If you ask me what’s the best guitar to learn on for adults? I wouldn’t answer very differently than if you asked me about a guitar for beginners. Because the best guitar to learn on is the one that is the simplest and easiest. This does not matter if you are an adult or not.
The guitar you start learning will have a great influence on your chances of success. Therefore, having a good beginner’s guitar is essential. There are many different kinds of guitars. The most significant differences are in size, shape, sound, and playability.
The best guitar to learn on is the one that best suits your needs
As we have already discussed in this article, there are smaller guitars when it comes to children or small people. Once you have decided which size is best for you, the next thing is to choose the best guitar to learn on for adults according to the model that best suits your needs. This varies from person to person due to different variables. Depending on the thickness of the fingers and size of the hands, you will need to choose between different models.
For example, a classical or flamenco guitar, with nylon strings, has more space between the strings. This allows people with thicker fingers to play. If you have thinner fingers, you will be able to play an electric or acoustic guitar more easily. Both have steel strings and less space between the strings. These models are ideal for playing with average-sized or small hands.
The best guitar to learn on according to the body of the guitar
Posture preferences can also influence the choice between one model and another. Classical and acoustic guitars have a larger body than electric guitars. This is because these models have large soundboards to amplify the sound caused by string vibration. Because of this, the thickness of your guitar can vary depending on the model you choose.
This is an important aspect that can improve or worsen your comfort while practicing. This is something you should take very seriously, as it can totally change your learning experience. One person’s ideal guitar can be another person’s nightmare.
Solid-bodied electric guitars, such as Stratocasters, Telecasters, or SG, have a much thinner body than an acoustic or classical one. These guitars don’t have a soundboard because they amplify the sound of the guitar by using pickups. This type of guitar has a jack with audio output to connect to an amplifier and effect pedals, as we have already mentioned in this article.
Semi-hollow body electric guitars work the same way with pickups. But the difference between them and the solid body is that they have a soundboard. This allows the guitar to generate sound without being connected to an amplifier. Even if they don’t reach and emit a sound as loud as acoustic or classical guitars.
The best guitar to learn on according to the place where you will practice
There is another important variable to take into account when choosing the best guitar to learn on for adults. This is your physical environment and the space in which you will learn to play guitar. It may not seem like a relevant issue at first, but it is. Many people try to learn the guitar, but not everyone succeeds. Many times the lack of success is due to not finding the best place to practice. And when you’re learning to play guitar, practice is almost everything. Because the more you practice, the better you will play, and the closer you will get to your goal.
Having a comfortable and quiet environment where to practice will be one of the keys to reaching that precious goal. The best is to look for a place in the house where you can spend several hours a day without anyone or anything bothering you. We have talked about this before here.
The best place to play can be your living room or your bedroom. You should focus on finding the most noise-free, spacious, and private place. You should stay away from places in the house where there isn’t enough space to have a comfortable chair to practice or where you won’t have the privacy you need to concentrate on your work.
If you choose to start with a classical or acoustic guitar, it will be great to have a room that has good acoustics. To improve the acoustics of a room, you can add curtains, carpets, wooden furniture, and all kinds of acoustic materials. If that room you choose has wooden floors, wooden furniture, or a library, this will help you have a better acoustic.
The best guitar to learn on according to the type of strings
There are two large groups of different guitars based on the type of strings they have. There are steel string guitars and nylon string guitars. I think that it’s more a question of taste and preferences when you are choosing the best guitar to learn on for adults.
Steel String Guitars
The guitars that have steel strings are what are called electric, acoustic or electro-acoustic guitars. These guitars are the most common and most used within the environment of rock, blues, jazz, and country music. Steel strings are thinner than nylon strings and feel metallic to the touch.
Within electric guitars, there are solid body, hollow body or semi-hollow body guitars. All these models have six steel strings that vibrate when played by the fingers or a pick. In guitars with microphones, this vibration generates a sound that is amplified by the pickups. Electric guitars may have several pickups attached to its body. Electro-acoustic guitars are simpler than electric guitars and usually have only one pickup. Hollow body electric guitars are hybrid guitars and can be played with or without an amplifier.
Among the guitars with metal strings and with a soundboard, there are acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars. Both of them have a soundboard made of glued wood layers, and the amplification of the sound is produced by the vibration of the strings.
The difference between acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars is that electro-acoustic guitars can be connected to an amplifier, but acoustic guitars can’t. This allows you to play with more volume and access to some sound effects. An electro-acoustic guitar is very similar to an acoustic guitar with steel strings, but with the difference that it has a pickup and connector with an audio output.
Guitars with nylon strings
Within nylon strings guitars, there are models such as the classical, flamenco, or folk guitars. Nylon strings tend to feel more swollen than steel strings. As they are thicker, the surface in contact with the fingertip is larger. This generates a point of contact with less pressure, also producing less pain when playing.
Anyway, it will take time for your fingers to get used to the constant contact with any of these guitar strings. But in time your fingers will get used to it, your skin will harden, and you will no longer feel pain when you play.
Final advice on what’s the best guitar to learn on for adults
It’s always best to choose the type of guitar that best suits the kind of music you want to play. So you can learn the songs you like, and you will stay motivated to practice every day. Then, choose a model that matches your body and hand size.
