If you feel like your days have been stretching with no entertainment and you want to pick up guitar music as a new hobby, you can begin with any guitar, including electric, acoustic, classical, and bass. After you’ve mastered the basics, you can switch between them at your leisure.
Most beginners often start with acoustic or classical guitars because they are less abrasive on the fingers and reasonably simple pick-up-and-play types. Additionally, you won’t need an amplifier to hear the sound clearly, and they’re frequently less expensive than electric guitars.
Even though they may look similar, acoustic and classical guitars are two distinct guitar types. Read along to learn more about their differences and to have a better sense of which guitar is best for you.
Fretboard and Body Shape
A classical guitar’s fretboard is much bigger than an acoustic guitar’s, and fret markers (dots or inlays) are not always present along the fingerboard of classical guitars. The form is also unique. Acoustic guitars are often shaped like a dreadnought (much larger than a classical guitar), and contain cutaways, which allow access to the higher frets on classical guitars, are uncommon.
Strings
One point needs to be clarified: Both of these guitars are acoustic guitars, with the exception that classical guitars have nylon strings and acoustic guitars have steel strings.
Because modern acoustic guitars have steel strings, people also call them “steel-string acoustic.” Steel-string acoustic strings produce a twangy, bright tone that reverberates longer than classical guitar strings. They also have a totally different feel about them.
Steel-string acoustic guitars use a range of metals for strings, including nickel and bronze, and are thinner and slightly sharper on the fingers than electric guitar strings. But don’t panic! With enough practice, your fingertips will get less painful.
On the other hand, A classical guitar’s nylon strings are much thicker and mellower or softer sounding than a steel-string guitar’s. Also, nylon strings can be a lot more comfortable to play for beginners because the treble strings (G, B, and high E) are nylon, and the bass strings are nylon cores with metal or have a nylon winding technique on the E, A, and D strings.
Sound
The difference in strings and shape significantly impacts how the two guitars sound and will be a deciding factor when picking between them. Now, take a seat and think about what kind of guitar music you like to listen to.
If you enjoy Gypsy Kings-style guitar music, Flamenco, or Spanish guitar, the classical guitar is for you. It is frequently the primary guitar used by these musicians. However, almost every member of popular bands will play a steel-string acoustic guitar rather than a classical guitar. Even though you can learn on either, playing the hits from, say, The Beatles on a classical guitar will sound quite strange.
Most guitarists will make the logical transition from classical to acoustic, but only a few will stick with a classical guitar.
Price
Classical guitars are frequently less expensive than their acoustic counterparts, which is why many novice guitar players begin with one. Often, you find these guitars at universities, and the price suits students who don’t have much money to invest in a first guitar. These guitars are also used by traveling minstrels, which is another reason for their popularity.
Conclusion
It’s a smart idea to learn music theory if you’re a beginner. It will help you understand what you are playing and read chord charts. Then, if you want to take your playing to the next level, your best bet is to find an experienced guitar player who knows what they’re talking about. You can ask them as many questions as you want, and if they have a good ear, they’ll be able to help you find the right guitar.
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