IN social network"Vkontakte" very often asks questions about acoustic guitars, semi-acoustic guitars, electro-acoustic guitars and electric guitars. Everything would be fine, but often novice guitarists try to learn some points, having already initially distorted knowledge about the types of guitars. Especially often there is a confusion between electro-acoustic and semi-acoustic guitar. In this article I will try to tell in the most accessible language about the types of guitars written above with illustrated visual aids.

So, our first type is an acoustic guitar. This is the most popular type of guitar, which also has a species classification and is divided into classical guitar, western guitar and jumbo guitar. You can read more about this typology, but for now let's deal with the standard component acoustic guitar. The picture on the left shows the most simple acoustic guitar. It does not have any unnecessary electronic parts (however, they can be supplied additionally) and is intended for playing without connecting to equipment. This guitar has a rich and resonant sound. These guitars are played in the yard, on a hike, etc. Performing in front of an audience with such a guitar is not very convenient, since a separate microphone is needed to amplify the sound, placed in close proximity to the drum of the instrument.

If the acoustic guitar is supplemented with an in-body piezo pickup, which allows you to amplify the sound of the guitar by connecting it to a combo amplifier or any other amplifying equipment, then such a guitar is called an electro-acoustic guitar (figure on the right). In addition to the piezo pickup, electroacoustics incorporates a sound preamplifier, which is already built into the guitar. On such preamps, as a rule, there is a tone control of various types and an equalizer. This allows acoustic sound to be transmitted through the equipment, amplifying the sound. This guitar is perfect for concert performances. In all other respects, the electro-acoustic guitar is similar to the “previous version” of the musical instrument and is able to “sound” even without access to the equipment. Without a cord, this is ordinary acoustics with all its properties and capabilities.

Quite often, an electro-acoustic guitar is called semi-acoustic, implying that these concepts are synonymous. However, this is a misconception! They are completely different types of guitars.
If an electro-acoustic guitar refers more to an acoustic guitar with additional devices, then semi-acoustic is already a synthesis of an electric guitar and acoustics. Visually, it can be seen in the figure on the right. Externally, a semi-acoustic guitar is similar to an acoustic guitar. There are two types of semi-acoustic guitars: hollow body and partially hollow. The first type has a one-piece body, the second - a solid middle of the body and cutouts on the sides (efs). Semi-acoustic guitars are equipped with electromagnetic pickups, most often these are humbuckers. Such guitars are quite often used in jazz, blues, rock and roll, etc., because they have a soft sound. Based on the name, it becomes clear that such a guitar can be used both in acoustic mode, although with a quieter sound, and in electric mode.

The last type is the well-known electric guitar. I think everyone knows what it looks like, but I'll still point out the presence of a picture (on the right). This type of guitar is intended only for playing to a sound amplifier and it is in no way possible to play like an acoustic guitar. The physical meaning of the sound of such an instrument is the conversion of string vibrations into electric current oscillations using electromagnetic sound amplifiers. The sound of these guitars is very powerful and piercing. Most often, electric guitars are used to play solos or rhythm parts in rock music. However, quite often you can find the sound of an electric guitar in other musical genres.

The electro-acoustic guitar is absolutely no different from its non-electric relative, with the exception of a louder pop sound. Ordinary acoustic guitars, both classical and western, sound too quiet even to perform in a small cafe with them. At first, this problem was solved by embedding a small microphone into the cavity of the guitar. The sound quality was not so hot, but the whole audience heard the musician. With the development of technology, the sound "purified", and a new full-fledged instrument appeared on the musical arena - an electro-acoustic guitar. Meet!

Classification

Guitars of this subspecies are traditionally divided into two types: "classic" ( nylon strings, soft and muffled sound) and "western" (iron strings, the sound is sharp and sonorous). There is no qualitative difference in them - it is entirely a matter of taste. On the classical guitar play classical music and flamenco, and on the "western" (otherwise it is also called the "dreadnought") - rock, country, blues, etc., in other words, everything else.

For reference, this is what a classic-type electro-acoustic guitar looks like:

And here is a Yamaha western electro-acoustic guitar:

It is also worth dispelling one very well-known misconception. Some guitarists confuse semi-acoustics and electroacoustics. There is almost nothing in common between these tools. They have different sounds, different roles in the composition and different playing techniques. Listen to the fiery hit Seven Nation Army. This song was recorded entirely on semi-acoustic guitar. Is it similar to the melodic trills of an ordinary acoustic?

Device

Before moving on to the topic of choosing and buying a guitar, you should first deal with its device. The electro-acoustic guitar in the model of its device is very similar to the electric guitar.

So, the musician touches the string... and here begins both a long and instantaneous journey. musical note from the instrument to the ears of the listeners.

The piezo transducer immediately intercepts the vibrations of the string and converts them into an electrical signal. It can be made from different materials and be in different places, but his role is always the same.

Then the preamplifier (aka preamp) picks up the damped signal of the piezoelectric sensor, amplifies it and transmits it to external world(e.g. combo amplifier). The preamp is located, as a rule, right in the shell.

The equalizer is located in the same jack as the preamplifier. Its purpose is to calibrate the tone of the guitar sound. The number of adjustable levers can vary from 1 to 7 (it greatly affects the cost of the tool). Below is a picture with the "preamp equalizer" system.

We will immediately stipulate that it is contraindicated for beginners to buy electroacoustics! Instead of a calm, systematic study of guitar playing technique, a beginner will first have to fiddle with tuning the frequencies of the instrument and its amplifier. And the price of such a system of instruments will be 20-30% more than that of a conventional guitar.

The main purpose of the electro-acoustic guitar is concerts and recording. This is very important, because it is much more difficult to record an ordinary “mechanical” instrument. Giving a concert with him is also not easy. This is what should be taken into account when choosing a tool. And yes, do not forget that when buying an electro-acoustic guitar, 20% of the budget will have to be spent on its "mouthpiece" - a combo amplifier.

First level

There are a variety of electric acoustic guitars on the market, with prices starting at around $150. It is better to pay $20 more and buy a complete tool for a beginner. It will be possible to perform and record with him. The equalizer on such a guitar will have only two adjusters - volume and overall tone.

Average level

This, of course, will not be enough for middle-level musicians. A Yamaha electro-acoustic guitar (even the cheapest one) would generally satisfy their needs. Other brands to look out for include Cort and Fender. Prices for such instruments start at $350. On such a guitar, you can fine tune the tone of the sound, and their reliability is much higher than that of cheaper relatives.

Advanced level

For guitarists who pick up on the tiniest tonal aberrations, or those who choose a guitar companion for life, there is the premium Crafter brand, whose electric acoustic guitars have been rocked in thousands of gigs. They are played by the psychedelic Status Quo, and the dark and crazy grotesque Alice Cooper. In addition to Crafter, there are also Takamine and Taylor. We do not insist that it is worth choosing something from these brands. Just before buying, carefully check the credibility of the brand, because an electro-acoustic guitar, reviews of which are boundlessly angry, is unlikely to live long. Do not forget that the reviews of ordinary people are more valuable than any advertising.

Prices for premium guitars start at around $800 and go to infinity. But the optimal range is 800-1400 cu. e.

What teachers are silent about

The principle of operation of electroacoustics is similar to an electric guitar, which means that the sound of the first can be distorted in every possible way on a combo amplifier. On a classical guitar, this will not lead to anything significant, but a "western" can be turned into a heavy metal unit. Of course, the more all sorts of sliders on the guitar and amplifier, the richer the range of sounds.

Frankly speaking, no one distorts electroacoustics in practice, but anything can happen. In the end, showing off to friends or just experimenting with technology is always interesting and enjoyable.

You will need

• Electroacoustic guitar
• Cords
• combo amplifier
• Mixer
• Audio speakers
• A computer

Instruction

Take an electric acoustic guitar and find a connector for connecting the cord. It is usually located at the bottom of the guitar body. Plug in the cord. If the guitar has a built-in equalizer, then the appropriate batteries will be required for its operation. Before you start connecting your guitar, check for them.

Then take the other end of the guitar cord and plug it into the appropriate jack on the combo amp. It is recommended to insert the cord into the turned off combo amplifier and only then turn it on. This will avoid possible damage to the device. Set the desired volume level on the guitar and on the combo amp. Adjust the equalizer, achieve the balance of low, medium and high frequencies you need. Now you can start playing.

Other devices can be used instead of a combo amplifier. You can use acoustic acoustic guitar and audio speakers. Connect the guitar to the mixer with a cord. The connection process is similar to the connection process described in the previous paragraph. Then, use a cord to connect the mixing console to the speakers. Now turn on all devices, adjust the volume and you can start playing.

Also, an electric acoustic guitar can be connected directly to a computer. To do this, plug one end of the guitar cord into the jack on your guitar and the other end into the input jack on your computer's sound card. Turn on the sound and you can start playing.

Useful advice

For playing at home, it is better to choose a shorter cord. The shorter it is, the less noise is generated and the clearer the guitar sounds.

To give the guitar sound new shades, use guitar gadgets and processors, they can transform the sound beyond recognition.

When connecting an electro-acoustic guitar to a computer, you can use software guitar processors.

There are two various ways connecting an electric guitar: in line and through a combo amplifier (combo). Each of them is designed for a different purpose, and therefore, you first need to think about what you want from the guitar sound.

You will need

• Guitar, combo or other sound amplifying device, cables for switching. Effects pedals, guitar processor, mixer - optional.

Instruction

Line connection is the signal from the guitar to the line input of the amplifier. An acoustic system can be used as an amplifier. If you need a distorted guitar sound (distortion) or other guitar effects, you can get them by connecting between the guitar and effects or effects pedals.
Also, sometimes a mixer is placed in front of the amplifier, this is convenient when you need to amplify several instruments and adjust the timbre characteristics of each of them. The connection scheme looks like this: the guitar is connected to the input of the pedal or processor (if any), the output of the pedal or processor is connected to the input (if any), the output of the mixer is connected to the input of the main amplifier.

Connecting a guitar to a computer is carried out, in general, in a similar way. Only the amplifier in the sound card is used as the main amplifier (and the amplifier in the speakers, if you output sound from them). The cable is then connected to the line input of the sound card.

Connecting to a combo amplifier differs only in that the preamp, tone block, overdrive effect, and sometimes other effects are already built into it. Therefore, your task is to connect the output of the guitar to the input of the amp. If necessary, connect effects pedals or a processor between them.

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Useful advice

Remember that a real rich, juicy, powerful and timbre-rich guitar sound is obtained only when connected to a amp. It is better if the combo is tube. Line connection is used as an alternative, suitable for home exercises only. Although, in fairness, it must be said that a mixed type of guitar amplification is often used at concerts. The sound from the amp goes to the stage, while performing the monitoring function for the guitarist. In the hall, it is fed through a microphone standing by the combo, connected in line with other devices.

Sources:

• Site for guitarists.

Guitar - six-string string instrument, widely used in modern music of both academic and folk and pop-jazz styles. Due to the design features on it, you can perform both solo, melodic parts, and accompaniment (chords and enumerations). Depending on the type of guitar (acoustic, electric, semi-acoustic), there are several types of connecting the instrument to a computer.

Instruction

Open an audio editor. Put the microphone on a stand, sit on a chair with a guitar. Turn the microphone head towards the resonator and play a chord. Check the editor's reaction to the sound. If everything is in order, start recording.

Connect the electric guitar to the amplifier and effects processor. Attach the instrument microphone connected to the computer in the same way to the speaker. Check system operation and start recording.

Tip 4: How to Connect an Acoustic Guitar to Your Computer

An acoustic guitar, unlike an electric guitar, has both steel and nylon strings. This makes it impossible to install traditional pickups on them. There are special designs for electric guitar pickups that are compatible with any string.

Instruction

Remember that gluing anything to the guitar body will damage the lacquer, which negatively affects the acoustic qualities of the instrument. Therefore, install the pickup only on a guitar that you do not mind ruining.

Take any type of piezoelectric sounder. If it has a plastic resonator, remove it. If there are two piezoelectric elements in the emitter, including those of different sizes, connect them in parallel. Glue the sound transducer with a membrane to the body of the guitar as close as possible to the resonator hole, but so that it does not touch it when playing. When gluing a sound emitter with a hole in a metal wall, turn this hole outward.

Take a thin shielded cable with insulation. Connect its braid to the output of the emitter connected to its body, and the central core to the remaining output. Secure the cable in such a way that it does not interfere with playing the instrument.

Tune your guitar sound. To do this, use the appropriate switch between the pickups, as well as the volume, tone, tone, etc. controls. Turn on the playback device, adjust the output sound level. After that, using the available controls on the lotion, set the necessary distortion parameters and press the pedal (or button) to turn it on.

To play on the lotion, it can also be connected directly to a regular computer sound card. To do this, you will need either a cable with a Jack connector on one side and a miniJack on the other, or an appropriate adapter. If you are using a professional or semi-professional sound card, you will most likely not need an adapter, as such cards are equipped with Jack-type connectors.

Connect the cable from the gadget to the Line-In connector on the computer's sound card. As a rule, for convenience, it is indicated in blue. After that, select "Start" -\u003e "Control Panel" -\u003e "Sound" and open the "Recording" tab. Find the recording device you are using, double click on it and adjust the sound level.

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The sound quality of an electric guitar depends almost entirely on the sound-reproducing equipment. It can be connected to an amplifier or computer, and various devices can be connected to it, which provide the effects the performer needs. First of all, you need to properly connect the instrument to the amp, amplifier or computer.

If you are looking to buy an electric acoustic guitar, there are several simple tips that will help you make a choice.

1. An electroacoustic guitar is primarily an acoustic guitar (it differs only in the presence of one or another sound pickup system), so all recommendations for choosing an acoustic guitar will also be valid for electroacoustics.
2. So if you decide to buy an electro-acoustic guitar, then carefully study the characteristics of the guitar, for example, what types of wood the neck, top deck and the rest of the body of the guitar are made of, as this will have a direct impact on the sound of your instrument.
3. Electric acoustic guitars, just like regular acoustic guitars, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, jumbo, dreadnought, folk and western, with or without a neck cutout, with narrow and wide necks. You should choose based on how comfortable this guitar is for you and how much you like its sound.
4. In electro-acoustic guitars (if you decide to connect it to an amplifying system), the sound is removed by special piezoelectric pickups, which are located under Nut. Also, sometimes piezo pickups are attached to the top of the guitar to remove the vibration of the body. Well, a very rare option is when a special microphone is attached inside the case, which removes the entire volume of the case (this system transmits the most authentic sound of the guitar). Some guitars combine pickup combinations.
5. Electroacoustic guitar electronics can have a built-in tuner (this will allow you to quickly and efficiently tune the guitar), an equalizer (and you can quickly adjust the sound of the guitar in the room so that there are no unnecessary resonances), spatial effects (reverb), and modulation (chorus), respectively, than the more sophisticated electronic stuffing will be in your guitar, the more features the guitar will have and at the same time the more expensive it will cost. The most popular piezoelectric pickups for electric acoustic guitars are manufactured by Fishman, EMG. Some manufacturers include guitar pickups of their own design.
6. For a novice musician, you can pick up an inexpensive electric acoustic guitar of Korean or Chinese production in the region of 6-15 thousand rubles (Cort, Martinez), and famous brands such as Yamaha, Washburn, Ibanez, Fender can also be present in this niche (because all these guitars are made in the same factories in south asia). If you want to purchase a professional American-made instrument, then pay attention to guitars from brands such as Gibson, Ovation, Taylor, Martin.

REMEMBER! Acoustic electric guitar electronics require battery power, so if you want to always keep a good tone, change the batteries regularly.

Happy shopping!

Choosing an electric acoustic guitar is a responsible matter that requires a serious approach. First, the use of the instrument is influenced. Thus, flamenco or romance players will need a classical electro-acoustic guitar, while rock and roll and blues players will choose jumbo or western devices.

Going to the store musical instruments, it is necessary to clearly understand the purpose of acquiring the equipment. If the tool is purchased for the first time, then perhaps the best choice there will be a classic on synthetic strings - it will be easier to learn to play on it. That is why the classical (not electro-acoustic) guitar is used in music schools.

An ordinary guitar, whose homeland is Spain, has a characteristic body, which is made according to the same standards for all manufacturers. The sound quality of the instrument depends on the material. Only a device with a deck made of wood can reach its full potential.

If the standard "Spanish" is equipped with a timbre block, then as a result of this procedure it will change its status.

We can say that electro-acoustic guitars appeared after this operation. True, the instrument with a plastic case stands apart, for example, the Ovation guitar invented in the last century.

When connected, this device surpasses other acoustics in many respects, however, it has a muffled live sound. The original American electro-acoustic guitar by Ovation has (unlike the Korean-Chinese counterparts) a fairly high cost.

However, do not discount the Asian instrument. Of course, the famous and Chinese-made Gibson don't sound like the originals, but the price is their main selling point. In the Russian market, in its price segment, electro-acoustic is popular, which has a good sound and an optimal price-quality ratio.

Having decided on the model of the instrument, you should definitely try out the device, and it is advisable to do this in a store (this option should be provided). It often happens that the guitar starts to rattle. To check this, you should pull the strings, holding them in turn on each of the frets.

You also need to look at the thickness of the strings of products. Western electro-acoustic guitars must have strings with a diameter of 0.12 or 0.13 mm. Thinner "threads" can make even expensive items rattle.

If everything is in order with the sound, then it is necessary to inspect the case for cracks, chips and other damage. If you come across an electro-acoustic guitar "with experience", then you can ignore small abrasions. And professional musicians confirm that a good instrument cannot be "under" 10 years old. To work in the studio, you can purchase a relatively inexpensive electro-acoustic guitar from the Ovation brand, which is produced by the Korean branch of the manufacturer.