By: Michael Russell
Choosing the type of electric guitar you want is an interesting decision, with such a vast amount of guitars available today. It all depends on the sound that you are looking for and perhaps the appearance as well. With as many shapes, sizes and features out there to choose from, we will have to look deep into the pool of guitars.
When you arrive at your local music store, two major differences you will notice will be the placement of the neck on the guitar. The most common types of necks out today are the "set-neck" and the "bolt-on" necks. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages. The set-neck (or neck-through-body) usually gives the player more sustain than that of one with the bolt-on. The junction of the neck and the guitar is tighter with the set-neck, therefore sound resonates between the two more freely. If something were to happen to the set-neck of the guitar, it is not easy to repair or replace, which would be its only major disadvantage.
The bolt-on guitar neck style is more frequently seen as it is on more less expensive guitars. It is a simple design, bolting the neck into a slot of the body. Some people claim that the bolt-on lacks the sound and not just the sustain, but that might be due to the type of woods and materials used to build the guitar body and neck as well. In most cases, the set-neck is the choice for the player who wants to spend the money to get the best sounding guitar possible and maybe not the most durable.
You may also choose the width and length of the neck that purchase on a guitar. The number of frets most commonly seen on guitars are 21, 22 and 24. "Stratocasters" all have 21 frets, which results in a shorter neck but with jumbo frets that are easy to play. While brands like "Jackson" usually have more frets on their guitars and also with unique appearances to accompany them. It depends on how many notes you want to be able to play on your guitar when it really comes down to it. The more frets you have to play on, the more sounds you can produce with the guitar. In other words, perhaps getting a guitar with fewer frets would be more suitable for a beginner, while the advanced player might tryout a guitar with 24 frets or possible even more. It is possible to have custom guitars made with many more strings and many more frets than usually available to the public.
Another question one might ask before purchasing a electric guitar would be the difference between a 6-string and a 7-string guitar. The six and seven string guitars are widely available on the market. The guitar with seven strings can give you a chance to experiment, having the extra string to hit very low notes and high notes as well. If you practiced a lot, it might be okay to start with a 7-string guitar, but it might be a better choice to get used to playing a 6-string beforehand. Musicians that have 7-string guitars find that useful when playing live for substituting notes. Depending on where you are at on the fretboard, it can be easier to hit notes on the seventh string instead of the sixth. After you take all of this into consideration, you should only have to worry about your money situation when choosing the next guitar you wish to purchase.
