What are the Different Types of Guitars? 🎸 | Learn About Electric, Acoustic, & Other Types of Guitars

There's nothing quite like strumming the first chords of your favorite campfire guitar song or picking a gentle melody on your front porch beneath the stars. Guitars have traveled with adventurers, artists, and dreamers alike, evolving into countless forms and styles. But have you ever paused and wondered: how many types of guitars are there exactly?

The answer might surprise you. From the rich resonance of acoustics to the electrifying riffs of electric guitars, the diversity of guitars reflects the boundless creativity of musicians worldwide. And as you explore these types of guitars, remember - comfort matters! Whether you’re camping with your guitar and playing around the fire or busking at a busy downtown, pairing your guitar with quality guitar straps or stylish ukulele straps can make all the difference.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive deep into the fascinating world of guitars, unraveling their unique characteristics, histories, and the genres they best serve. Ready to explore the strings that unite musicians across the globe? Let’s tune in.

Acoustic Guitars Deep Dive: Discover the Different Types of Acoustic Guitars

Acoustic guitars are more than just instruments - they’re companions in solitude, co-writers in love songs, and time machines that take us back to the most meaningful moments of our lives. With just six strings and a wooden body, they have the power to capture everything from heartbreak to hope.

But here’s the beautiful part: not all acoustic guitars sound - or feel - the same. Just like people, each type has its own tone, style, and soul. Some are bold and booming, made for open-air stages. Others are soft-spoken and intimate, perfect for quiet nights and whispered melodies.

Whether you're a beginner picking your first chord or a seasoned player chasing the perfect tone, understanding the different types of acoustic guitars can help you find the one that feels like home. 

Steel-String Acoustic Guitars

From robust and powerful to delicate and balanced, steel-string acoustic guitars offer unparalleled versatility. Here’s a closer look at some popular options:

Dreadnought Guitar

The dreadnought guitar is perhaps the most recognizable type of steel-string acoustic guitar. Known for its large body, this guitar produces a rich, deep bass and impressive volume, making it excellent for rhythm playing.

• Pros: Powerful volume, robust bass
• Cons: Bulky, potentially uncomfortable for smaller players
• Ideal Genres: Folk, bluegrass, country, pop, rock

Concert Guitar

Concert guitars feature a more compact size, which provides greater comfort without sacrificing a balanced, clear tone.

• Pros: Comfortable to play, well-balanced sound
• Cons: Lower projection compared to larger guitars
• Ideal Genres: Fingerstyle, folk, indie

Auditorium Guitar

The auditorium guitar is versatile and offers a tonal balance between the dreadnought and concert guitars. It's a fantastic all-rounder.

• Pros: Versatile, balanced tonal quality
• Cons: May lack distinctive character compared to specialized models
• Ideal Genres: Pop, rock, indie, blues

Jumbo Guitar

With its extra-large body, the jumbo guitar delivers loud projection, deep resonance, and pronounced bass.

• Pros: Impressive volume, strong bass presence
• Cons: Large and potentially uncomfortable for smaller players
• Ideal Genres: Country, rock, folk

Parlor Guitar

The parlor guitar’s small body size creates a warm, intimate tone that's perfect for quiet settings.

• Pros: Lightweight, intimate sound
• Cons: Limited bass and volume output
• Ideal Genres: Blues, folk, fingerstyle

Classical (Nylon-String) Guitars

Nylon-string guitars are cherished for their smooth, mellow tones and comfortable playability. They primarily come in two varieties:

Classical Guitar

Characterized by a wide neck and warm, gentle tone, classical guitars excel in classical music and fingerstyle playing.

Flamenco Guitar

Flamenco guitars have a lighter build and brighter, punchier tone suited for rapid and rhythmic flamenco styles.

🎯 Key Difference: Flamenco guitars produce sharper, more percussive tones, while classical guitars offer sustained, expressive notes.

Specialty Acoustic Guitars

For musicians seeking unique sounds, specialty acoustic guitars offer exciting alternatives:

Resonator Guitar

Known for its distinctive metallic twang, resonator guitars contain metal resonators that amplify sound, making them excellent for blues and bluegrass.

12-String Guitar

With double the number of strings, 12-string guitars produce rich, shimmering sounds ideal for creating lush, full accompaniments.

Travel Guitar

Designed for portability, travel guitars are compact and lightweight, ideal for musicians on the go. Pair yours with a comfortable guitar strap for ease of travel.

Archtop Acoustic Guitar

Typically associated with jazz, archtop guitars have curved tops that deliver a smooth, articulate sound perfect for sophisticated playing styles.

📝 Interactive Quiz: Which Acoustic Guitar Matches Your Playing Style?

 

 

Discover your ideal acoustic guitar match:

1. What’s your ideal playing setting?
   • a) Quiet personal practice
   • b) Group jams around the campfire
   • c) Live performances and recordings
2. Which music genre resonates most with you?
   • a) Blues or Fingerstyle
   • b) Folk, Pop, or Indie
   • c) Rock, Country, or Bluegrass
3. How important is portability?
   • a) Very important
   • b) Moderately important
   • c) Not a priority

Results:

• Mostly a’s: Parlor or Travel Guitar
• Mostly b’s: Concert or Auditorium Guitar
• Mostly c’s: Dreadnought or Jumbo Guitar

Ready to continue exploring the fascinating types of guitars out there? Next, we’ll dive into electric guitars, each buzzing with its own distinct personality.

Electric Guitars Comprehensive Guide: Exploring the Types of Electric Guitars

When the electric guitar emerged onto the music scene, it revolutionized music across the globe. It opened up creative frontiers, amplified emotional expression, and forever altered the sound of rock, blues, metal, and beyond. Let's plug in and explore the different types of electric guitars and what makes each of them special.

Solid-Body Electric Guitars

Solid-body electric guitars are the most common electric models and are known for their durability, sustain, and tonal flexibility. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most iconic options:

Stratocaster

The Stratocaster is beloved for its sleek, contoured body and bright, bell-like tone. It features three single-coil pickups and a five-way selector switch, allowing for great sonic versatility.

• Pros: Highly versatile, ergonomic, wide tonal range
• Cons: Single-coils can be noisy without shielding
• Ideal Genres: Rock, pop, blues, funk
• Famous Players: Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, John Mayer

Telecaster

With its iconic twang and no-frills design, the Telecaster is a go-to guitar for players seeking simplicity and tone clarity.

• Pros: Clear, cutting tone; durable; easy to modify
• Cons: Less versatile than Strat-style guitars
• Ideal Genres: Country, rock, indie, blues
• Famous Players: Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen

Les Paul

Les Paul guitars offer thick, creamy tones and impressive sustain. With dual humbuckers and a solid mahogany body, it's a workhorse for heavier sounds.

• Pros: Warm, full tone; excellent sustain
• Cons: Heavy body; expensive for high-end models
• Ideal Genres: Rock, blues, metal
• Famous Players: Slash, Jimmy Page

SG

The SG is a lightweight alternative to the Les Paul, but it still delivers power and bite. It’s a favorite for aggressive rhythm playing.

• Pros: Lightweight, powerful tone, great for solos
• Cons: Slight neck dive due to body shape
• Ideal Genres: Rock, punk, metal
• Famous Players: Angus Young, Tony Iommi

Semi-Hollow and Hollow Body Guitars

Semi-hollow and hollow-body guitars blend acoustic resonance with electric clarity. They're known for warm, woody tones and visual flair.

ES-335

A classic semi-hollow guitar, the ES-335 offers feedback resistance with a hint of acoustic depth.

• Pros: Versatile, great for clean tones
• Cons: Can feed back at high gain levels
• Ideal Genres: Blues, jazz, indie rock
• Famous Players: B.B. King, Chuck Berry

Gretsch Guitars

Gretsch guitars are known for their vibrant, retro aesthetic and jangly, punchy tone.

• Pros: Iconic looks, bright tone
• Cons: Heavier and bulkier than solid bodies
• Ideal Genres: Rockabilly, country, surf
• Famous Players: Chet Atkins, Brian Setzer

Jazz Boxes

Full hollow-body guitars, or "jazz boxes," produce rich, mellow tones and are usually equipped with floating pickups.

• Pros: Gorgeous tone for clean playing
• Cons: Prone to feedback with distortion
• Ideal Genres: Jazz, blues, soul
• Famous Players: Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny

Extended Range Electric Guitars

For musicians pushing the boundaries of sound, extended range guitars provide deeper tuning and broader sonic palettes.

7-String Guitars

Adding a low B string, 7-string guitars are ideal for drop tunings and modern metal.

• Pros: More range, powerful chugs
• Cons: Slightly more difficult for beginners
• Ideal Genres: Metal, prog rock, djent
• Famous Players: Steve Vai, John Petrucci

8-String Guitars

With even more range, 8-string guitars are tools of experimentation and brutal precision.

• Pros: Deepest possible tones on a standard neck
• Cons: Requires advanced technique to master
• Ideal Genres: Djent, mathcore, experimental
• Famous Players: Tosin Abasi, Fredrik Thordendal

Baritone Guitars

Baritone guitars have longer scale lengths, allowing for lower tunings without floppy strings.

• Pros: Great for cinematic, dark tones
• Cons: May feel unfamiliar in hand
• Ideal Genres: Surf, rock, doom metal
• Famous Players: Duane Eddy, Robert Smith

Specialty Electric Guitars

These unique instruments go beyond traditional design and offer unconventional playability:

Headless Guitars

Minimalist and ergonomic, headless guitars eliminate the headstock for balance and portability.

• Best For: Travelers, modern players, tech-savvy musicians

MIDI Guitars

Equipped with sensors and digital interfaces, MIDI guitars allow guitarists to play synths, drums, and orchestral sounds.

• Best For: Experimental musicians, producers, composers

Double-Neck Guitars

A show-stopping piece of gear that combines two necks in one body - often 6-string and 12-string.

• Best For: Live performances, genre-jumping artists
• Famous Players: Jimmy Page, Don Felder

🎯 Historical Highlight: Jimmy Page famously wielded a double-neck Gibson EDS-1275 during Led Zeppelin’s live performances of "Stairway to Heaven," showcasing the dramatic capabilities of this iconic electric guitar.

Still curious about the many types of guitars you can explore? Up next, we’ll plug into bass guitars and other unique hybrids to round out your knowledge.

Unique Guitar Variants: Innovative and Obscure Types of Guitars

Beyond the classic acoustics and electrics, there's a whole universe of unique guitars out there - each one bending tradition and sparking creativity in unexpected ways. These guitars stretch the definition of what a guitar can be, blending cultural heritage, modern invention, and genre-bending artistry.

Bass Guitars (Electric & Acoustic)

Bass guitars are the backbone of rhythm sections, laying down the foundation that ties melody and percussion together. Unlike standard guitars, basses typically have four strings and are tuned an octave lower.

Electric Bass Guitar

• Function: Delivers low-end punch, used in nearly every modern genre.
• Features: Solid body, long scale neck, thick strings, often played with fingers or a pick.
• Best For: Rock, funk, pop, jazz, metal
• Famous Players: Flea, Victor Wooten, Geddy Lee

Acoustic Bass Guitar

• Function: Offers unplugged bass tones with mellow resonance.
• Features: Hollow body, deep chamber, often played in intimate settings.
• Best For: Acoustic sets, folk, indie, singer-songwriter gigs

Hybrid Guitars

These innovative instruments fuse guitar fundamentals with entirely different instruments or technologies.

Acoustic-Electric Guitars

• What It Is: A traditional acoustic guitar equipped with built-in pickups or microphones.
• Why It Matters: Lets you plug into an amp or PA system while retaining the natural acoustic tone.
• Best For: Gigging musicians, worship leaders, singer-songwriters

Guitarlele (or Guitalele)

• What It Is: A cross between a classical guitar and a ukulele - small in size, but big on charm.
• Tuning: Like a guitar with a capo on the 5th fret (ADGCEA)
• Best For: Travel, casual play, kids, ukulele lovers transitioning to guitar

Banjo Guitar (Banjitar)

• What It Is: A 6-string guitar tuned like a standard guitar, but with the resonant body of a banjo.
• Sound: Bright, twangy, banjo-like tone with familiar guitar playability
• Best For: Americana, folk, country fusion

Harp Guitar

• What It Is: A guitar with additional unstopped strings that extend the range of the instrument.
• Sound: Ethereal, resonant, and complex - perfect for ambient, classical, or experimental work
• Best For: Solo performances, fingerstyle innovation

Culturally-Specific Guitars from Around the World

These culturally significant guitars showcase regional styles, tunings, and construction methods - reminding us that music is a universal language.

Ukulele

 

 

• Roots: Hawaii (with Portuguese influence)
• Sizes: Soprano, concert, tenor, baritone
• Why It’s Unique: Nylon strings and compact size make it approachable for beginners
• Technically: Part of the guitar family and often treated as a 4-string guitar variant
• Check out our full collection of ukulele straps to personalize your setup!

Mexican Vihuela

• Background: Used in mariachi bands
• Features: Five strings, rounded back, high-pitched tone
• Tuning: Similar to a guitar but with a different string order

Cuban Tres

• Background: Essential in Cuban son and salsa
• Features: Three courses of double strings (6 total), bright and rhythmic tone

Russian Seven-String Guitar

• Background: Popular in 19th-century Russia
• Tuning: Open G tuning (DGBDGBD)
• Use: Classical and folk music with rich voicing potential

These culturally rich instruments remind us that the types of guitars span far beyond what most players imagine - each with its own unique voice, history, and story to tell.

Choosing the Perfect Guitar: An Interactive Buyer’s Guide

 

 

With so many types of guitars available, choosing the perfect one can feel overwhelming. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player, finding the right fit depends on your style, goals, and budget. Here's a simplified guide to help you navigate the decision.

What’s Your Guitar Style?

Playing Style	Ideal Guitar Type	Why It Works
Fingerstyle	Classical, Parlor, Auditorium	Warm tones, smaller neck width, great clarity
Rhythm strumming	Dreadnought, Jumbo	Loud projection, bold tone
Lead guitar / solos	Stratocaster, Les Paul	Great sustain, easy upper fret access
Experimental / ambient	Harp Guitar, MIDI Guitar	Expanded range, versatile soundscapes

Genre Matchmaking

Music Genre	Best Guitar Match
Rock	Les Paul, SG, Stratocaster
Jazz	Archtop, ES-335, Jazz Box
Folk	Dreadnought, Concert, 12-string
Blues	Resonator, Telecaster, Semi-hollow
Country	Telecaster, Jumbo, Banjo Guitar
Indie / Pop	Parlor, Gretsch, Acoustic-Electric
Classical	Nylon-String, Flamenco
Metal	7- or 8-string, Baritone, SG

Budget Breakdown

• $100–$300: Beginner models - great for learning, but may lack durability or tone quality
• $300–$700: Entry to mid-level guitars - solid craftsmanship, ideal for hobbyists
• $700–$1500: High-quality instruments - professional sound, gig-ready gear
• $1500+: Premium models - top-tier components, collectible or stage-worthy instruments

Quick Tips for Testing a Guitar Before You Buy

• Play unplugged first: Does it feel and sound natural?
• Check the action: Are the strings too high or too low?
• Try different genres: Does it adapt well to your style?
• Comfort check: How does it feel sitting vs. standing?
• Listen close: for buzzes or dead frets

Remember: The perfect guitar isn’t the most expensive - it’s the one you can’t put down.

Maintaining and Caring for Different Guitar Types

To keep your instrument in great shape, regular care is essential. Different types of guitars require different levels of upkeep.

Storage & Humidity Control

• Store in a hard case or padded gig bag
• Avoid extreme temperatures or direct sunlight
• Use a guitar humidifier in dry climates to prevent cracking

Cleaning Tips

• Wipe down strings after each session to reduce rust
• Use a microfiber cloth for the body
• Clean fretboard periodically with fretboard oil
• Avoid household cleaners - they can damage finishes

Common Issues by Guitar Type

Guitar Type	Common Maintenance Needs
Acoustic	Humidity-related warping, bridge lifting
Electric	Output jack wear, fret buzz, grounding noise
Classical	Fretboard wear, string slipping
12-String	Tuning instability, neck tension
Hollow/Semi-Hollow	Feedback issues, wiring wear

DIY vs. Pro Repair?

• DIY: String changes, basic truss rod adjustments, cleaning
• Pro Needed: Fret leveling, wiring repair, crack fixing, bridge resetting

Tip: If you're unsure, always consult a tech - fixing a mistake can cost more than preventing one.

FAQs — Your Guitar Questions Answered

Can you use steel strings on a nylon guitar?

No - you risk damaging the neck and bridge. Nylon-string guitars are built for low-tension strings only.

Are electric guitars easier than acoustic guitars for beginners?

Often, yes. Electric guitars usually have lighter strings and lower action, making them easier to press down. Learn more in our Beginner’s Guitar Guide.

What guitar is best for blues, jazz, or country?

• Blues: Resonator, Telecaster, ES-335
• Jazz: Archtop, hollow-body, nylon-string
• Country: Telecaster, jumbo acoustic, banjo guitar

Can I travel with a guitar?

Yes! Travel guitars and foldable models are made for portability. Pair them with a durable guitar strap for extra ease.

A Final Word From Wildtree

From timeless acoustics to cutting-edge electric innovations, the world of guitars is rich, diverse, and constantly evolving. We hope this guide helped illuminate the many incredible types of guitars out there - and inspired your next great jam session.