Classical vs Acoustic Guitars – What is the difference between classical guitars and acoustic guitars and what type of guitar should you play as a beginner? Technically, both instruments are acoustic and come in a variety of types and sizes but the names
Some big differences between the instruments. When referring to acoustic guitar we generally are talking about “steel-string acoustic guitar” (more on that below). If you already know you want to play classical guitar you can check out my free pdf method book or my free lesson page.
Super Quick Summary: Classical guitars use nylon strings which are plucked by the fingers and have wider spaced strings. Acoustic steel-string guitars use steel strings with a closer spacing for optimal use of a right hand pick (plectrum) but still possible to play with the fingers. Both instruments usually have 6 strings and can be played in similar ways but each has a specific place stylistically and in terms of suitability or preference for certain music genres. Or course, both instruments have been used across the various genres but some are more common than others. Classical guitars usually have no electronics.
Fender Esc80 3/4 Size Classical Guitar Natural
Classical guitars use nylon strings and acoustic guitars use steel strings. Nylon strings are larger diameter and lower tension than steel strings. The two different types of strings produce a very different sound. They also feel quite different with nylon strings being more gentle on your fingers and easier to push down to the fret (a generalization but true most of the time). There are actually a huge variety of materials for nylon strings these days from clear nylon to composite materials with titles such as carbon, titanium, nylgut and many more. Some are much higher tension than others. The same goes for steel strings that have a variety of tensions.
Never put steel strings on a classical guitar as the higher tension and thin diameter of the string can damage the instrument. Although nylon strings might not damage an acoustic steel-string guitar, you’ll find that the setup and string spacing will not work well with nylon strings.
Tuning pegs – Also keep in mind that the tuners on the headstocks are quite different. You usually can not wind a nylon string on a steel-string tuner as the thick diameter may not fit in the hole or have enough room to wind around the peg.
How To Choose A Guitar For A Child
String Installs – Nylon classical guitar strings are tied onto the headstock and bridge of the guitar. Acoustic steel-string guitars usually have a ball end to pressure fit into a hole in the bridge with a string peg. See my article on How to String a Classical Guitar – A Guide to Changing Strings.
The next big difference between classical and acoustic guitars is the neck profile and string spacing on the fingerboard. Because classical guitar is played by the right hand fingers and can be quite congested and specific in the left hand the string spacing is wider than acoustic guitars. Of course, there are a variety of different models of guitar on both sides that lean in one direction or the other but classical guitars tend to be much wider in spacing. The neck profiles are also difference with classical guitars having a wider fingerboard and neck. Many electric and acoustic guitars have a small enough neck profile that the neck can be fully palmed while playing whereas the classical guitar is wide enough that the thumb generally stays behind the fingerboard on the neck.
There is a large variety of shapes and sizes for each type of guitar but the typical chord-strumming acoustic steel-string has a large body and string length. The build quality is also much different since acoustic guitars are built tough to withstand the tension of steel-strings and the type of use it generally gets. Also keep in mind the different ways we sit with the instrument and how the instrument is better suited to each.
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Fret markers – Steel-string guitars tend to have markers at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th frets. Classical guitar can have none or just a few.
Bridge – Classical Guitars have a tie block where the strings get tied on in certain way. Steel-strings have string pegs that pressure fit the string in place.
Volume and Tone – Classical guitars generally sound warmer and more mellow than bright steel-strings but there is quite a bit of variation that occurs.
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Classical guitars can mean different things to different musicians. Nylon string guitars could fall into the category of classical guitar, Latin American guitar, flemenco and Spanish guitar, ‘Western’ art music so Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era music. The list is endless. That said, musicians have used classical guitars in all genres from classical music to rock and jazz so there is no strict box that it fits into.Guitars come in different sizes and the size of your guitar has a big impact on playability. If you’ve ever seen a young child struggle to play a full-sized guitar, it should be clear why matching the right size guitar to each person is important.
In this guide, I’ll answer some of the most common questions about guitar sizes. You’ll be able to use this information to choose the best-sized guitar for your needs or to find the right size case for your guitar.
After reading this guide, have a read through my guide on How Much Electric Guitars Weigh as it’s also a good idea to understand how much guitars can vary in weight. Quite often the size of a guitar doesn’t give an accurate idea of how heavy the guitar is.
Guitars For Kids
If you want to learn guitar, check out the 8 Step to Learn Guitar here. The guide will take you from knowing nothing about guitar to playing your first full song.
Let’s first look at how to measure a guitar. Knowing how to measure guitars is important so you can accurately compare different guitar sizes.
There are two main ways you can measure a guitar. The first way is to measure the total length of the guitar from end to end. The second way is to measure something called the scale length.
Acoustic Vs Electric Guitars For Beginners
Whether you buy an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar, it will have these three parts. The only exception is an uncommon type of electric guitar that doesn’t have a headstock (these are called headless guitars).
To learn more about the parts on acoustic and electric guitars, read through this guide for diagrams and examples of different types of parts across different brands.
When we measure the total length of a guitar, we measure from the top of the headstock to the bottom of the body as shown below:
Collapsible Guitar Comparison Guide
Take a tape measure and line it up along the strings. The total length is from the very end of the body to the tip of the headstock.
If you take a look at the earlier photo of the different types of guitars, you’ll notice that every type of guitar has a different shaped body. For this reason, you will see wildly different measurements for total length.
The total length of a ‘full size’ guitar could be anywhere from 36 inches to well over 40 inches. There is no standard total length for guitar because there are many different types of guitars.
Is An Acoustic Guitar Necessarily Louder Than A Classical Guitar?
The total length of a guitar isn’t a good way to compare guitars. Some brands have long headstocks, while other brands have short headstocks. The size of a headstock doesn’t make a guitar feel any different when you play it, but differences in headstocks will throw off measurements.
I don’t recommend comparing guitars based on total length. Unless you’re comparing apples with apples, you won’t learn much from the total length of a guitar.
The scale length is the most important measure for a guitar because it impacts how a guitar feels when you play it. Even a small difference in scale length can feel completely different when playing.
The Ultimate Guide Of Guitar Sizes
To see examples of different scale length measurements, what scale lengths different brands use, and why it matters, read through this guide on scale length. You might be surprised by how scale length can completely change how a guitar feels to play.
The term ‘full size’ guitars can cause some confusion as each type of guitar (eg: classical, dreadnought, fender, Les Paul, etc.) has a different size considered standard. Each brand may build their guitars at a slightly different size.
A typical full-size guitar is around 38 inches long (96.5cm) with a scale length of around 25.5 inches (64.8cm). This varies widely across brands and guitar types.
How To Find The Right Guitar Size For My Child ?
If you have a guitar and you want to find out whether it is a full-size guitar, the first thing to check is the scale length. If the scale length is around 25 inches or higher (63 cm), it’s likely to be a full-size guitar.
Even if the total length is far longer or shorter than 38 inches, if the scale length is around 25 inches or higher, it’s a full-sized guitar.
If the scale length is far below this range (eg: 20 inches or 50 cm), it is likely to be a scaled-down
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