The Difference Between Acoustic and Electric Guitars

Have you ever considered why an acoustic and an electric guitar are not the same? For curious new recruits and music aficionados alike, the question gets posed quite frequently. Next to one another, both instruments have six strings and are alike in general outline, yet they aren’t quite as similar as their appearances might imply.

An acoustic will fully resonate the room with warm music all on its own, while an electric will nearly whisper without amplification. As a new initiate looking to choose your first guitar – or merely as a curious observer – understanding their distinctions will allow you to make the right choice.

Imagine yourself walking into music store, with ranks of shiny electric and wooden acoustic guitars ahead of you. Where do you want to reach for first? Honestly, it truly comes down to the music you wish to play, where your performance will take place, and personal feel as well.

In this definitive guide, we’re going to break everything out in plain, every-day language – from how each actually produces sound and the advantages and disadvantages, some history, and even advice for first-time buyers.

At the end of it, you will have a very clear idea of how acoustic and electric guitars differ and which might suit your purposes best.

Origins and Evolution of Acoustic vs Electric

To start, it helps to know a bit of history. Acoustic guitars have been around for centuries, evolving from ancient stringed instruments like lutes and ouds used by early civilizations.

The design of the modern acoustic guitar was largely set in the 19th century by master luthiers such as Antonio Torres in Spain, who expanded the guitar’s body and improved its tone and volume.

By the late 1800s and early 1900s, acoustics with steel strings and robust wooden bodies became the guitars we recognize today – fully capable of projecting music without any electrical assistance.

Electric guitars are much later additions. In the 1930s, as music evolved and bands got louder, guitarists needed more volume than acoustics could physically provide.

Innovators like George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker made that possible with the innovation of electromagnetic pickups on guitars so that the motion of the strings could function amplified through speakers.

The first electric guitars began around the early 1930s (most often cited as Beauchamp’s “Frying Pan” lap steel guitar and Gibson’s first electrified hollow-bodies). Gibson introduced the ES-150 electric guitar in 1936 as one of the first successful models of electric guitars for mainstream use.

That changed music forever – now the guitar could rival big band orchestra music and subsequently roar at the front of rock ‘n’ roll bands. Briefly, the acoustics are the old school of the family with long folk and classical lines, and the electrics came on the scene in the 20th century as the new era of jazz, rock, and amplified blues.

How Each Guitar Produces Sound

One of the defining differences between an electric and an acoustic guitar lies in how the sound emerges. An acoustic creates its own sound intrinsically from its hollow body.

As your fingers strum or pick at the strings, the vibrations run through the wooden top (soundboard) and resonate inside the body chamber of the guitar, amplifying through the sound hole. In short, the body of the guitar has its own amplifying purpose.

The tone sounds natural and rich, with the body and the wood defining the character – strum an acoustic chord and the whole guitar vibrates with richness and fullness. That self-contained, intrinsic design of course means that no external equipment is needed for an acoustic.

Picking it up from the porch, at the park, or at your bedside, you are able to begin playing away without plugging anything in. It’s its own self-contained music maker, and that has much of its appeal.

For comparison, an electric guitar will rely on technology to be heard. Solid (or semi-hollow) body electric guitars do not have the large sound cavity or sound hole of the acoustics and do not resonate on their own when strummed without an amp.

You’ll get a very quiet, thin tone – far from that booming voice of an acoustic. That’s not due to electric guitars being weak instruments – quite the contrary; they consist of magnetic pickups that convert the vibrations of the strings to an electric current.

These are the tiny bars with magnets embedded that are found below the strings of an electric guitar. As the metal strings vibrate besides the pickup, they induce an electric current to show up on its coils. That electric signal goes via cable into an amplifier, which elevates it and drives it from the speaker, creating loud noise. That means: the electric guitar itself doesn’t project much noise with its acoustic properties; the amp and electronics are part of its sound.

That also means that its tone can greatly be altered on the amp (more below), and the point is: acoustic = inherently has amplifier of natural kind (hollow body), electric = has outside amplifier required for its full volume (pickup and amp).

Incidentally, distinctions have been blurred at times by guitar tech – i.e., acoustic-electrics (acoustic guitars with pickups internal), which are played plugged in for maximum loudness, and hollow-body/semi-hollow electric guitars with usable acoustic properties.

All the same, on its very principle, an all-acoustic amplifies with the help of wood and air, while an electric amplifies with the help of magnetism and electric current.

Feel and Playability Differences

Except for sound, how do you experience holding an acoustic versus an electric guitar? That’s a key point of consideration for newbies. Acoustic guitars have a different feel physically from electrics. Acoustics are typically bigger-bodied – the guitar body itself is thick and hollow and will feel cumbersome in your arms if your build is slight.

Sitting and playing, your strumming arm surrounds that large body. Electrics will have thinner bodies that are lightweight on your arms and easy on your arms to hold firm. A solid-body electric will feel more body-matched to hold, as its thickness is only three or so inches thick. There is, however, a compromise: weight.

Acoustic guitars are extraordinarily light for their body frame (typically between 2-6 pounds), as they are made largely of hollow wood. Electrics, with full-on solid wood, metal trussing and electronics, are heavier – typically between 6-10 pounds or heavier.

So while an electric will feel less cumbersome, holding it on your shoulder for hours standing will tell: it comes down to pounds and ounces – weight. It’s not unmanageable (most individuals get used to it quickly), but there’s a note and it should be thought of.

They also feel differently on the neck and strings. Acoustic guitars tend to have necks that are very slightly thicker with heavier gauge strings (especially steel-string acoustics) so that they project very strongly.

Acoustic strings are also higher off the fretboard as well (a higher action), so you have to press them down with your fingers harder for the note to resonate clearly. As a new player, an acoustic will feel tough on your fingers as a result of this.

You have to press chords down hard, and your fingertips will hurt until your fingers become toughened and develop calluses (thickened pads).

As it turns out, new players also say that steel acoustic strings hurt more at first. (One remedy: many new players choose a nylon-string classical guitar, an acoustic with very mellow nylon strings, that doesn’t hurt your fingers as much.)

Electric guitars, however, usually come strung with thinner, lighter-gauge strings and have low action, so the strings are nearer the frets.

That makes them less hard to press down. Bending the note (a technique many are familiar with from blues and rock solos) is also less physically demanding on an electric with thin strings. As well, electric guitar necks are often thinner and narrower, which may feel preferable on tiny hands or for very rapid lead lines.

For many players – and teachers – the clear initial observation when picking up an electric and an acoustic for the first time is that the electric just “feels” easier for the new student, as there is less “wrestling” with the instrument.

One article at Guitar World actually flat-out concludes that the electric tends to feel easier as a direct cause of these reasons. That said, “gentle on fingers” doesn’t always mean “gentle on learning” (more on that below), but comfort makes all the difference on those first days of practicing.

Another feel-related variation is fret access. Electric guitars feature cutaway body styles (the body of the guitar gutted near the neck attachment point) so that for solos, higher frets are easy access.

Acoustic guitars have the neck attach at the 12th or 14th fret and do not have the cutaway, so playing way up on the neck (above the 12th fret) can become problematic.

This won’t usually be an issue for newbies (most of your playing will be lower on the neck), but as your level of play increases, if you want to play lead solos on the higher end of the neck, an electric or cutaway acoustic will make life much easier.

In short, an acoustic will be stiffer and chunkier – you fight harder with string tension and heft – and an electric will feel lighter and less demanding on the fingers. Neither is “better” overall; it comes down to taste and getting accustomed. Some newcomers start on acoustic and enjoy that it toughens their fingers up.

Others start on electric and like that it makes them want to play for longer as it doesn’t physically strain as much.

It’s sort oflike choosing between a mountain and road bike – one might be more difficult to cycle, but will give you quite a work out; the other will feel light and snappy and maybe need more gear (in the guitar player’s experience, amp).

Sound and Tone Capabilities

As for tone, acoustics and electrics have very different experiences. The acoustic guitar’s tone is largely governed by its body and its timber.

Every acoustic has its own voice – strum up that chord and get rich harmonies of the guitar as it vibrates itself. The tone emerges warm, full, and unplugged (if you are not plugged in, that will).

One acoustic will emerge bright and bell-like, and the next will have a more mellower, bassy tone, based on its body size and the type of timber it’s made of (e.g., large-bodied dreadnought acoustic will thunder on low end, and tiny parlor acoustic has sweeter tone). But with an acoustic, besides changing your playing style or tuning, pretty much the same tone of the guitar emerges.

There are no knobs to tweak or effects to use as standard issue. You can’t suddenly have an acoustic jump from clear and clean and now distorted or echoey, for example, without miking it and running it straight through outside effects.

As a matter of fact, one of the cons of acoustics is that you can’t significantly alter the tone with pedals and electronics as with an electric. That makes the acoustic guitar tone less complicated and purer, yet less versatile for experimentation with new sounds.

Electric guitars, on the other hand, are tone chameleons. Because their tone isn’t actually coming from the guitar itself, but rather picked up and amplified electronically, there are countless variations and controls.

On the actual guitar, electric guitars have volume and tone controls on the actual guitar and many have multiple pickups which are selected with switches and therefore produce different tones (e.g., a brighter bridge pickup compared to a warmer neck pickup).

When plugged into an amp, the possibilities are mind-boggling: the amp’s EQ (bass, mid, treble) and gain control (which controls distortion/overdrive) can drastically change the tone.

Add effects pedals into the mix – e.g., distortion, delay, reverb, chorus, etc. – and an electric guitar can have an astronomic range of tones, from the subtlelest clean jazz tone to face-melting rock solos with fuzz and sustain.

That’s why electric guitars show up in so many genres – they can have their tone made compatible with almost any musical context, simply by tweaking the electronic signal.

With electric, volume comes under your control as well. Want to play with zero noise? You can plug up headphones into an amp or audio interface and play without everyone else knowing.

Want to play on stage? Crack up a big amp and the electric will scream as loud as needed. An acoustic guitar has very limited volume – as loud as the energy you strum with and the natural projection of the guitar.

You can strum with more vigor and get somewhat louder, but sometimes an acoustic guitar will get drowned out with loud rooms or other instruments. (That’s why old jazz and swing combos didn’t use much of the acoustic guitar – it elicited the development of electrics first and foremost.)

Electric guitars remedied that with amplifying, so they can whisper or scream with the turn of the dial. It’s also worthwhile to discuss sustain and effects. E-guitars, especially played through distortion or effects, will sustain longer (notes will ring out longer) as the amp will keep providing the vibration. Acoustics possess strong natural sustain up to a point (a strong acoustic note will ring for many seconds and decay), but will not sustain a note for nearly as long as, for example, an electric with electronic help.

When you hear the rock guitar solo with the note sounding for allegedly ever, that is an electric with electronic help. Conversely, the fine dynamics of an acoustic – how it swells louder or fades softly just by the way you play – is accomplished differently with electrics (with electric playing technique, dynamics are also varied with volume knobs and pedals as well as with playing technique).

In short, an acoustic guitar gives you one, natural voice – warm, honest, and suitable for simple musical styles. An electric guitar offers you the selection of voices – it can mimic several instruments’ tones with the right configurations.

There is nothing inherently “better” – do you want the raw purity of an acoustic’s tone, or do you want the selection and power an electric rig provides? It’s pretty much the same as deciding between an old-fashioned wooden sailboat and a newer motorboat: one is the natural experience, the other power and selection.

Typical Genres and Musical Styles

As a direct result of these sonic differences, there are genres of music which are more frequently linked with one or the other of these guitars.

When you imagine an intimate ballad of country or folk ballad, there’s likely the strum of an acoustic guitar at play. Acoustic guitars are actually the norm for genres like country, folk, bluegrass, and pop singer-songwriter.

They’re also at the heart of classical pieces (nylon-string works of guitars from the likes of Villa-Lobos or Tarrega) and are also used for unplugged or acoustic versions of any given song from any given genre.

An acoustic being capable of delivering full accompaniment with the use of just one guitar (and being able to sing without needing backing from the band) accounts for its suitability for solo performers and for spinners of yarns.

You’ll see acoustic guitars on everything from mellow coffeehouse fare to pieces of indie rock and also sprinkled on hip-hop or R&B for its soulful aesthetic.

Electric guitars, however, are front-and-center for rock, hard rock, metal, punk, and electric bluesf. The characteristic “crunch” of rock music – those power chords and screeching solos – are only made with an electric guitar and amp.

Try the wailing leads on a metal tune or grizzled riff of a classic rock staple; that’s the electric at its best. Electric guitars are also key for jazz (specifically hollow-body electrics for that rich jazz tone), for funk (with quick, percussive rhythmic pluck), for reggae and ska, for pop and alternative – really any of the newer genres.

Even at the genre level, the lines can blur: for example, blues can be played with acoustic or electric (compare delta blues acoustic slide guitar with Chicago electric blues with amplified tone). Most musicians will play with both formats and swap between the two on different songs. The point of entry for a new player is: imagine the kind of music that you want to play.

You idolize rock groups or want to play electric lead guitar solos, so chances are you will naturally want an electric. You love acoustic performers (like Ed Sheeran performing solo on stage with an acoustic, or old-time folkies doing acoustic), so maybe you will want an acoustic first.

You are not ruled out of any style with either one, but both are best suited for particular styles. There are numerous brilliant pieces with acoustic and electric guitars alongside one another – e.g., an acoustic will play the rhythm and an electric will do the lead fills. As you grow as a player, your experience will prove both have their place in music.

Pros and Cons of Acoustic Guitars

For the newcomer, let’s lay out some of the key benefits and drawbacks of acoustic guitars:

Pros of Acoustic Guitars:

• No Amp or Extra Gear Needed – Truly “Plug-and-Play” (plug-free!): A guitar can play music anywhere, anyplace. You will not need an amp, patch cord, pedals, and electric outlets – lift and play. That keeps it extremely transportable and effortless, ideal for camp trips, playing at the beach, or playing with your mates without worries for setup. Ease of use makes newbies able to focus on rudimentary playing proficiency without additional technical gadgetry to handle.
• Great for Rhythm and Songwriting: Acoustics shine best at playing full chords on the strum. The rich full tone has the power of sustaining vocals, so singer-songwriters love them. When you’re looking at learning chords and singing yourself or creating your own music, an acoustic has fine accompaniment on its own. It also performs miracles for fingerpicking methods (folk, classical style, etc.) as the wider string space on most acoustics keeps the fingerstyle methods within newbies’ reach.
• Encourages Strong Technique and Finger Strength: It’s just a bit harder on the fingers initially, but working on an acoustic will toughen up your hand and cause calluses more quickly. It’s “tough love” – if you do end up working on electric later on, it will seem that much less difficult. Some teachers feel that learning on acoustic helps teach good finger discipline (since you have to finger down hard and play clean for good tone). You will also train your ear – you will really get familiar with the natural guitar and get an idea of dynamics and how tone reacts.
• Typically More Affordable to Start: You will find extremely decent starter acoustic guitars for fewer dollars than comparably electric setups. And, not incidentally, you won’t have to count an amp and cable on top. All else equal, a starter acoustic package (guitar, strap, picks) will generally be cheaper than an electric + mini-amp package. In questions of finances, acoustics will generally permit beginning with fewer dollars.

Cons of Acoustic Guitars:

• Higher String Action Can Be Tougher on Fingers: As observed, acoustic steel strings are thicker and higher off the fretboard. That demands higher finger pressure for fretting the notes, which will hurt newbies before callus formation. Barre chords (pressing down multiple strings with your finger) are notoriously tough at first on acoustic. Small-handed types or those with delicate fingers will experience this as a hurdle (nylon-string acoustics are a choice for minimizing this).
• Limited Tone Variety and No Effects: Playing an acoustic means you are largely stuck with one core tone – the raw tone of the guitar. You can’t really add distortion, make it mimic another instrument, or crank it up to very loud decibels without recourse to additional gear. There isn’t any internal method of “shaping” your tone beyond your playing technique. You can’t, for example, do the heavy metal distortion or spacey delay bit on an all-acoustic guitar. Some are fine with this minimalism; others might feel constrained if they like variety with their tones.
• Not Ideal for Very Loud Settings or Band Mixes: An acoustic works for solos or quiet group improvisation, but if it’s for drummer or loud instrumentation use, it won’t project very much without the assistance of a microphone or pickup. Its low end also isn’t as strong as with electrics – there won’t be that powerful low-end punch necessary for heavy rock or metal on an issue acoustic standard model. Though acoustics do get amplified (most professionals play acoustic-electric guitars live), that also introduces complexity and can tempt problems with feedback at high volumes.
• Bulkier and Less Ergonomic: The big resonant body of the acoustic has its cons – it will feel clumsy for other people. Smaller or younger people will not feel at first at ease with the depth of the dreadnought acoustic due to its positioning your strumming arm at an acute angle. There are smaller-bodied variants of acoustics available (parlor, concert, travel), of course, however full-sized ones do take getting use to handling position wise. Moreover, as there is no cutaway on standard models, reaching those higher frets (in order to play those pretentious solos) will prove inconvenient.

Despite these downsides, don’t forget that many newbies do start on acoustic and do very well – it just boils down to knowing these trade-offs ahead of time, so you won’t get blindsided by the feel and limitations.

Pros and Cons of Electric Guitars

And now let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of electric guitars for beginners:

Pros of Electric Guitars:

• Easier to Play (Lower String Tension and Action): Easier on the Fingers (Less String Tension and Action): Electric guitars are less strenuous on the fingers. They are strung with lighter gauge steel strings and have low action, so you will not need gorilla grip strength to press the strings down. This will make chords and scales less physically painful and allow longer practice times before your fingers fatigue. Many newbies are able to progress at least incrementally at the very beginning on electric, as they are not contending with tight strings as much.
• Volume Control and Silent Practice: You have volume control with an electric. Want it quiet? Easy turn down the amp or use ‘phones and you can practice without disturbing neighbors or other family members. Want it loud? You can do that too by increasing the amp when needed. This control comes as very handy for those living in close quarters – an acoustic played softly or not has at least minimum loudness level which will carry on to the next room. Electric’s near-silent or very loud with equal ease capability is a very big plus.
• Huge Range of Sounds and Effects: Perhaps the biggest draw of electrics is the array of tones made available. A few rotations of the knobs or an effects pedal and one guitar can be many. You can play with clean, jazzy sounds, crunchy rock chords, wailing high-gain solos – on one guitar with the variation of settings. Effects pedals enable you to incorporate distortion, reverb, echo, wah-wah, and much, much more, and this offers your creative playground if you wish to explore more sounds. For the new musician, experimenting with these sounds can be very inspiring and fun and keep the student engrossed as they learn. It’s as if there’s an orchestra of choices with one guitar.
• Comfort and Design Options: There are hundreds of different sizes and shapes of electric guitars on the market, and many are conscientiously made with player comfort. They have contoured bodies, cutaways for easy playing access at the higher frets, and skinny necks as mentioned. You don’t fit the standard shape of an acoustic? There’s likely an electric style that will fit just fine. Let’s face it – electric guitars are cool-lookin’. They have every color and style of your choice, and while this sounds shallow, if there’s an electric that looks absolutely cool and gets you psyched up to pick it up and play, that’s not entirely invalid as far as your choice goes! According to Fender’s guide, electrics are said to have flashy styling and finishes which can really get your inspiration up and your gear your own.

Cons of Electric Guitars:

• Requires Additional Gear (Amp, Cables, etc.) and Can Be Costly: The first and most obvious negative is that an electric guitar isn’t its own self-contained entity; at least you will need an amplifier and cable at the very least to play at any level. Good news: there are plenty of low-cost miniature practice amps, and oftentimes there are starter electric kits with the works. But it most definitely means more expense and set-up than an acoustic. Even an entry-level electric + amp combo will very often cost somewhat more than an identical acoustic package. And as you get further down the line, you will hopefully want better amps, different pedals, etc., and this very quickly spirals out of control as an expense pit (or a fun side-hobby itself!). In short, electric guitars’ dependence on gear is an expense and logistics consideration.
• Less Immediate and Portable: Because you need to plug in to play, electrics aren’t as grab-and-go. In the event that you only have a big amp, you won’t necessarily always have the convenience of breaking it out (imagine needing to practice late at night – you will likely bust out the headphone or not at all). There are traveling amps and battery-powered mini amps, but it’s not quite as easy as playing an acoustic anywhere. Hauling an electric guitar and amp anywhere with you is more of a handful if you want to play outside your home. So for spur of the moment jamming or portability, electric has a slight disadvantage.
• Heavier Weight: As has been said previously, electric guitars are heavier as they have stronger hardware and build. As an inexperienced player or with mobility issues, holding an 8-pound guitar for extended times or carrying it around in a case will wear you out (and that doesn’t count the weight of the amp). Straps and cases will alleviate this concern, but it’s also one thing to consider if you will frequently stand and play. Acoustic guitars are thicker, for that matter, but substantially lighter on average.
• Can Be Overwhelming for Some Beginners (Too Many Options): This will differ from individual to individual, but with an electric there are switches, knobs, and perhaps varied sound settings to experiment with. Not to mention the amp with its own settings. Some newbies will become distracted with the electronics and do more experimenting with sounds and less practicing of technique. It’s not inherently bad there are so many settings, but it leads to info-overload. Contrast that with an acoustic’s “what you see/hear is what you get” which focuses your mind on playing technique. Troubleshooting of such issues as bad cable noise, getting tone dialed in, or electronic gremlin issues (buzzing, etc.) can frustrate someone who merely desires to play. A little technical interest and patience are worthwhile for electrics.

In spite of these disadvantages, plenty of newbies do get started on electric and so love the experience of its tones that they’re up for the extra effort of setup. The point being, if you’re aware of what you’re getting yourself into: electric guitar experience = guitar + gear, whereas acoustic at the beginning of things = guitar + guitar.

Buying Tips: Choosing Between Acoustic and Electric

Having gone through the details, chances are that you have decided on acoustic or electric by now. In case there is any hesitation left, here are some practical tips on choosing and buying your first guitar:

• Consider Your Musical Tastes and Goals: Keep your motivation level up with an instrument that reminds you of your favorite music. If you enjoy campfire sing-alongs and folk or country music, for instance, an acoustic guitar will make your heart sing. If your musical tastes are rock, punk, or metal, an electric will have your butt bouncing on stage with those riffs. There are no hard and fast rules – plenty of rockers start on an acoustic so they can learn the basics – but playing music on your heart will give your practice sessions passion. Playing guitar is discouraging at times, so if music from your instrument gets those endorphins flowing, you’ll want to play longer.
• Budget for the Whole Package: Figure your budget not only for the guitar itself, but for everything that comes with it. A starter acoustic may only need a case and tuner (most acoustics actually come with those). A starter electric will at least want an amp and cable. Some do bundle everything at once and this can save you money. Usually, the acoustics are the less costly entry point – there are very playable student ones out there at an inexpensive price point, whereas even the lowest end electric outfit will be a bit more with an amp thrown in. Budget for accessories like picks, strap, extra strings, and perhaps a guitar stand. In choosing electric, also budget for headphones (for silent practice) and later pedals (though not initially). Keep your expectations that an electric system will potentially be an investment of several hundred dollars for a good starter rig, whereas an acoustic will be a bit less.
• Try Guitars Out If Possible (Comfort is Key): You can give holding and playing both a try if there’s any sort of music store around. You might end up leaning toward the one that’s more comfortable instead of the one everyone else prefers. Some enjoy the heavy feel of an acoustic; others fall for the smooth neck of an electric. Take a look at the body size – are you able to hold the acoustic comfortably? Is the electric’s weight good for your shoulder? There are also size options: short-scale and 3/4 size guitars are offered for smaller players or just for easy carrying. There are also differences in electric bodies – a Stratocaster-type has smooth body lines, for example, while a big Les Paul-type might feel heavier. Comfort will have you practicing longer. So, the “better” guitar will depend on which one you won’t get tired of holding.
• Think About Where and When You’ll Play: A practical one – do you need to remain silent due to family or neighbors? Then an electric with ‘phones actually might be a considerate choice so that you’re able to play comfortably at night. In the event your plan will be to play outside, at school, or travel, an acoustic rocks since you do not need power or extra gear and its reduced weight makes it simple to transport with you. Moreover, if you do not have your own personal practice space and need to break out and break down gear every time, an acoustic is zero hassle (just grab it). In the event that you have space at your house where the amp can stay permanently set up, an electric is very easy: turn on the key and play. Match your guitar with your environment and your lifestyle.
• Patience with Sound and Learning Curve: Remember that no matter what you choose, there will be initial frustrations. Acoustic players: You’ll have some initial pain and maybe frustration with tough chords – normal! Practice for a few weeks and it improves as your fingers build up. Electric players: You’ll have to learn amps, get your tone right, and maybe troubleshoot a buzz every now and again. It seems and feels like additional homework, yet it’s also your opportunity to know how sound equipment operates. In either case, the fundamentals of playing (chords, strumming, finger placement) are the same, so you’re not losing out on anything for choosing one or the other. Much of the proficiency transfers from acoustic to electric.
• No Choice is Final – You Can Always Switch or Get Both: Finally, remember that your initial guitar doesn’t have to remain your sole guitar for the rest of your life. There are many musicians who begin on one and end up learning the other as well. In the event that you begin on acoustic and one morning realize that you have an appetite for electric crunch, you can always acquire an electric for your collection (and the other way around, an electric musician may reach for an acoustic afterward for song writing or the convenience of going unplugged). The thing that matters most is getting started. There’s wonderful advice: the best guitar for the newbie guitarist is the one that gets him/her motivated for daily practice. So if that happens to be an acoustic that can also serve as your sing-along companion or an electric that gets your inner rockstar out, opt for the one that gets your passion juiced up. You can’t actually ever go “wrong” if it gets you hooked on playing.

Conclusion

And lastly, the selection between electric and acoustic guitars comes down to preference and purpose. The acoustic guitar is an old friend – woody, loud, easy, and always transportable. The electric guitar is a new best friend – versatile, powerful, and expressive in one hundred ways with the assistance of technology.

Beginners almost always stress and agonize over the selection, but there actually is no correct or incorrect selection here. They are simply two distinct instruments for creating music. Most guitarists end up playing and enjoying both and enjoying the best of both worlds.

If your taste lies with the natural tone of unplugged music and the rawness of one instrument = one sound, there’s much to enjoy with an acoustic guitar.

But if your heart races at the thought of producing new sounds, scorching burning solos, or keeping up with your full band, an electric guitar will provide those thrills. Either way, you’re learning guitar, and the basic skills – chords, scales, rhythm, dexterity – will serve you across the board.

My advice coming at it from 20 years of playing and teaching: do what the instrument inspires you with when you first pick it up.

That inspiration will get you through the practice hours and the finger pain and the muscle memory exercises. It might be the warm strum of the acoustic or the energetic riff of the electric – let that music motivate you.

As the years go on, you can branch out on the other side as well – there’s no law that says you have to “stay in one lane” for the rest of your life. Some of the best guitar songs interspersed the acoustic and electric for very good reasons.

Acoustic or electric? It doesn’t matter, and quite honestly, you can’t lose. Play one, play away, and enjoy it. When it comes to guitars, it’s not one or the other – it’s a spectrum of sounds and experiences.

And regardless of which road you start on, the point of it all is that you will actually end up playing music. Enjoy playing!