Choosing guitar

First of all, before purchasing any guitar, you have to be clear on what you want to do with the guitar. In other words, what style or styles you plan to use the guitar for. Do you want to play rock music? Do you prefer country or folk? How about classical or Spanish guitar?

If you are not sure what music you might play in the future, ask yourself following questions: Which is my favorite style? Which performer do I like the most? Do I want to sing while playing my guitar?

Once you know the answer for each of those questions, you can move on and start looking at the guitar market that is saturated with thousands of different instruments these days.

If we simplify, there are 4 kinds of guitars:

1.Acoustic guitar
2.Electric guitar
3.Classical or Spanish guitar (both are acoustic as well)
4.Hybrid guitar (acoustic that could be amplified)

Acoustic guitar:

Acoustic guitars could be made of a variety of materials, including plywood, laminates, and composites. However, the best acoustic guitars are usually made from wood, which is the material that has been used for centuries (if not millennia). Hardwood is often used for back and side sides of the guitar.
The choice for top part often is cedar or spruce wood.

Acoustic guitars are always hollow and have a sound hole. Hence, when you strum the strings on an acoustic guitar, the vibration is produced that reverberates the whole body of the guitar and the audible sound is produced. The vibration that is created is carried to your arm and the rest of your body. So, when you are sitting with your guitar in your lap and playing you can literally feel the sound of the instrument with your whole body.

Acoustic guitars are used either for playing classical or Spanish music (these types of guitars usually have a broader neck, 3 metal and 3 nylon strings) or for playing folk, country, blues, and other similar styles of music, where the instruments often accompany a voice of the performer. I am sure you have seen an acoustic guitar in the hands of a rock stars. Yes, acoustic guitar can be used for any style, even heavy metal; however, it is rather an exception to the rule to see that.

Acoustic guitar usually have 6 strings made of steel (some have 7 or 12 strings). Although it can be and it is used for playing "leads" (classical, blues, etc.), most people use it for strumming chords that accompany singing.

Acoustic guitar is harder to learn as it is harder to press and hold the strings to form chords, but unlike electric guitar, there is no need for amplifier, guitar cable, or electricity, so there are more versatile than electric guitars in regards to where you can play (kind of hard to drag all the cables and extension cords to the campfire). Last, but not the least, the cost for acoustic guitars usually runs lower than for electric guitars as there is no need for purchasing amps and cables. Moreover, once your muscle strength in your fingers improves by playing regularly on an acoustic guitar, it will be much easier for you to switch to and play an electric guitar. The reverse strategy doesn't work that well (proven fact).

Electric guitar:

Electric guitars could be made of variety of materials, pretty much the same as acoustic guitars, wood and composites being the most common. They are almost never hollow; hence the sound they produce without amplifier is barely audible. In other words without an amplifier electric guitar is pretty much useless.

The sound becomes audible with the use of amplifier, to which the guitar is connected via guitar cable through plug in hole. On the body of the guitar there are knobs and buttons that allow the control of volume and tone. So, unlike with acoustic guitar there is no resonance coming straight from the body of the instrument that you can feel up in your body. This resonance can come out of the amplifier once you crank it up a little. It is, however, a little different feeling than with acoustic guitar.

Electric guitars are used for all musical styles, including classical and blues. We can hardly imagine rock or heavy metal music without the use of electric guitar. It is used more often for playing "leads" than acoustic guitar.

Electric guitar is easier to learn because the strings are usually lighter and it is easier to press and hold them. The riffs and transitions are also easier to perform on electric guitar. It is also more versatile in a sense that with the use of different electronic devices, such as MIDI adapter, for instance, you can produce zillions of different sounds. For example, your guitar can sound like piano or harp. The limits only rest in the amount and quality of electronics that you use and are virtually endless.

If you are a beginner, the results of practice on electric guitar are generally seen faster. Good results often motivate people into more practice (it is a reverse of vicious circle).

Hybrid guitar:

Hybrid guitar is an acoustic guitar that has end pin and pick ups installed on the body, so the sound can be picked and transferred to an amplifier. In other words, you can play the guitar both with or without amplifier. It is an ideal combination for somebody who wants to play acoustic guitar, but needs some amplification of the sound for larger audiences. Tommy Emmanuel, whose clip you can see here, provides good example.