Acoustic Guitars Vs Electric Guitars: Which One is More Beginner-Friendly?

If you are a budding guitar player, you must be wondering which one of the countless guitars out there is the best guitar for beginners. For most, the question boils down to choosing between an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. If you have arrived at this crossroads and don’t know how to proceed further, we at Blackbird Guitars are here to help you make your decision! 

What is an Electric Guitar? 

An electric guitar is a string instrument that converts the vibration of the strings into electrical signals using pickups. These electrical signals are then amplified through amps or amplifiers which then output the sound through speakers. Visually, electric guitars come in a variety of styles like the Les Paul Guitar, Stratocaster Guitar, Telecaster Guitar and SG or Solid Guitar, to name a few. Electric guitars also come in three basic forms: hollow body electric guitars, semi-hollow or semi-acoustic electric guitars and solid body electric guitars. 

What is an Acoustic Guitar? 

An acoustic guitar is also a string instrument that produces sound through the vibration of its strings. When someone plucks the strings of an acoustic guitar, the vibration produced is transmitted through the top or soundboard of the guitar as well as the sides and back and resonate through the air inside the hollow body of the guitar, producing sound. Acoustic guitars also come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some featuring single or double cutaways. The tonal quality of an acoustic guitar is determined to a great extent by the type of tone woods used for the sound board. High quality tone woods like rosewood or mahogany produce great tonal quality and resonance. 

Similarities Between Electric & Acoustic Guitars 

Both electric and acoustic guitars have similar parts including the body, the neck, the fretboard, the frets and 6 strings. Both guitars are also tuned using the tuning pegs according to the standard tuning. The playing technique and skills are also transferable from acoustic guitar to electric guitar and vice versa. Another point of similarity is that both guitars are made from wood, although tonewoods make more of a difference with acoustic guitars. 

Differences Between Electric & Acoustic Guitars 

The biggest difference between electric and acoustic guitars is the way they produce sound. For acoustic guitars, the hollow body allows for the resonance of sound. Electric guitars, on the other hand, use pickups to convert the vibrations of the strings into electric signals which are then amplified in order to produce their iconic sound. At a glance, you’ll also spot another major difference between these two guitars: appearance and size. Due to their large hollow bodies, acoustic guitars are larger than electric guitars while the latter are slim in comparison. Another crucial difference between these two is the characteristics of the sound they produce. The sound and tonal characteristics of acoustic guitars is influenced by their shape, size, construction and materials. On the other hand, thanks to amplifiers and pickups, electric guitars have a more customizable sound. 

How to Decide Which Guitar to Get? 

Shape & Size

Considerations of shape and size can influence your guitar purchasing decisions, whether you look at it purely from an aesthetic perspective or from a storage and transportation perspective. Acoustic guitars have bigger bodies than electric guitars because they need the hollow space to resonate sound. Electric guitars on the other hand are slim and compact.

Affordability 

When it comes to affordability, acoustic guitars are usually less expensive than electric guitars. This is because electric guitars typically require external equipment to function such as cables and an amp. For this reason, acoustic guitars are often the first choice of beginner guitar players. 

Accessories 

Electric guitars require different accessories like cables and amplifiers and electricity for use. On the other hand, acoustic guitars don’t require any of these external accessories or electricity to function as it should. At most, your acoustic guitars will require guitar tuners, guitar straps and a guitar pick. If you are not keen on having to purchase additional equipment, the acoustic guitar may be the right choice for you. 

Ease of Use 

Acoustic guitars may seem like the best choice when it comes to ease of use as they don’t require additional equipment and are straightforward to use. Electric guitars appear complicated on the surface due to the various effects you can create with amps, pedals and pickups but they are also easier for beginners to handle thanks to their slim bodies and lighter strings.

Music Preferences 

Electric and acoustic guitars are very different from each other in terms of the kind of genres they can handle. While acoustic guitars are an excellent choice for folk, country and pop, electric guitars are essential for rock, metal, blues and jazz music. Depending on your genre or music preference, your choice of guitar will also change. 

Is there an Ideal Guitar for Beginners? 

Considering all the points we went through above, the answer to this question lies for the most part in your personal preferences. When it comes to the choice of guitar, you need to take factors like your genre preferences, affordability, ease of use, appearance and need for additional equipment into account. Beginners can start out learning either guitar if they have the drive for learning and a supportive teacher. At the end of the day, music is all about the feeling. If you are a beginner, test drive both acoustic and electric guitars and see which one you enjoy more. There’s also nothing stopping you from learning both! 

Where to Shop Your First Guitar in the UAE

Now that you’ve understood the similarities and differences between the two types of guitars, you are ready to make your first purchase! Blackbird Guitars is an online guitar store in the UAE that caters to music lovers of all ages! Whether you are looking for a stratocaster guitar, telecaster guitar, dreadnought guitar or Les Paul, our guitar store has an excellent selection of beginner-friendly guitars available for purchase anywhere in the UAE with free shipping. Click here to discover our acoustic and electric guitar prices and models.