Best Guitars to Play Country

Country music has a rich history that spans hundreds of years and heavily relies on guitar music. Deciding the appropriate guitar for this genre depends on a number of factors.

Fender Telecaster remains the go-to guitar for country songster songwriters today and was created by Leo Fender back in 1952. It remains one of the top choices amongst songwriters today.

best guitars to play country

Martin D-28

When it comes to guitars, there is no shortage of choices on the market. For country musicians specifically, however, an ideal instrument should fit with their style and personality perfectly – the easiest way to determine this is through playing several. Some guitars specifically tailored for country music players may help speed up this process considerably.

Are you searching for an acoustic guitar that will deliver classic country sounds? Look no further than the Martin D-28! This dreadnought-style instrument has long been considered the go-to standard among country guitarists, including Hank Williams Sr. The Martin D-28 boasts solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, Sitka spruce top, and mahogany neck for added durability and its balanced tonal response and excellent projection make it the ideal choice.

This instrument is an ideal option for beginner and intermediate country guitarists alike, while still meeting professional standards. Crafted with top-quality woods for durability and featuring multiple finishes to fit your unique aesthetic – you’re sure to find one that meets all of your musical needs at its affordable price point. Plus, with plenty of money leftover to add effects pedals for enhanced sound production!

Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster (see price on Sweetwater or Amazon) is an ideal country guitar because of its versatile nature and ample tonal variation, easily plugging in with any amplifier and providing beginners with plenty of tonal variety at an extremely reasonable cost. Furthermore, its molded tremolo allows you to add expression into your playing.

The Gretsch Rancher Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar (available on Sweetwater and Guitar Center) is another fantastic country guitar option due to its amazing wood combination and fantastic price point. Crafted with koa wood for an inimitable sound that stands out in live environments; plus its deep cutaway allows easy access to higher frets.

Those seeking something with more of a vintage vibe should check out the Gibson ES-175. Its sound makes it ideal for playing country music and its beautiful wood tone provides excellent durability.

Although not as versatile, the Fender Telecaster remains one of the top choices for playing country music due to its many tonal variations and ability to plug into any amp. Plus, it’s highly affordable and customizable easily according to individual preferences!

Squier Affinity

If you want to play country music, a great guitar option for this genre is the Squier Affinity. Designed with a large, dreadnought body to provide sound and depth essential for country, its spruce top adds another level of authenticity while its maple neck allows easy playability while remaining comfortable to hold.

The Affinity is an ideal guitar for beginners and experienced guitarists alike. Featuring an acoustic humbucking pickup that provides clear and bright tones suited for country music, its molded tremolo bridge adds versatility that makes this model suitable for multiple styles of music.

The Squier Affinity features an ergonomic C-shaped neck designed for all playing styles, with 21 medium jumbo frets on its Indian laurel fingerboard for chording and lead runs. Furthermore, this guitar is very affordable, making it a fantastic option for learning country music.

Gibson J-45

The Gibson J-45 is an outstanding workhorse acoustic guitar, boasting an exceptionally balanced tone suitable for fingerpicking or strumming, equally adept with fingerpicking as with strumming. Equally responsive to gentle touches or harsh attacks, its tone rings true whether played standard tuning or altered tunings like DADGAD and open G. At high volumes it remains in tune without bleeding into other instruments; making this guitar perfect for recording sessions or performing small venues with full bands.

Lightnin’ Hopkins and Woody Guthrie both used guitars extensively as country musicians; more recently it has also become increasingly popular with artists like Kacey Musgraves and Jeff Tweedy as well. Guitar is also an ideal choice for blues and folk music genres.

The J-45 has undergone many design modifications over time, yet its timeless combination of mahogany with spruce top and round shoulders remain unchanged. Gibson made major improvements during their turbulent ’60s production run when they introduced a belly bridge and altered its X-bracing pattern for increased sustain. Unfortunately sales began dwindling by 1982 until they eventually dropped it from their lineup completely – only recently did Gibson bring back this model, though sales began growing again by 2016. They revived it again in 2016 – their current production model boasts richer golden lower register performances compared with any other production models I’ve played before!

The Best Guitars For Blues

person playing a guitar in the dark with a single spotlight

There are various guitars suitable for blues playing. These include Strats, Les Pauls and Telecasters; semi-hollow body guitars such as an Epiphone ES-335 may also prove effective; both BB King and Chuck Berry played this model of instrument regularly.

Selecting an instrument you feel most at ease playing will have a tremendous effect on the sound produced by your guitar! Choosing a suitable model will have a dramatic impact on its tone!

1. Fender Stratocaster

Ask non-musicians what comes to mind when they think of an electric guitar and most will answer with an image of a Fender Stratocaster. This iconic model has seen legendary guitarists like Buddy Holly and Jimi Hendrix use it, and artists from every genre since have found new sounds within its classic body shape.

A Stratocaster slices through band mixes like butter. Engineered for maximum playback over many hours of use, its precision engineering makes for an enjoyable playing experience and hours upon hours of fun!

The Player Strat features a solid alder body, with options to upgrade to Ash (which is often found on Telecasters). Furthermore, its rosewood neck and fretboard provide premium tonewood properties which help your strings resonate more clearly with clarity.

2. Gibson Les Paul

Gibson’s Les Paul has left an immense mark on music, and many consider it one of the greatest guitars ever crafted. Unfortunately, not all Les Paul models provide equal quality and tone.

Early Les Paul guitars typically featured a slab mahogany body with a carved maple top and two P-90 single coil pickups; modern models commonly feature humbuckers and come in an assortment of finishes.

Les Paul guitars generally feature maple necks with rosewood fingerboards. Some models feature fade-resistant “cherry” finishes while others boast traditional dark finishes. Although Les Pauls may be heavier than their counterparts, Gibson offers ultramodern weight relief models to combat this issue.

3. Fender Vintera

Fender’s Vintera series offers vintage vibes at significantly reduced costs. Each guitar is carefully designed to deliver period-correct tone with light nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, period-accurate neck profiles, fingerboard radiuses and controls as well as meticulously voiced pickups that deliver that twangy midrange and aggressive bass tones you expect from guitars from the 1950s, 1960s and ’70s.

Unplugged guitars boast bold projection and are a delight to play. While some players might object to its thicker Tele neck, its inherent stability provokes physical interaction among players as languid blues and rockabilly licks come pouring off like chicken on a fork.

4. Gibson S-200 T-Bird

The Guild S-200 T-Bird guitar is an ideal blues guitar as it offers an extensive variety of tones. Additionally, its narrow neck makes for comfortable play and its Ivorex II nuts and saddle ensure smooth intonation without issues; finally it features an automatic die-cast tuner so it stays tuned at all times.

The Epiphone Hummingbird takes its stylistic and tonal cues from its Gibson big brother. Featuring a solid flame maple body with Sitka spruce top for an earthy sound, and equipped with a Fishman pickup for simple tone control – its Lead/Rhythm switch also lets you toggle between single coil tone and standard humbucker configurations to play blues or rock music seamlessly.

5. Epiphone Les Paul

Epiphone guitars are widely favored among professional guitarists for their less stringent production processes and therefore more cost-effective price tag compared to Gibson Les Paul models.

Epiphone offers slightly cheaper maple bodies compared to Gibson’s more premium mahogany bodies; this small difference may have an indirect impact on tone.

Epiphone’s guitars employ polyurethane finishes instead of nitrocellulose finishes, which are more durable and easier to apply, making the instrument much more affordable for beginners and offering great value. Their new inspired by Gibson collection includes popular models such as the ES model, Flying V and Explorer for users to explore.

Best Guitars For Festivals in 2023

There are many types of guitars, but if you’re planning to play at a festival, you’ll want to find an instrument that’s both durable and portable. you want the best guitars for festivals so we will provide our best picks for guitars you can get for festivals with no mention of banjos.

You can find guitars made for the festival environment in many different price ranges. Here are some examples: The Allure SC56 from Bella Tono is one of the best unplugged tone guitars available. It features carefully selected tonewoods and a stylish design for a price under 700 dollars. Another legendary guitar series is the Festival Series EA10. This model was first introduced during MTV unplugged shows and has never left the rock stage. It’s also the best plugged-in acoustic at an affordable price.

best guitars for festival

Arctic Monkey’s guitars

Alex Turner played a vintage 1962 Gretsch G6128T Duo Jet guitar. The guitar was a gift from his wife, Arielle Vandenberg. It was used during the band’s Coachella performance in 2012. The band also owns a Vox Starstream vintage guitar, a teardrop-shaped instrument with 12 strings.

The guitars that Alex Turner used in “Favourite Worst Nightmare” and “Humbug” days have all undergone significant transformations. While Alex’s original Strats were still in use, the band began experimenting with a retro-rock reinvention. They subsequently began playing the Jazzmaster, and it was one of the instruments that became Alex Turner’s main instrument for the past five years.

Nile Rodgers’ guitar

Known as the “king of acoustic guitar,” Nile Rodgers is a veteran of the music scene. He is a well-known producer and guitarist who has collaborated with some major artists. His guitar is so famous that it became the driving force behind the Daft Punk hit ‘Get Lucky,’ which was awarded three Grammys. The guitar also appears on ‘Lose Yourself to Dance,’ a track from his classic Random Access Memories album. In the video below, Nile Rodgers talks about his guitar and how it helped him reach his musical goals.

In addition to his guitar playing, Nile Rodgers is also a producer, composer and arranger. He has more than 200 production credits. You can find his music in nearly every genre.

Wet Leg’s guitar

Wet Leg, a British indie rock band, is known for their infectious guitar songs. The band is made up of five touring members and is centered around old music college friends. All five members are right-handed, including singers Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers.

Wet Leg recorded their album in the spring of 2021 with producer Dan Carey, who has worked with artists including Fontains D.C., Bat For Lashes, and Katri Tempest. Dan is also the creator of the Speedy Wunderground, a rules-based art project that launched bands such as Black Country and Squid. He offered free creative freedom and gave the band the chance to express themselves in new and different ways.

Wolf Alice’s guitar

Wolf Alice is one of the most recognizable names in British music, and a favourite band in Australia. The band released a gold-certified debut album in June 2015, hitting #2 on the UK albums chart and #12 on the US Billboard alternative albums chart. They’ve received nominations for the Mercury Prize, Ivor Novello Award, Grammy Award, and Brit Award, and have toured all over the world. Their songs have been included in film soundtracks, including the T2 Trainspotting sequel.

The band’s guitarist, Joff Oddie, recently shared the story of how he built his dream guitar. He started with a mahogany body, and carved it to his specifications. He had a different idea for the fretboard and neck, and initially thought of using a parts guitar, but soon changed his mind and ordered a flame maple neck and rosewood fretboard.

Learn The Bass Guitar

bass

If you want to know how to learn the bass guitar, you’ll need to take action to make it happen. Don’t wait until you’re old enough to drive, or when you have a significant other waiting for you to come back from your studies. You need to start today if you want to reach your goal in guitar playing. You may even want to consider taking the time to study at home so that you can learn more than one instrument at a time. That way you can get practice and learn as quickly as possible without having to take up too much space and wasting your hard-earned money.

The best way to learn the bass guitar isn’t just to go see the pros. The quickest way to become an expert is to start with one instrument in particular. You can play an acoustic, a steel guitar, a grand piano, and even a couple of keyboards. The key is to figure out which one works best for you. The reason is that each one is unique in its own way, which makes it more challenging to perfect. The other thing you’ll want to do is practice, as well.

Online sources are really a no-brainer. You can visit their website and get some great information, tips and instructions on how to learn the guitar. In addition, many will give you access to a number of live courses so that you can play the guitar right alongside the pros right away. This will help you get more practice and learn faster. When it comes to picking up the bass, practice is everything. You’ll find that when you’re online or on the internet you’ll get better results.

The Guitar Maker

joinery

One of our close friends in a woodworking master, and he builds amazing guitars by hand alongside his main joinery business.

These guitars are a thing of beauty, but his joinery is also second to none.

HIs most common jobs include:

  • Making bespoke doors and window frames
  • Creating fitted furniture, it could be free standing or build into a building
  • Building stairs and other fittings of a house

Sometime people confuse him for a carpenter, but they are quite different in what they do day to day.

The most common jobs for a carpentry company are usually:

  • Fitting floors
  • Fitting staircases
  • Fixing window frames
  • Installing cupboards and shelves

Even though they may seem quite similar, the main difference is that carpenters almost always work on-site of an ongoing project or build.

Their specialised skill is dealing with wooden fixtures in the context of an overall project.

A joiners special skill is in the joining of wood to make it into an element that will go into the overall build.

As previously mentioned, some people actually specialise in both, and offer a more rounded approach to both joinery and carpentry.

When tradespeople are learning to become either a joiner or a carpenter, they will learn the basics of both trades.

Once they have progressed far enough in woodwork, they will choose to specialise in one or the other.

Very often they will go back to learning more about the other trade, or they will work with a master that already specialises in both and their skill will develop in both directions.

Since a joiner is essential someone who makes things from scratch out of wood, and a carpenter is someone who mainly installs these types of wooden components, you can see how both skills have a certain amount of overlap.