Types of Guitars: How Many Strings Each Has and Which to Choose

How many strings does a guitar have? Types at a glance

The short answer is six. What differs between types is the string material, body, amplification method, and repertoire they are used for.

Standard tuning for six-string guitars, from the sixth string (the lowest) to the first (the highest), is E, A, D, G, B, E. To tune with a tuner or by ear, see how to tune a guitar step by step.

Classical guitar: nylon strings and a wide neck

The classical guitar, also called the Spanish guitar, uses nylon strings. Originally, players used gut strings, which nylon and other synthetic materials later replaced. The three bass strings are wound with metal wire, usually silver-plated copper.

• Wide neck. The nut measures between 48 and 54 mm, compared with about 42 mm on an electric guitar, and the fingerboard is flat. This leaves more space between the strings but requires a wider hand stretch.
• Lower tension. Nylon strings have less tension than steel strings, so they generally feel gentler on beginners' fingers.
• Played with the fingers. Players usually pluck with their fingertips and nails rather than strum with a pick.
• A design with history. In the XIX century, Spanish luthier Antonio de Torres gave the instrument the shape that remains the benchmark today.

This is the guitar used for classical repertoire and often for the first years of study. To compare it with a steel-string acoustic before buying, see how to choose your first acoustic or classical guitar and avoid common mistakes.

Acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars: steel strings

The acoustic guitar, sometimes called a steel-string or Saxon-style guitar, also has six strings, but they are metal. They have higher tension than nylon strings and produce a brighter, louder sound, suited to strumming and accompanying a singer.

The fretboard usually has a slight curve, the neck is narrower than a classical guitar's, and it often has fretboard inlays.

An acoustic-electric is an acoustic guitar fitted with pickups. It plays unplugged and can also connect to an amplifier or mixing console. You play it just like an acoustic: it has six steel strings and the same tuning.

Electric guitar: pickups and an amplifier

Unlike an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar does not rely on its body to amplify the sound. Magnetic pickups detect the metal strings' vibrations and convert them into a weak electrical signal, which travels through a cable to an amplifier or effects pedals. Without an amplifier, an electric guitar is barely audible even up close.

• Body. It can be solid, semi-hollow, or fully hollow. Solid wood bodies made from alder, mahogany, or ash are traditional choices.
• Strings. Six steel strings, with the same tuning as an acoustic: E, A, D, G, B, E.
• Pickups. Single-coil pickups sound brighter and can hum; dual-coil pickups, or humbuckers, cancel noise and produce a fuller sound.
• A relatively recent instrument. The first experiments date to the twenties, and the electric guitar became established in the following decades as big-band guitarists needed more volume.

To get started, you need a guitar and an amplifier; how to choose your first electric guitar and amplifier explains what to look for in each.

Types of guitar strings: nylon, steel, and wound

• Nylon: used on classical guitars; lower tension with a soft, round sound.
• Steel: used on acoustic, acoustic-electric, and electric guitars; brighter sound and higher tension.
• Wound: the three bass strings have a metal winding, usually silver-plated copper on a classical guitar.

Do not put steel strings on a classical guitar: it is built for lower tension. When it is time to replace them, follow how to change guitar strings.

Twelve-string guitar: six pairs

A twelve-string guitar has six pairs of strings played together. In the lower pairs, one string is tuned an octave above the other; in the higher pairs, both sound in unison.

The result is a very bright sound with a chorus effect, especially on sustained chords.

The paired strings sit very close together, making single notes harder to pick and melodic bends more demanding. This is why the instrument is mainly used for chords and rhythm. It is rarely a beginner's first choice, but with practice it is not excessively difficult to play.

Guitars with more than six strings

• Seven strings: adds a seventh low string, a B. The Russian guitar also has seven strings.
• Eight strings: extends the range even further with additional bass strings.
• Ten strings: an extended classical guitar popularized by Narciso Yepes.
• Four strings: the tenor guitar.

These are specialist instruments. If you are starting out, a six-string guitar in any of the types above is the usual starting point.

Latin American guitar relatives: requinto and tiple

The Spanish-speaking world has several string instruments that resemble the guitar and are sometimes mistaken for it. Two that often come up in searches are the requinto and tiple.

The Colombian tiple is considered Colombia's national instrument. It is more than a small guitar: it has its own tuning and strings arranged in courses of three.

If it interests you, explore tiple lessons, our guide to tuning a tiple, and guitar or tiple: which to learn first. The name requinto means different things in different countries: in Mexico, it is a small six-string guitar, while Colombia has the tiple requinto.

Which to choose for the music you want to play

• Songs to sing with friends and family: a steel-string acoustic or a classical guitar.
• Classical music, boleros, or Latin American repertoire: a nylon-string classical guitar.
• Rock, blues, or pop with a band: an electric guitar and amplifier.
• Singing and playing on small stages: an acoustic-electric guitar.
• For a child: smaller guitars are available; see guitars for kids: size, strings, and first songs.

If you are torn between two, take time to compare them in electric or acoustic guitar: which to learn first, then try before buying. A teacher can help you choose based on your hands and your music. That is what our instrument buying advice program is for.

Once you have your guitar, acoustic guitar lessons and electric guitar lessons start with the instrument you choose.

Frequently asked questions