Types of the guitars!

TYPES OF GUITARS: WHICH KIND SHOULD YOU BUY?

1. NYLON STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Yamaha C40II – $140

A lot of people begin with a nylon string acoustic, often called a classical guitar. They’re reasonably priced at beginners level (don’t go too cheap), the design has a wide fret board to accommodate your inexperienced fingers and the nylon strings are easier on your aching fingertips. You have to agree, they can sound kind of dull unless that dream of yours is of becoming a famous, classical guitarist like John Williams — certainly not a bad thing. So nylon string acoustics are great to learn with, but there’s a risk you’ll want something more pretty quickly.

This is Yamaha’s C40II classical guitar, an inexpensive nylon-strung guitar that’s a cut above some of Yamaha’s even cheaper models designed for schools and the like. Many companies offer a line of low-priced, very basic designs tailored for education facilities. Don’t go that far down the price pecking order. The C40II for $140 USD on Amazon is a good compromise. Please do yourself a favor and get the $13.58 two-year protection plan! 

2. STEEL STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Better known simply as an acoustic guitar, the “steel” strings (they come in all kinds of construction, not just steel) are louder and brighter, and a much more versatile instrument to play. Folk, rock, jazz — acoustic guitars have it all covered. Those steel strings also chew the ends off your fingers until eventually you develop hard calluses on the tips — very handy for plucking boiled eggs out of the saucepan.

Epiphone DR-100 – $100

The Epiphone DR-100 is a traditional design of steel string, acoustic guitar, often called a dreadnought with this body shape. To keep the price down you don’t get pick-ups or high quality machine heads, but it’s still an Epiphone for about $100 USD.

A good acoustic guitar is a joy to play and you can learn almost every style of modern playing on one. So it sounds like the obvious guitar to start with, right? Sure, but…

3. ELECTRIC GUITAR

Electric guitars are fantastic fun — as long as you can hear them (and your neighbors can’t). That’s one drawback. Some kind of amplification is needed or software with a decent audio interface and headphones. It has to be said, too, that electric guitars are in one way much easier to play with their low string action. At the same time, the narrow fret boards require a higher level of skill to allow precise fingering and avoid inadvertently muting some strings. But hey, your dream is to be an electric guitar playing rock god, so shouldn’t you learn with one? I reckon there’s a better alternative.

Fender Stratocaster Squier – $130

The Fender Stratocaster Squier is possibly the most recognizable shape in electric guitar history. The Fender Stratocaster design is mimicked by manufacturers all over the world. Fender produces its own line of budget “Strats” called the Squier series. If you want to start with an electric guitar, chances are you’ll buy something like this for around $130 USD.

Epiphone Les Paul Special II – $170

It looks like a Gibson. but it’s another Epiphone — the Epiphone Les Paul Special II. This is the other iconic shape in electric guitars, the Gibson Les Paul, and Epiphone make the budget-priced version with this one listed at $170. In another blog we’ll explain the primary differences between Gibson and Fender guitars. For now, just know it’s like an Apple versus Windows kind of debate. Really. 

Chapman ML-1 PRO

New guitar unpacking and check!

Les Paul Signature "T"

Gibson USA is celebrating 2013 as the Year of Les Paul, and there’s no better tribute than a guitar dedicated to the man himself. The Les Paul Signature “T” wraps all of Les Paul’s legendary innovation into a sweet looking and great sounding Les Paul that honors the memory of this legendary guitar’s inventor, while providing an instrument primed for the power and versatility demanded by today’s gigging guitarist. Traditional tonewoods are married to enhanced playing comfort and two of Gibson’s finest PAF-style humbucking pickups, with upgraded switching for bonus single-coil tones. The Grade-AA figured maple top looks great beneath your choice of Translucent Ebony, Alpine White Burst, Wine Red, or Vintage Sunburst finish, all in high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. Or select a classic Goldtop finish. To kick it all into the 21st century—and remember, Les Paul was an innovator first and foremost—the Les Paul Signature “T” is also available with optional Min-ETune™ automated “robot” tuning, which can be added to your guitar with no internal modification for a nominal upcharge. The Les Paul Signature “T” is available in a left-handed model, and you can add extra class to this tribute to the man himself by opting for the Les Paul Signature “T” Gold Series, with the elegance of gold-plated hardware. 

The Les Paul Signature “T” is built on a foundation of the same traditional tonewood combination that helped to make the Les Paul Standard legendary when it first arrived six decades ago. A carved solid Grade-AA figured maple top lends bite and articulation to the sound, while a select mahogany back—treated with Gibson’s traditional weight relief to increase playing comfort and enhance resonance—contributes superb warmth and depth. A solid, quarter-sawn mahogany neck is glued in and carved in the fast 60s SlimTaper™ profile, and topped with a rich brown Grade-A Granadillo fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets and traditional trapezoid inlays. Traditional touches include cream body and fingerboard binding, pickguard, and pickup rings, along with gold Speed Knobs and a black “bell” truss-rod cover with commemorative “T” engraving. Classic Gibson construction ensures optimum playability, too, along with traditional specs like a 24 ¾” scale length, a 1 11/16” width across the PLEK-cut Corian™ nut, and a 12-inch fingerboard radius for smooth, easy bending. 

For a blend of vintage tone and modern versatility, the Les Paul Signature “T” is loaded with a pair of Gibson’s ’57 Classic™ pickups, mounted “open coil” for a subtle hotrod look. Both are made in the image of the hallowed PAF humbucker of the late 1950s with Alnico II magnets in the neck position for plenty of warmth and clarity, and in the bridge position, the ’57 Classic Plus™ which features slightly over-wound coils for juicy crunch and wailing lead tones. Both pickups are wax potted, too, to avoid microphonic squeal at high volume levels. Both pickups feature push-pull tone controls which provide coil splitting for authentic single-coil tones. The innovative pairing of a Tune-o-Matic™ bridge and Stopbar tailpiece ensures solid sustain and precise intonation, while a set of high-quality Grover™ locking tuners ensures smooth, accurate tuning. Upgrade to the Les Paul Signature “T” Gold Series for the custom touch of gold-plated hardware, or select automated Min-ETuneTM “robot” tuners as a factory option on the standard edition. 

Each guitar includes a Gibson hardshell case covered in black snakeskin-textured vinyl, an owner's manual, and truss-rod wrench, and comes covered by Gibson USA's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.