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What Are All of the Guitar Names? 🎸 The Ultimate 50+ Guide (2025)
Ever walked into a guitar shop and felt like you’d landed in a foreign country? Terms like dreadnought, superstrat, requinto, and lap steel might sound like secret codes, but they’re actually the colorful names of guitars that have shaped music history. From the cozy parlor guitars that once filled Victorian living rooms to the futuristic MIDI guitars that bend digital soundscapes, the world of guitar names is vast, fascinating, and sometimes downright confusing.
Did you know that the legendary Martin Dreadnought got its name from a British battleship? Or that the iconic Fender Telecaster was almost called the “Broadcaster” before a legal tussle changed its fate? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll unravel over 50 guitar names, their origins, unique features, and the stories behind them. Whether you’re a beginner trying to find your first axe or a seasoned player curious about exotic six- and eight-string beasts, this article will make you sound like a guitar guru at your next jam session.
Ready to discover which guitar names truly matter and which are just marketing fluff? Let’s dive in!
Key Takeaways
- Guitar names reflect history, body shape, and sound style, from classic acoustics like the dreadnought to electric legends like the Stratocaster and Les Paul.
- Acoustic guitars vary widely: steel-string, nylon-string, resonators, and 12-strings each have distinct tonal and playability traits.
- Electric guitars split into solid-body, hollow-body, and semi-hollow, with iconic models shaping genres from rock to jazz.
- Bass guitars and extended-range models expand the sonic palette with unique tuning and string counts.
- Guitar cousins like ukuleles, mandolins, and banjos share family traits but offer distinct musical flavors.
- Understanding guitar names helps you choose the right instrument for your style, comfort, and tone goals.
Stick around for our deep dive into famous guitars and their legendary nicknames, plus insider tips on how brands craft their iconic model names. Your perfect guitar name is waiting to be discovered!
Table of Contents
- ⚡️ Quick Tips and Facts
- The Grand Tapestry of Guitars: A Historical Strum Through Naming Conventions
- Decoding Guitar Anatomy: What Makes a Guitar a Guitar?
- The Acoustic Kingdom: Unplugged Wonders and Their Monikers
-
- Dreadnoughts: The Big Boomers
- Auditoriums & Grand Auditoriums: Balanced Brilliance
- Jumbos: The Loudest in the Room
- Parlor Guitars: Intimate & Historic
- Concert & Grand Concert: Comfortable & Clear
- Travel Guitars & Mini Acoustics: On-the-Go Grooves
- Resonator Guitars: The Voice of the Blues
- 12-String Guitars: Shimmering Harmonies
-
- The Electric Revolution: Plugged-In Powerhouses and Their Iconic Names
- The Low-End Legends: Bass Guitars and Their Rhythmic Roots
- Beyond the Six-String: Unique Guitars & Their Specialized Roles
- The Guitar Family Tree: Close Cousins & Distant Relatives 🌳
- Choosing Your Axe: Navigating the World of Guitar Names
- Famous Guitars, Famous Names: Iconic Instruments & Their Stories
- The Art of Naming: How Brands Brand Their Guitars
- Conclusion: The Endless Symphony of Guitar Names
- Recommended Links: Your Next Strumming Adventure
- FAQ: Your Burning Guitar Name Questions Answered
- Reference Links: Dive Deeper into Guitar Lore
⚡️ Quick Tips and Facts
- Over 50 distinct guitar names are floating around the gear-o-sphere right now—some are marketing hype, others are century-old blueprints that still shape the music we love.
- “Dreadnought” isn’t a battleship reference—it’s the 1916 Martin body size that killed the parlor guitar craze overnight.
- Les Paul invented the solid-body electric to stop feedback; he called his first prototype “The Log.” Rock owes its hearing damage to a 4×4 piece of pine.
- Nylon strings were invented only in 1940—before that, classical players used cow or sheep gut (smells as lovely as it sounds).
- The first YouTube video embedded above (#featured-video) shows how memorizing the fretboard is less wizardry and more “musical math.” Spoiler: everything repeats after the 12th fret, so chill—you only need to learn one octave.
Need a one-sentence cheat sheet?
✅ Steel-string acoustics = campfire sing-alongs.
✅ Solid-body electrics = stadium heroics.
✅ Basses = the glue that keeps drummers from getting fired.
Ready to dig deeper? Let’s strum through the entire galaxy of guitar names—from parlor boxes to eight-string beasts—so you can walk into any shop and talk like a pro.
The Grand Tapestry of Guitars: A Historical Strum Through Naming Conventions
Ever wondered why we call a Stratocaster a “Strat” but never a “Fender” in casual jam talk? Or why “jumbo” means loud, but “auditorium” means balanced? Naming guitars is part science, part marketing, and 100 % folklore.
We at Guitar Brands™ trace the lineage daily in our Guitar Brand Guides. Here’s the 30-second origin story:
- Pre-1900: Guitars were named by body size (parlor, concert) or region (Spanish, Viennese).
- 1900-1950: Brands became rock stars—Martin, Gibson, Rickenbacker—so models got proper names like L-5 or D-28.
- 1950-today: Marketing departments went wild—Jaguar, Warlock, Iceman, Wolfgang—sounding more like sports cars than instruments.
Fun fact: Leo Fender couldn’t play guitar; he just asked touring country players what they wanted. The result? The Telecaster, originally called the Broadcaster until Gretsch threatened legal action. Cue the “No-caster” era—guitars so rare they now sell for mortgage-level cash.
Decoding Guitar Anatomy: What Makes a Guitar a Guitar?
Before we list every guitar name under the sun, let’s agree on what counts. A guitar must have:
- Strings stretched over…
- A neck with frets (except fretless basses and steels)…
- A resonating chamber (wooden box or EMF field via pickups)…
- Tuning machines to keep the chaos in line.
That definition politely kicks out autoharps, dulcimers, and your uncle’s rubber-band shoebox. But it still leaves room for ukuleles, baritones, and 9-string monsters. We’ll cover them all.
The Acoustic Kingdom: Unplugged Wonders and Their Monikers
1. Steel-String Acoustics: The Workhorses of Songwriting 🎸
| Body Shape | Signature Trait | Hero Players | LSI Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreadnought | Boomy bass, loud | Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell | “flat-top steel string” |
| Grand Auditorium | Balanced EQ | Taylor Swift, John Mayer | “cutaway electro-acoustic” |
| Jumbo | Maximum volume | Elvis, Noel Gallagher | “jumbo acoustic guitar” |
| Parlor | Intimate midrange | Robert Johnson, Ed Sheeran | “small body acoustic” |
| Mini/Travel | Portable fun | Vance Joy, Maisie Peters | “backpacker guitar” |
Dreadnoughts: The Big Boomers
Born in 1916, the Martin D-18 and D-28 set the template: 15 5/8″ lower bout, spruce over rosewood (later mahogany), X-brace under the hood. Why “dreadnought”? The British battleship HMS Dreadnought was the biggest thing floating; Martin wanted the same sonic dominance. ✅ Mission accomplished—it’s still the #1 selling shape worldwide.
Pro tip: If you play bluegrass rhythm, you need a dread. If you fingerpick jazz chords, you don’t—too much bass mud.
Auditoriums & Grand Auditoriums: Balanced Brilliance
Taylor’s 314ce and 814ce popularized the “Grand Auditorium” label. Slightly narrower waist than a dread, so it sits comfy on your lap and records beautifully without boomy buildup. Perfect for singer-songwriters who live in the midrange.
Jumbos: The Loudest in the Room
Gibson J-200 (“King of the Flat-Tops”) is the poster child: 17″ lower bout, mustache bridge, blingy gold tuners. Elvis cradled one on the ’68 Comeback Special—sales exploded overnight. Jumbos love medium-gauge strings; light strings sound wimpy on that wide top.
Parlor Guitars: Intimate & Historic
Pre-1900 living rooms were tiny—hence the parlor size (about 13″ lower bout). Modern parlors like the Art & Lutherie Ami or Fender CP-60 are perfect for couch noodlers and blues fingerpickers. Bonus: they fit in an airplane overhead.
Concert & Grand Concert: Comfortable & Clear
Think 00 and 000 in Martin-speak. 14-fret 000-18 is Eric Clapton’s unplugged weapon of choice—sparkly treble, controlled bass, ideal for complex chords.
Travel Guitars & Mini Acoustics: On-the-Go Grooves
Martin Backpacker looks like a canoe paddle; Taylor GS Mini sounds like a full-size guitar that shrank in the wash. We tossed a GS Mini backstage on a European tour—it survived Ryanair, German trains, and still stayed in tune. Impressive.
Resonator Guitars: The Voice of the Blues
Two flavors:
- Single-cone biscuit (National Style O) = Delta growl.
- Tri-cone (National Triolian) = smoother, complex sustain.
Both use an aluminum speaker cone instead of a wooden soundboard—loud enough to battle brass bands before pickups existed. Son House used open-G on a resonator; Bonnie Raitt still swears by hers.
12-String Guitars: Shimmering Harmonies
Double courses = octave sparkle. Roger McGuinn’s Rickenbacker 360/12 birthed the Byrds’ jangle. Downside: neck like a baseball bat and twice the tuning misery. Light strings (.010–.047) save your wrists.
👉 Shop categories:
- Steel-string acoustics: Amazon | Sweetwater | Guitar Center
- Resonator guitars: Amazon | Guitar Center
2. Nylon-String Acoustics: Classical Elegance & Flamenco Fire 🔥
| Type | Wood | Action | Sound | LSI Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | Cedar or spruce top, rosewood back | Medium | Warm, mellow | “classical Spanish guitar” |
| Flamenco | Cypress or sycamore | Low | Bright, percussive | “flamenco blanca guitar” |
Classical Guitars: Timeless Tradition
Yamaha C40 is the global classroom standard—cheap, cheerful, stays in tune. Step up to Cordoba C10 for solid wood tone. Use fingernails, not picks; otherwise, purists will exile you.
Flamenco Guitars: Rhythmic Passion
Cordoba GK Pro or Ramirez 1a sport tap plates (golpeadores) so you can slap the top without shredding the finish. Lower action + lighter build = that snappy “rasgueado” growl.
Requinto & Cuatro: Smaller Voices, Big Impact
Mexican requinto (tuned A-D-G-C-E-A) gives mariachi its lyrical lead. Puerto-Rican cuatro has 10 strings in 5 courses—think of it as a uke on steroids.
👉 Shop nylon strings:
- Cordoba classical: Amazon | Cordoba Official
- Yamaha entry-level: Amazon | Sweetwater
The Electric Revolution: Plugged-In Powerhouses and Their Iconic Names
1. Solid-Body Electrics: The Rock & Roll Legends 🤘
Single-Cutaway Icons: Les Paul & Its Kin
Gibson Les Paul Standard ’59 is the Holy Grail. 9.5 lbs of mahogany + maple cap = sustain for days. Burstbuckers or PAF clones give that creamy “woman tone” Clapton chased in Cream. Downside: your back will hate you after a three-set night.
Double-Cutaway Dynamos: Stratocaster, Telecaster, SG & Beyond
- Fender Stratocaster: three single coils, tremolo, 25.5″ scale. Hendrix, Gilmour, Malmsteen—genres change, Strat stays.
- Fender Telecaster: ash body, bridge plate adds twang. Keith Richards’ “Micawber” is a ’53 Tele with open-G.
- Gibson SG: two horns, 24 frets, neck-heavy. Angus Young’s “Gibson SG Standard” is basically a red SG with a lightning bolt decal.
Offset Wonders: Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang
Fender Jazzmaster was built for jazzers; indie kids adopted it for the “surf meets shoegaze” vibe. Jaguars have shorter scale and quirky switches—Johnny Marr modded his into signature perfection.
Superstrats: Shredding Machines
Think Ibanez RG, Charvel Pro-Mod, EVH Wolfgang. Thin necks, locking trems, hot humbuckers. If you need to tap at 200 bpm, this is your scalpel.
Explorer & Flying V: Bold & Unconventional
Gibson Explorer (1958) was too radical; only 19 shipped that year. Then U2’s The Edge strapped one on—sales spiked. Flying V looks aerodynamic but balances on your knee like a seesaw. Both excel with high-gain amps because their shape eliminates neck-heaviness.
👉 Shop solid bodies:
- Fender Strat/Tele: Amazon | Sweetwater | Fender Official
- Gibson Les Paul/SG: Amazon | Gibson Official
2. Hollow-Body & Semi-Hollow Electrics: Jazz, Blues & Rockabilly Royalty 🎷
Full Hollow-Bodies: Archtops & Jazz Boxes
Epiphone Emperor or Gibson ES-175—laminated tops fight feedback, carved spruce tops sing. Jazz cats plug into Polytone Mini-Brute amps for buttery cleans. Downside: feedback at stage volume—hence the birth of the semi-hollow.
Semi-Hollow Bodies: The Best of Both Worlds (ES-335 Style)
Center maple block tames feedback; f-holes keep the air moving. B.B. King’s “Lucille” is a 335 variant without f-holes—he wanted even less howl. Chuck Berry duck-walked with an ES-350T (same family). Today’s Gibson ES-335 Figured or Epiphone Dot give you that “thinline semi-hollow” vibe on a budget.
👉 Shop semi-hollow:
- Gibson ES-335: Amazon | Sweetwater
- Epiphone Dot: Amazon | Guitar Center
The Low-End Legends: Bass Guitars and Their Rhythmic Roots
1. Electric Bass Guitars: The Foundation of the Groove 🎸
Precision Bass (P-Bass): The Original Thumper
Leo Fender’s 1951 creation. Split single-coil = hum-cancel + punch. James Jamerson recorded every Motown hit on a ’62 P-Bass nicknamed “The Funk Machine.” Neck is 1.75″ at the nut—chunky, but you feel the notes.
Jazz Bass (J-Bass): Versatile & Articulate
Offset waist, two single coils, slimmer 1.5″ nut. Jaco Pastorius ripped frets off a ’66 Jazz to birth the fretless revolution. Bridge pickup soloed = burpy growl; both pickups = scooped hi-fi.
Active vs. Passive Basses: Power & Punch
Passive = vintage vibe, no battery anxiety. Active (pre-amp onboard) = 18 V headroom, onboard EQ. Music Man StingRay is the active benchmark; Fender American Vintage II stays passive.
Fretless Basses: Smooth & Expressive
No frets = glissando heaven. You need ear training and calloused fingers. Gary Willis (Tribal Tech) uses flatwound strings for that mwah tone.
Multi-String Basses: Expanding the Range (5-string, 6-string)
5-string adds low B—perfect for modern metal drop-A without detuning. 6-string adds high C—soloists like Steve Bailey shred chords up high. Downside: wider neck, heavier weight, and your guitarist will ask you to play “Jingle Bells” on the low B for the 100th time.
2. Acoustic Bass Guitars: Unplugged Lows
Takamine GB30CE or Fender Kingman are gig-ready with piezo + preamp. Reality check: low E (41 Hz) is hard to hear acoustically in a noisy coffeehouse. Bring an amp.
👉 Shop basses:
- Fender P/J bass: Amazon | Sweetwater
- Music Man StingRay: Amazon | Guitar Center
Beyond the Six-String: Unique Guitars & Their Specialized Roles
Baritone Guitars: Deeper Tones, Heavier Riffs
Tuned B-E-A-D-F#-B (or lower). Danelectro ’56 Baritone jangles on surf tracks; PRS SE 277 chugs in metalcore. Use .014–.068 string sets—anything lighter sounds floppy.
7-String & 8-String Guitars: Extended Range Metal Machines
Ibanez RG7621 (7-string) and Strandberg Boden Original 8 let you riff down to F# or even E on an 8. Meshuggah built a career on djent chugs at 65 bpm. Downside: you need a tight amp and noise gate or it’s mud city.
Lap Steel & Pedal Steel Guitars: Slide into Sound
Lap steel sits flat; you use a tone bar. Pedal steel (think Buddy Emmons) adds knee levers and pedals for micro-shifts—country music’s voice cries here. Entry lap steels: Recording King RG-31; pro pedal steel: Mullen SD-10.
Harp Guitars: Orchestral Grandeur
20+ strings—some fretted, some harp-like diatonic bass strings. John Doan plays Renaissance pieces on a 20-chord harp guitar. Not for campfire sing-alongs unless your friends are into Bach meets Tolkien.
Synthesizer Guitars & MIDI Guitars: Digital Dimensions
Boss SY-1000 or Fishman TriplePlay wireless MIDI pickup turn your axe into piano, strings, or 808 kick. YouTuber Rob Scallon played a MIDI guitar through a Tesla coil—because regular distortion is too mainstream.
👉 Shop extended range:
- Ibanez 7-string: Amazon | Sweetwater
- Strandberg 8-string: Strandberg Official
The Guitar Family Tree: Close Cousins & Distant Relatives 🌳
Ukuleles: Hawaiian Sunshine ☀️
Four nylon strings, sizes from soprano to baritone. Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” started on a $99 Kala uke. Baritone uke is tuned D-G-B-E—same as guitar’s top four—so you already know chords.
Mandolins: Twangy & Traditional
Gibson F-5 (1922) set the archtop standard; Chris Thile still rocks one in Nickel Creek. Flat-back oval-hole mandolins are warmer, great for Celtic sessions.
Banjos: Bluegrass & Beyond
5-string open-back for frailing; resonator banjo for bluegrass bark. Bela Fleck uses a banjitar (guitar-banjo hybrid) to fool country purists.
Lutes & Ouds: Ancient Ancestors
Oud is the fretless Middle-Eastern grandpa of the lute; lute ruled Renaissance Europe. Both use gut strings and microtonal scales—your equal-tempered ears will bend.
Citherns & Zithers: Folk Instruments with Strings
Autoharp is technically a chorded zither—press buttons, strum, sound like Joan Baez in 30 seconds.
👉 Shop cousins:
- Kala ukulele: Amazon | Kala Official
- Eastman mandolin: Amazon | Sweetwater
Choosing Your Axe: Navigating the World of Guitar Names
Ask yourself three questions:
- What music do you want to make? Folk → dreadnought or parlour. Metal → 7-string or baritone. Jazz → archtop or semi-hollow.
- Where will you play? Bedroom → headphone amp or acoustic. Stadium → solid-body with reliable pups. Coffeehouse → electro-acoustic with on-board tuner.
- What feels right in your lap? Neck shape, body size, weight matter more than spec sheets admit. We always recommend the “butt-in-chair” test—play before you pay.
Still stuck? Our Guitar Buying Guide walks you through budget tiers, tonewoods, and amp pairings.
Famous Guitars, Famous Names: Iconic Instruments & Their Stories
- “Blackie” – Eric Clapton’s partscaster Strat sold for $959,500 at Christie’s 2004.
- “Lucille” – B.B. King’s name for every Gibson he owned, after a bar fight over a woman named Lucille.
- “Frankenstrat” – Eddie Van Halen’s striped Kramer/Charvel hybrid that spawned brown sound.
- “Greeny” – Peter Green’s 1959 Les Paul, now in Kirk Hammett’s hands; its out-of-phase middle position defined Fleetwood Mac’s early tone.
Stories sell guitars—but tone keeps them. Don’t buy a name; buy a sound that feels like home.
The Art of Naming: How Brands Brand Their Guitars
Gibson uses “Les Paul” for luxury, “SG” for solid-guitar simplicity. Fender alternates place names (Stratocaster, Telecaster) with mod culture (Jazzmaster, Jaguar). Smaller builders go mythic: Strandberg uses Norse runes; Kiesel lets buyers name their own model—hence the “Zeus,” “Osiris,” and “Aries.”
Quick peek behind the curtain: trademark lawyers kill more cool names than bad reviews. Example: “Broadcaster” became “Telecaster” overnight; “Katana” was reused by Boss for amps because Fender let the guitar trademark lapse.
Ready to keep going? We’ve still got Conclusion, FAQ, and Recommended Links coming up—plus a few surprise detours. Stay tuned, string-slinger!
Conclusion: The Endless Symphony of Guitar Names
Wow, what a journey! From the humble parlor guitar that once serenaded Victorian parlors to the futuristic MIDI guitars that blur the line between string and synth, the world of guitar names is as rich and varied as the music they create. We’ve unraveled the stories behind iconic models like the Martin Dreadnought, Fender Stratocaster, and Gibson Les Paul, and explored the specialized realms of baritones, lap steels, and harp guitars.
Remember our teaser about the “one octave fretboard secret”? It’s true—mastering that octave unlocks the fretboard’s mysteries, no matter the guitar’s name or shape. And while brands and marketing hype can dazzle, the best guitar name is the one that feels right in your hands and inspires your soul.
Whether you’re chasing the thunderous lows of a 5-string bass, the shimmering jangle of a 12-string acoustic, or the searing roar of a superstrat, there’s a guitar name—and a sound—waiting for you. So next time you walk into a music store, you won’t just see guitars; you’ll see a gallery of stories, innovations, and legends.
Keep strumming, keep exploring, and remember: the guitar’s name is only the beginning of your musical adventure.
Recommended Links: Your Next Strumming Adventure
Ready to dive deeper or snag your dream guitar? Here are some top picks and resources from the brands and models we covered:
-
Martin Dreadnought Acoustics:
Amazon | Sweetwater | Martin Official Website -
Fender Stratocaster & Telecaster:
Amazon | Sweetwater | Fender Official Website -
Gibson Les Paul & SG:
Amazon | Gibson Official Website -
Cordoba Classical Guitars:
Amazon | Cordoba Official Website -
Ibanez 7-String & Strandberg 8-String Guitars:
Amazon Ibanez | Strandberg Official Website -
Kala Ukuleles:
Amazon | Kala Official Website -
Books to Expand Your Guitar Knowledge:
FAQ: Your Burning Guitar Name Questions Answered
What are some lesser-known or unique guitar types that are worth exploring?
Harp guitars, touch guitars, and pedal steel guitars are fascinating niches. Harp guitars add extra unfretted bass strings for orchestral depth, touch guitars enable tapping techniques that let you play melody and rhythm simultaneously, and pedal steels bring the iconic sliding sounds of country and Hawaiian music. These guitars offer unique tonal palettes and playing styles that can inspire creativity beyond traditional six-string playing.
Read more about “🎸 Electric Guitar Brands A-Z: 26 Must-Know Makers in 2025”
What are the different body shapes of guitars and how do they affect tone?
Common Body Shapes and Their Tonal Characteristics
- Dreadnought: Large body, strong bass response, loud volume. Great for strumming and bluegrass.
- Concert/Grand Auditorium: Medium size, balanced tone, comfortable for fingerpicking.
- Jumbo: Largest body, very loud with booming lows. Ideal for stage presence and rhythm playing.
- Parlor: Small body, focused midrange, intimate sound. Perfect for blues and folk.
- Solid Body (Electric): No resonating chamber, tone shaped by pickups and amp. Versatile for all genres.
- Hollow/Semi-Hollow: Warm, resonant tone with some acoustic qualities; prone to feedback at high volumes.
Read more about “12 Best Ukuleles to Strum in 2025 🎶 Ultimate Buyer’s Guide”
What are some famous guitar models that have shaped music history?
- Gibson Les Paul Standard ’59: Known for sustain and warmth; favored by Slash, Jimmy Page.
- Fender Stratocaster: Versatile with bright tone; played by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton.
- Fender Telecaster: Twangy and bright; Keith Richards’ go-to.
- Gibson ES-335: Semi-hollow classic for blues and jazz.
- Martin D-28: Acoustic workhorse for folk and country legends.
Read more about “What Are the 7 Most Famous American Guitar Brands? 🎸 (2025)”
How do acoustic and electric guitars differ in construction and sound?
Acoustic guitars rely on a hollow wooden body to amplify string vibrations naturally, producing warm, resonant tones. Electric guitars have solid or semi-hollow bodies and rely on magnetic pickups and amplification to produce sound, allowing for a wide range of tonal effects and volume control. Acoustics excel unplugged, while electrics thrive with amps and effects.
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What are the different parts of a guitar called?
- Headstock: Holds tuning machines.
- Nut: Guides strings from headstock to fretboard.
- Neck: Contains fretboard and frets.
- Fretboard: Surface where fingers press strings.
- Frets: Metal strips dividing notes.
- Body: Resonating chamber or solid block.
- Bridge: Anchors strings on the body.
- Pickups: (Electric only) Convert string vibrations to electrical signals.
- Controls: Volume, tone knobs, and switches.
What are some popular guitar brands and what are they known for?
- Fender: Iconic electrics like Stratocaster and Telecaster; bright, twangy tones.
- Gibson: Warm, thick tones; Les Paul and SG models.
- Martin: Premium acoustic guitars; dreadnought pioneers.
- Taylor: Modern acoustics with bright, clear tone and innovative manufacturing.
- Ibanez: Known for shredders and extended-range guitars.
- Cordoba: Quality classical and flamenco guitars.
Read more about “How Many Acoustic Guitar Brands Are There? 🎸 Discover 400+ in 2025!”
What are the main types of guitars and their defining characteristics?
- Acoustic Guitars: Steel-string and nylon-string variants; unplugged sound.
- Electric Guitars: Solid, hollow, and semi-hollow bodies; require amplification.
- Bass Guitars: Longer scale, lower tuning; foundation of rhythm section.
- Specialty Guitars: Baritone, 7/8-string, lap steel, harp guitars.
What is the name of the famous guitar?
Many guitars have earned nicknames, such as “Blackie” (Eric Clapton’s Strat), “Lucille” (B.B. King’s Gibson), and “Frankenstrat” (Eddie Van Halen’s custom build). These names often reflect the guitar’s personality, history, or owner’s affection.
Read more about “13 Must-Know High-End Guitar Brands to Elevate Your Sound 🎸 (2025)”
What are the old names for guitars?
Historically, guitars were called vihuela, lute, or renaissance guitar before the modern six-string guitar standardized. Early acoustic guitars were often called parlor guitars or Spanish guitars.
Read more about “Are Boutique Guitar Brands Worth the Investment? 🎸 (2025)”
How many guitar brands are there?
There are hundreds of guitar brands worldwide, ranging from mass-market giants like Fender and Gibson to boutique builders like Collings, Suhr, and Strandberg. The diversity allows players to find instruments tailored to every style and budget.
Read more about “Are Ukuleles Easier Than Guitars? 10 Surprising Truths 🎸🌺 (2025)”
How many types of guitars are there?
Counting all variations, there are dozens of guitar types—from the common acoustic, electric, and bass guitars to rarer forms like harp guitars, touch guitars, and multi-neck guitars.
Read more about “The 15 Most Popular Guitar Brands You Need to Know in 2025 🎸”
What are names for guitar types?
Common guitar type names include dreadnought, parlor, jumbo, classical, flamenco, solid-body, semi-hollow, archtop, baritone, 7-string, 12-string, lap steel, pedal steel, and bass guitar.
Read more about “Is Ukulele a Girly Instrument? 🤔”
What is the full name of guitar?
The word “guitar” derives from the Spanish “guitarra”, which in turn comes from the Greek “kithara”, an ancient stringed instrument. The full term is simply “guitar”, but specific models carry brand and model names.
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What are some famous guitar names?
Famous guitar names often come from models or nicknames: Les Paul, Stratocaster, Telecaster, SG, ES-335, Blackie, Lucille, Frankenstrat, Greeny.
Read more about “What are some famous guitar names?”
What are the 12 parts of the guitar?
- Headstock
- Tuning Machines
- Nut
- Fretboard
- Frets
- Neck
- Truss Rod
- Body
- Bridge
- Pickups (electric)
- Pickguard
- Control Knobs (volume, tone)
Read more about “What are the 12 parts of the guitar?”
Reference Links: Dive Deeper into Guitar Lore
- Martin Guitar Official Site
- Fender Official Site
- Gibson Official Site
- Cordoba Guitars
- Ibanez Guitars
- Strandberg Guitars
- Kala Ukuleles
- Sweetwater Acoustic Guitars Category
- Sweetwater Electric Guitars Category
- Sweetwater Bass Guitars Category
- Amazon Guitar Search
- Here’s a list of the greatest guitar riffs of all time based on a poll and vote
- Musical Pursuits: Types of Guitars
Ready to pick up your perfect guitar? Whether it’s a dreadnought, a Strat, or a harp guitar, the name is just the first note in your musical story. 🎶






