the nut to the bridge saddles), bigger tuning keys, and pickups built for low notes. It plays through a bass amplifier.

• 4-string bass. The standard, and the best place to start.
• 5-string bass. Adds a low B string below the E for deeper notes, popular in modern rock, gospel and metal.
• Short-scale bass. A shorter neck, around 30 inches, so the frets are closer together. Comfortable for younger players and anyone with smaller hands.
• Fretless bass. No metal frets, for a smooth, singing, sliding tone.
• Acoustic bass. A large hollow body that makes some sound of its own, usually with a pickup to be heard in a band.

Want to know every part? See our labeled guide to the parts of a bass guitar, or browse our bass guitars.

Bass guitar vs guitar: what is the difference?

• Job in the band. The guitar plays chords and melodies. The bass plays the low notes underneath, locking in with the drums to give the music its groove and its foundation. You often feel the bass more than you hear it.
• Strings. A guitar has six strings (E A D G B E). A bass usually has four (E A D G), thicker and tuned one octave lower.
• Size. A bass has a longer neck and wider fret spacing, so it takes a bit more stretch.
• How it is played. Bass players mostly play one note at a time, plucking with two fingers or a pick. Guitarists strum chords as well as single notes.
• Learning. Neither is "easier": both reward practice. Bass lets beginners join a band quickly, because a simple bass line sounds great. Many skills carry over from one to the other.

12-string guitars

A 12-string guitar has six pairs of strings instead of six single strings. You fret and strum each pair as if it were one string. On the four thickest pairs (E, A, D, G), one string is tuned an octave higher than its partner; on the B and high E pairs, both strings play the same note. The result is a shimmering, chiming, chorus-like sound heard on countless folk-rock and pop records.

You can spot one by its longer headstock with twelve tuning pegs, six on each side, and a bridge with twelve pins. Most are acoustic, though electric 12-strings exist too. A 12-string takes a little more finger strength and tuning time, so most players add one after learning on a 6-string.

Travel guitars and 3/4 guitars

• 3/4 guitar. A scaled-down guitar, roughly three quarters of full size, with a shorter neck and a smaller body. It fits many children from about 8 to 12, and plenty of adults like one for the couch. Our guide to choosing the right size guitar for a child has the full size chart, including 1/4 and 1/2 sizes.
• Travel guitar. A compact acoustic made to go places: camping, the dorm, the car, the airplane. Many are shaped like a small dreadnought, so you still get a full, familiar sound in a body that fits overhead bins and backpacks.

Both use the same tuning and the same chord shapes as a full-size guitar, so everything you learn carries straight over. Browse our child-size guitars.

Resonator and lap steel guitars

• Resonator guitar. An acoustic guitar with one or more metal cones, like loudspeaker cones, built into the body under a shiny metal cover. The cone makes the guitar loud and gives a bright, metallic, ringing voice heard in blues, bluegrass and country. Round-neck resonators are played like a normal guitar. Square-neck resonators are laid flat on the lap and played with a slide bar.
• Lap steel guitar. A guitar played flat across the lap. Instead of pressing the strings to the frets, you glide a smooth steel bar along them, which gives the sweet, crying, sliding sound of Hawaiian music, western swing and country. It is usually tuned to an open chord and played through an amplifier. Its bigger cousin, the pedal steel, is a staple of country music.

Ukulele vs guitar

The ukulele is a smaller relative of the guitar, and it is a great first instrument in its own right. Here is how the two compare:

• Strings. A ukulele has four nylon strings; a guitar has six. Standard ukulele tuning is G, C, E, A, with the G string tuned higher than you might expect, which gives the uke its bright, happy sound.
• Size. Ukuleles come in soprano, concert, tenor and baritone sizes, all much smaller than a guitar, so they suit small hands and small children.
• Learning. With four soft strings and small chord shapes, many people play their first song on a ukulele within days.
• Skills carry over. A ukulele is tuned like the four thinnest guitar strings with a capo at the 5th fret, so the chord shapes are the same; only their names change. The baritone ukulele is tuned D, G, B, E, exactly like the top four guitar strings.
• Range. A guitar has more strings and a lower, fuller range, so it can play bass notes and chords together. That is the reason many players move on to guitar after the uke.

Learn the ukulele from top to bottom in our guide to the parts of a ukulele, or browse our ukuleles.

Which type of guitar should I buy?

Start with the music you want to play. A guitar that sounds like your favorite songs is the one you will pick up every day. Then work through these steps:

1. Pick the sound. Singer-songwriter, country, folk or worship: a steel-string acoustic or acoustic-electric. Rock, blues, metal, funk or pop lead guitar: an electric. Classical, flamenco, Latin or gentle fingerstyle: a classical guitar. Want to lock in with a drummer: a bass.
2. Check the size. Adults and most teens play full size. Children from about 8 to 12 often fit a 3/4 size, and younger children a 1/2 or 1/4. If you are smaller in frame, try an auditorium, concert or orchestra body rather than a large dreadnought or jumbo.
3. Think about your fingers. For a young child, nylon strings are the gentlest start. For an older beginner, an electric's light strings and slim neck are the easiest to press; a steel-string acoustic takes a few weeks of fingertip toughening, and then it is plain sailing.
4. Decide if you will plug in. If you might play for other people, choose an acoustic-electric. If you choose an electric or a bass, plan for an amplifier and a cable.
5. Choose left- or right-handed. Most people strum with their dominant hand. Left-handed players can find left-handed models in our left-handed acoustic and left-handed electric sections.
6. Add the basics. A clip-on tuner, a few picks and a gig bag go a long way. See our guitar tuners.

There is no wrong answer here. Plenty of players own one of each type, and the skills you learn on one guitar carry over to all the others.

Our picks for each type of guitar

One in-stock favorite for each type. Prices and stock update automatically.

See the full range in our steel-string acoustic guitars, solid-body electric guitars and 4-string bass guitars, or start from all our guitars.

Keep learning

• Guitar chords for beginners: the first chords to learn on any type of guitar.
• How to read guitar tabs: the simple notation most players learn from.
• Guitar string names: E A D G B E, and how to remember them.
• How to tune a ukulele: if a uke is your first step.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main types of guitars?

The four main types are the steel-string acoustic, the classical guitar with nylon strings, the electric guitar and the bass guitar. Within those you will find acoustic-electrics, semi-hollow and hollow-body electrics, 12-strings, travel and 3/4 sizes, and specialists such as resonator and lap steel guitars.

What is the difference between an acoustic and a classical guitar?

A classical guitar is a type of acoustic that uses nylon strings. Compared with a steel-string acoustic, it has a wider, flatter neck, a slotted headstock, a tie bridge and a warmer, softer sound, and its strings are gentler on the fingers.

Which type of guitar is easiest for a beginner?

It depends on the player. Young children usually do best on a nylon-string classical guitar in the right size. Teens and adults often find an electric guitar the easiest to press down, while a steel-string acoustic is the most popular choice for singing along. The best first guitar is the one that plays the music you love.

Is bass guitar easier than guitar?

Neither is simply easier. A bass has four strings and mostly plays one note at a time, so beginners can join a band quickly, but the strings are thicker and the neck is longer. A guitar has six strings and plays chords. Both reward regular practice.

Can you put steel strings on a classical guitar?

No. A classical guitar is built for the lower pull of nylon strings, and steel strings can damage its neck and bridge. Always use the type of strings your guitar was made for.

Should I learn ukulele or guitar first?

Either works. The ukulele's four soft strings and small size make it quick to learn, especially for young children, and its chord shapes carry over to the guitar. If the music you love is guitar music, starting on guitar is a great choice too.