The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Some modern guitars are made of polycarbonate materials. Guitars are made and repaired by luthiers. There are two primary families of guitars: acoustic and electric.
Acoustic guitars with hollow bodies have been in use for over a thousand years. There are three main types of modern acoustic guitar: the classical guitar, the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the archtop guitar. The tone of an acoustic guitar is produced by the vibration of the strings, which is amplified by the body of the guitar, which acts as a resonating chamber. The classical guitar is often played as a solo instrument using a comprehensive fingerpicking technique.
Electric guitars, introduced in the 1930s, rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Early amplified guitars employed a hollow body, but a solid body was found more suitable. Electric guitars have had a continuing profound influence on popular culture. Guitars are recognized as a primary instrument in genres such as blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, jazz, jota, mariachi, metal, reggae, rock, soul, and many forms of pop.
Types
Acoustic guitars
- Renaissance and Baroque guitars
- Classical guitars
- Extended-range classical guitars
- Flamenco guitars
- Flat-top (steel-string) guitars
- Archtop guitars
- Selmer-Maccaferri guitars
- Resonator, resophonic or Dobro guitars
- Twelve-string guitars
- Russian guitars
- Acoustic bass guitars
- GuitarrĂ³n
- Tenor guitars
- Harp guitars
- Extended-range guitars
- Guitar battente
Electric guitars
Acoustic guitars
- Renaissance and Baroque guitars
- Classical guitars
- Extended-range classical guitars
- Flamenco guitars
- Flat-top (steel-string) guitars
- Archtop guitars
- Selmer-Maccaferri guitars
- Resonator, resophonic or Dobro guitars
- Twelve-string guitars
- Russian guitars
- Acoustic bass guitars
- GuitarrĂ³n
- Tenor guitars
- Harp guitars
- Extended-range guitars
- Guitar battente
Electric guitars
Famous Guitarists
Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Clapton, Joe Satriani, Kirk Hammett and Keith Richards and So on.
Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Clapton, Joe Satriani, Kirk Hammett and Keith Richards and So on.