Electric vs. acoustic – which guitar is good for beginners?

Guitars are used in every music genre throughout the world. There is still an ongoing debate between which guitar is better for beginners – electric or acoustic? This debate is partly because many people think that acoustic guitars sound “nicer” or “better” than the electric guitar.

Some people prefer the feel and look of the acoustic guitar, and some love to plug it into an amplifier and crank up the sound. While on the other end some like the flexibility that electric guitars have and people who are interested in learning more about effects pedals and distortion.

So which is better for beginners? To answer this question, let’s first go back to the basics of what a guitar is meant to be – an instrument to create music with. We’ll analyze both acoustics and electrics at Gibson Les Paul Tribute and see which one is actually “better” in the following aspects:

1. Which guitar has a better sound?

Well, this is quite simple. Electronic instruments are used to make music electronically. In contrast, acoustic instruments are used to make music acoustically – through the strings’ vibration, which in turn creates sound waves that travel across the air and hit your eardrums.

It means that the electric guitar has an electronic sound source (which could be a built-in amplifier and speaker), while the acoustic guitar does not. Hence, the electric guitar always sounds “better” than an acoustic simply because it can produce a richer and fuller range of sounds.

2. How easy is it to play?

It depends on the individual player. Beginners who have not mastered their fretting hand technique will most likely perform better with an acoustic guitar simply because it has a lower string tension and allows frets closer together. However, the string tension is not as big a factor as what is underneath your fingers.

Electric guitars usually have wider necks than acoustic guitars, which will require you to reach further to play certain notes and chords. However, since most electric guitars are “strung” with lighter gauge strings, the overall string tension might not be that big a factor.

3. Is it easier to make music with an acoustic or electric guitar?

Now, this is where things get interesting. Both guitars can make music – however, each type has its own “sound” (and the same goes for the clean and distorted sounds, as well as acoustic and electric).

For example, you might want to play something that requires a rich, full sound – in which case, using an electric guitar will be easier. If you prefer to play with a crisper tone or want something more “classical,” an acoustic guitar will be better.

Which guitar is good for beginners?

It depends on what you want to do with it and which genre you want to play in the future. For example, if you’re interested in learning riff-based rock songs and looking into playing metal music later on, then getting an electric guitar will be a better option because it has a sharper and more aggressive sound.

If you would rather play country music and mainly focus on strumming chords and playing acoustic rhythm and lead, then an acoustic guitar is the best choice.