Welcome!

Guitars are my passion. I created this site to share what I know about the different types and the different manufacturers. Beginning and experienced guitarists alike should find the information interesting and helpful.

A Little History

Guitars or guitar-like instruments have been around for thousands of years. The oldest known drawing of a similar instrument is over 3000 years old. The drawing shows a Hittite performer strumming an instrument with a long neck, narrow body and six strings.

The Spanish are usually credited for the development of the modern acoustic guitar. The classic instrument developed during the Baroque period is very similar to what we play today, except that it was a little lighter in weight and had nine or ten strings.

To the Baroque instrument, artisans added a bass E-string. That instrument is now called the early romantic guitar and eventually became the fan-braced Spanish “guitar of Torres”, which is considered the immediate precursor to the instruments some of us play today.

Development of the Electric Guitar

George Beauchamp is credited with inventing the electric guitar in 1931, but only because he applied for a patent. Hobbyists had been experimenting with electrically amplifying the sound of a number of different stringed instruments as early as 1910. For performing on stage in arenas that seemed to keep growing in size, amplifiers were a necessity.

Rickenbacker and Gibson were two of the earliest manufacturers. They are two of the best American manufacturers in business today. The 12 string, used by Mike Campbell when he was with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, was a Rickenbacker 625/12.

Types of Guitars

Acoustic and electric are the two broad categories. Popular acoustics include the flamenco and the classical. Both have six nylon strings.

Traditional flamencos are made of wood. Cypress, sycamore or rosewood is used for the back and sides. Spruce is almost always used for the top.

The classical acoustic guitar is very similar to the flamenco. It is also made of wood and the traditional woods used to make the flamenco have traditionally been used to make the classical style. Classical guitars are just a little larger and heavier. The sounds are similar, but the way the instruments are played is different. The extended range classical has up to 13 strings.

The flat-top steel string guitar has a reinforced neck that is smaller than the standard classical instrument. Although the classical and flamenco can be strung with steel strings, the necks are not strong enough to support the extra tension. They cannot be tuned properly and the neck will eventually break if someone continues to play it.

All electric guitars have steel strings and produce very little sound if they are not hooked up to their amplifiers. Guitarists usually have their preferences, but most can play both electric and acoustic types.

That’s just a little information to get you started. Please continue to browse the site to learn more about guitars of all kinds.

Images Credits: nuttakit, fotographic1980, photostock