Electro-acoustic guitars are acoustic guitars featuring a jack for plugging into an amplifier. They feature a control panel for adjusting its EQ and volume, and sometimes come with a built-in tuner.
Like the traditional acoustic guitars, you can find electro-acoustic models with classic nylon strings or steel-strings.
The only differences between electro-acoustic guitars versus standard acoustic guitars are the jack and control panel. You can plug in the electro-acoustic guitar if you want, but you can still play even when unplugged.
Additionally, you can add effects and set up various tones with electro-acoustic guitars. These features allow you to play a wider range of music with this type of guitar.
Hollow body and semi-hollow guitars are electric guitars with a hollow body. The difference between the two can be determined by looking at the internal cavity of the guitar’s body.
The semi-hollow type often has a block of wood running through the body under the bridge and pickups. The hollow body, on the other hand, doesn’t have this block.
These types of guitar are susceptible to acoustic feedback. This happens when a soundwave strikes the hollow body of the guitar, causing it to resonate. In turn, this makes the strings vibrate, which is picked up by the pickups and the sound is magnified though the amplifier. If this is the type of guitar you prefer, don’t worry, there are ways to combat acoustic feedback. For example, the semi-hollow keeps the unique tone produced by a hollow body while reducing the feedback issues.
When playing the hollow body and semi-hollow unplugged, these produce an acoustic-like sound. Although not as loud or clear as an actual acoustic guitar, it’s significantly louder than solid-body electric guitars.
The electric guitar is a versatile type of guitar that comes in various sizes, shapes, and tones. These come in a wide range of tonal options like piezo pickups, which produces an acoustic guitar’s sound.
Electric guitars have been used in almost all styles of music. It’s the go-to type for rock, metal, punk, blues, and other genres.
Resonators, also called resophonic guitars, are not commonly seen. Basically, these are acoustic guitars with a metal cone where the sound hole is normally placed. This metal cone helps the guitar project and resonate any note you play, resulting in a loud and clear tone.
The cones vary depending on the model, and these are designed for specific types of music.
Bluegrass, Hawaiian, jazz, blues, and country music are the common genres where resonators are used. Using this type of guitar is harder to learn compared to others, but it might be a style of guitar you wish to choose depending on the type of music you want to play.