1. Musical Genre: Because different types of guitar produce different sounds, it’s a good idea to decide what type of music you want to play before you start looking to buy a guitar. The types of guitar used most often in each musical genre are:

• Acoustic Rock: Flat-top steel-string acoustic guitar
• Bluegrass: Lap steel guitar or acoustic bass guitar
• Blues: Electric guitar or bass guitar
• Classical: Classical guitar
• Country: Electric guitar, archtop steel-string acoustic guitar
• Folk: Nylon or steel-string acoustic guitar
• Jazz: Archtop steel-string acoustic guitar, jazz guitar 
• Metal: Electric guitar or bass guitar
• Rock: Electric guitar or bass guitar 

These are not the only guitars used in these genres but if you are trying to decide what kind of guitar you are after it gives you a good place to start.

2.  Performance Location: Where you are planning to play your guitar might also affect the type of instrument you choose to buy. Generally, acoustic guitars are more suited for beginners, they are also less expensive and portable than an electric guitar.  Those looking to play at home usually choose either steel-string acoustic guitars or electric guitars.

3. Size: Guitars are produced in a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, children may find ½-size and ¾-size guitars more comfortable to play than full-size guitars. Rimmers Music offers a fantastic range of Berkeley guitars ideal for children learning to play.  Or for guitarists who travel a lot, the ideal instrument may be a lighter-weight guitar.

4. Brand: Here at Rimmers Music we only stock good quality musical instruments, so whatever your budget we can offer both exceptional value and a quality instrument. You'll find guitars from many popular brands at Rimmers Music such as Berkeley, Spur, Tanglewood, Fender, Ibanez, Yamaha and many more! Our sales advisors are highly trained and on hand to help you pick the perfect guitar.  Don’t be afraid to ask, its what we are there for!  

So lets look at the 3 main types of guitars you will come across and give a little bit more information on each to help you with your decision...

Acoustic Guitars
On an acoustic guitar the strings vibrate as you strum or pluck and the vibrations are transferred to the soundboard (front of the guitar) which is springy, mechanically amplifying the vibrations through the hollow body of the guitar making the sound.

Acoustic guitars are great for beginners to learn music on due to their simplicity, however their larger body and heavier strings can make them a bit more difficult to get started on straight away as it requires some training of technique and finger strengthening. The strings can leave you with sore fingers when you begin playing, but persist and your calluses will soon develop.  After proper training and practice you can get an amazing range of sounds out of an acoustic guitar using different techniques.

Electric Guitars
These do not rely on mechanical amplification via a soundboard, but instead transfer the vibrations via a magnetic coil into a current down a cable and into an amplifier (amp). They still have 6 strings, so you can play the same songs on an electric as an acoustic. In order to hear the music an electric guitar makes you will need to also get at least a cable and an amp, so after choosing an electric guitar you will also need to look into getting some extra equipment. Rimmers Music sells a number of guitar packs which includes everything you need to get started with an electric guitar!

Electric guitars are just as good for learning to play music on as acoustic guitars.  So although you need to plug them in, most amplifiers come with headphone sockets, they can also be played quietly unplugged, and their lower action and slender necks often make them easier to develop your technique on quickly.

Bass Guitars
Bass guitars are a bit different in that they tend to only have 4 strings that are much fatter and tend to be bigger and heavier than electric guitars. They also need to be plugged into an amplifier in order to work, but the equipment needed is usually designed specifically for bass guitars and the lower frequencies that they make. Bass guitars tend to be associated mostly with rhythm playing and for this you must build up a steady right hand technique, along with the ability to reach down the longer necks and grip the fatter strings. Bass guitars are also great for learning to play music on, but the approach you take may be slightly different as you will have to concentrate on the bass lines of songs which can be a bit less obvious than lead guitar parts.

Almost all songs in modern music use bass for some parts. There are also parts in many songs that can only be properly played on a bass and these solo parts can be a great way to start having fun with your bass. By choosing a bass guitar you won't be limiting yourself as to what style of music you play and electric bass guitars are a vital part modern music from Rock to Jazz to Funk and beyond.