Introduction
There are many types of electric guitars which come in many different shapes, sizes, and styles that cover just about every genre of music you can think of! The one thing they all have in common though is their ability to create an electric sound when plugged into an amplifier or PA system for live performances. However, there’s something special about how each instrument produces its own unique tone.
If you’re looking for the perfect electric guitar, it can be hard to find which one will work well with your needs. Luckily I’m here and have got all of this information on hand so take my advice when choosing an instrument!
Types of Electric Guitars
The first thing we recommend is taking into account what genre of music you’re going through and how that shapes the tone. For example, if it sounds like metal then try something with pickups closer together or ones skewed towards shredding as opposed to basic rock tunes where cleans are more prominent.
With this article as preparation (and knowledge) go ahead and find out which style best fits YOUR needs – don’t forget about pickup selection either because those can also make all types of difference.
Guitar Body Styles
Electric guitars come in three different body styles: solid, semi-hollow, and hollow. A guitar made from a single piece of wood is called “solid” while those with glued or screwed on parts of the wood that can be removed are known as ‘semi-hollow.’ Hollow bodies have an inner structure divided into two sections. Let’s take a deeper dive into this and let me explain to you all the differences.
Solid-Body Instruments
Do you know those people who love to talk about how great a guitar is? Well, I’m not one of them. In fact, the only way you can tell if an instrument has good sustain or not is by touching it and feeling for yourself!. Solidbody guitars generally have more sustain than either semi-hollow or fully hollow bodies.
You might say that the solidbody guitar is a rocker’s best friend. For those who play heavy metal or hard rock music, this type of axe can make any song come alive with its rich tone and sustain. It also has excellent feedback resistance which means you’ll never have to worry about your sound getting looped by mistake!
The different types of electric guitars in use today include:
Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most popular guitars in history. Launched by this company back in 1954, it’s been used to great effect across many genres including country rock and pops soul-blues among others- all with its own distinct sound thanks largely due to having versatility like no other type out there! This instrument also tends to have a built-in tremolo system which allows you to change the pitch up or down but watch out because when using these types often knocks your tune right off-key.
You can’t really associate a definitive Stratocaster tone. But, generally speaking the guitar is considered to have a mid-range “quack”.
Best Genre Fit
The Stratocaster guitar can be used in many different genres. But it is best for the blues. When the guitar is played clean and with low levels of gain, it sounds great. It also has a mid-range sound that makes it good for playing the blues.
Super Strat
The Super Strat is an interesting guitar with a different sound. The pickups used in this model are higher output, which makes them more suited for metal and hard rock than other styles of music where you would want less distortion or none at all since it will just sound like silence rather then pleasant instrumentation accompanied by melody as well rhythm sections hitting simultaneously throughout each song.
I’m sure you’re all sick of being called a copycat, and while that may be true in some ways it’s also undeniable how much innovation has gone into guitars lately. The Schecter Omen Extreme 6 FR seems to have copied after the idea behind Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Stratocaster (which was inspired by Jimi Hendrix), but what makes them unique are their dual humbuckers which give this incarnation its own tone.
It can sometimes feel like no matter where I turn or look there will always just be another guitar coming at me with those sharp notes sounding very alike-sounding indeed; so if nothing else than thank goodness these days we’ve got Super Strats flying.
Best Genre Fit
This guitar is best for rock and heavy metal. It has a high-output pickup.
Telecaster
The Telecaster is the instrument of choice for countless musicians, from country kingpins to alternative rockers. It defines both contemporary and historic sounds – just think about how many records have been written with a Fender in hand!
A guitar’s tone is a very personal thing, and many musicians have their own unique sound they love to play. Some may prefer more of an electric feel with thick distortion while others need their fingers leaving trails in space on acoustic instruments like the banjo or harmonica; however, there are some who find themselves able to enjoy playing country songs through an amp instead! The Telecaster was actually popularized by guitarists such as Jimmy Page because it has such strong high-end frequencies which he felt gave him better control over solos during Led Zeppelin recordings (Page used one himself when recording Stairway To Heaven!). This tough-sounding guitar can be EQ’d properly–though this might seem difficult at first glance since most amps are designed to use more of a single tone–and its clean high notes can be particularly powerful on the right equipment.
Best Genre Fit
The Telecaster is a very good guitar for country music. It has a clear voice, but it’s not great for hard rock.
Offset (Mustang, Jaguar, Jazzmaster)
The three-neck guitar is an old classic that never goes out of style. Offset bodies are designed with bright and clear tones in mind, making them perfect for rockers or alternative musicians looking to create a signature sound!
Fender’s lineup includes brands like Mustang (brighter than most), Jaguar (sharper) but also Jazzmaster whom we think provides the best balance between punchy tone quality while still maintaining clarity at lower volumes – this makes it great when playing softly as well.
An offset guitar is a type of electric solid-body played primarily in genres such as shoegaze and alternative rock. They have been used by various musicians to supplement their sound due to its ability to produce unique tones which are not possible on other instruments; this includes Johnny Cash’s guitarist Luther Perkins who used both Jaguars (a more expensive model) & Jazzmasters during his time with the Man In Black.
In recent years there has also become an increased interest among amateurs or beginners looking for cheaper alternatives than full-sized guitars because they’re easier manageable while practicing at home without any distractions.
Best Genre Fit
An offset guitar is good for playing music like grunge, shoegaze, and alternative.
Les Paul
Les Paul is the namesake of one of rock’s most popular instruments, but what many people don’t know about him are his other accomplishments. He was an inventor and guitarist who extensively used this specific guitar while recording throughout jazz history with several well-known artists like Bob Marley!
The Les Paul is the go-to guitar for many musicians because it has a sound that can cover just about any genre. It’s not one specific tone, but rather balanced response and clear high end suited to rock or some variants of jazz like fusion which uses lighter guitars with more sustain than other styles such as metal licks in heavy songs played on an SG style instrument by bands like Black Sabbath.
The Les Paul body style can be broken down into three main categories: solid, archtop and chambered. A standard Solid-Top guitar has a flat top with no fretboard seam except for the necessary holes in order to attach it together at either end; an Arched Top features more pronounced curves that reduce its width near where they meet the neck joint but increase their depth towards both ends – this gives rise to greater volume due to the shallower angles between amplified string vibrations during playback when compared against “flat” counterparts without these design elements; finally there’s The Chamber Body which differs from typical “set” necks found on guitars manufactured prior to the 1960s; these instruments featured neck pockets which were carved out of solid wood and later held in place with bolts which were glued into their sides.
Best Genre Fit
A Les Paul is basically good for all genres, but it’s especially great for jazz and rock. It makes a nice rhythm guitar for blues.
SG and Flying V
Though the SG and Flying V are both solid body electric guitars, they have very different visuals. The main difference between them is that many people find themselves uncomfortable with a guitar body style which results in an awkward posture while playing; this can be attributed to its more closed nature compared to other designs like those found on Ibanez’s GRG series or Gibson’s iconic Les Matins range – all three having significantly easier access up top due towards their “C” shape neck profiles (which was likely why these models were popular among blues musicians).
The tone of these guitars is very similar. They both have that characteristic Gibson sound, which means they can be a good fit for rock and metal music alike! Depending on the pickups used in conjunction with them (and depending what kind you prefer), tonally there may not always seem to be much difference between two different models/configurations – but then again this might just appeal more towards those looking specifically at classic designs like Les Pauls or SG’s; as well as how versatile an instrument has proven itself over time while remaining true-to form across many genres of popular formats including country picking tunes too).
Best Genre Fit
Gibson guitars are very popular and are used by many musicians. They can be played in almost every style of music, but not country music. It is more about what you like than any limitations of the guitar.
Semi-Hollow Instruments
The perfect addition for any player looking to add some extra tone and vibe, this guitar lets sound waves through so you can light up your favorite tunes with an awesome range of vibrations we couldn’t find anywhere else!
“A semi-hollow body electric has been around since the 1930s when Gibson released their first models incorporating such design features as two f-holes on the top of its body via blocks running throughout it making them very similar to Eric Clapton’s ES 335 guitar at various points during his career, but also other famous users BB King or Otis Rush depending upon what type you prefer playing yourself.”
When used by musicians who play rock music, the semi-hollow guitar has a very specific tone that can’t really be achieved with any other type of instrument. The feedback at higher volumes is something most people aren’t bothered by because they tend to prefer louder sounds and distortion anyway!
You can play the same songs on your acoustic guitar that you do with a more full-bodied model, but it will lack some of the sustain and depth. It’s still an excellent instrument for beginners who want something easy to handle or those times when practicing at home isn’t possible.
A great deal sounds different depending upon which string set is being used: both electric guitars utilize pickups to produce sound waves needed by amplifiers while acoustics only require nylon strings under tension from fingers pressing down against them.
Hollow Body Instruments
Hollow body guitars are often associated with big jazz and popular genres, but the real definition of “hollow” is that they don’t have a wooden block running down their middle. This means there’s still plenty to offer even if you’re not into those styles! True hollow-bodied instruments sound very similar to semi-electric models – just check out how much louder it will go when playing an acoustic set versus one where all strings meet at some point before going through another potentiometer (which can be expensive). They may also feedback more easily than other types since we rely so heavily upon our ears while playing them – wire gauges help diminish this problem.
There are two main styles of guitars that fall under the category of “hollow.” The first is known as an ES-335, which we discussed earlier in this article. Another type would be a jazz box guitar like those made from Gibson and their iconic model 175 (ES175). Tons use them for Jazz due to their warmer tone quality versus other types such steel-string acoustics or folk style acoustic electric goodies!
Hollow guitars are best suited for jazz, but rock musicians have used them in some cases. Chief among these would be Ted Nugent who actually utilized the feedback produced by his Gibson Byrdland as part of a musical toolbox to create a unique sound with it that is not possible on any other instrument aside from maybe certain ethnic traditional instruments like Arabic ouds or Mexican charango.
The ES-335 style guitar has become more commonplace than the es minimized because players want full volume without having too much noise come out when they play; however, there still remains some controversy over whether this type sounds better amplified through amplifiers “overdriven”.
A Primer on the Different Types of Guitar Pickups
Electric guitars are often picked up to have a tone that’s unique and identifiable. There is no one pickup type capable of giving you every sound, but there are three main types: single-coil (which produces a warm output), humbucker which removes some high frequencies for greater power in other areas – say around 4-6kHz where they can provide plenty more definition when needed most; P90 has been known as “the king” because this particular design offers so many features including full-range response without any loss or distortion at very high volumes.
Single Coil
Single-coil pickups have a very rich and musical voice when played with lower amounts of gain. They’re perfect for performing delicate guitar parts, like fingerstyle melodies or soloing over distorted backing tracks in jazz clubs.
Single coil guitars utilize one magnet instead compared to the humbucking type that uses two magnets because they’re not meant for playing heavy distortion at high volume levels; however, these limitations actually give single coils an edge by providing them extra clarity thanks to their low output level which makes it easy on your ears if you want something less overpoweringly powerful but still capable enough were even just hearing yourself play through these can make feel accomplished.
Humbucking Pickups
The humbucker has been around for a long time and its popularity is undeniable. Made up of two magnets, one which works as the pickup that captures your tone in its clutches while canceling out 60-cycle noise (hence why they’re called “human”), these pickups generally provide better sound when playing jazz due to their darker voice providing more clarity on higher volumes than single-coil types do – but no matter what type you go with there will always be someone who loves them!
P90 Pickups
You can identify P90s because they’re larger than a tube of lipstick and have 6 metal dots on the front face. These features give it that extra edge in sound quality, being brighter than humbuckers but more subdued then single coils!
Conclusion
It’s important to realize that electric guitar construction sets the basic framework of sound and feel for each guitar. The combinations of woods, pickups and hardware allow for a unique and expansive tonal palette and completely varied ways of playing and feeling. While you’re here, be sure to check out our reviews of the best electric guitars under 500!
Above all, play what you like; we can’t all be Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray, and it’s better to be happy and inspired than depressed and constricted by the confines of what is ‘acceptable’. But don’t let that stop you from trying out different guitars! All the best.
Check out our top picks of electric guitar under 1000 dollars!
