The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to guitars:
A guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Most guitar necks have metal frets attached (the exception is fretless bass guitars). Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Some modern 2010-era guitars are made of polycarbonate materials. Guitars are made and repaired by luthiers. There are two primary families of guitars: acoustic and electric. An acoustic guitar has a wooden top and a hollow body. An electric guitar may be a solid-body or hollow body instrument, which is made louder by using a pickup and plugging it into a guitar amplifier and speaker. Another type of guitar is the low-pitched bass guitar.
A guitar can be described as all of the following:
Bass guitars are also called "electric basses".
Effects unit (also known as "Stomp Box")
See Guitar tunings and List of guitar tunings.
The difference between guitar playing styles and guitar techniques (below) is that a style is a collection of techniques
Main Category:
See also: Musical technique.
See also the following from List of musical terminology: sul porticello (plucking/strumming near the bridge), sul tasto (plucking/strumming above the fingerboard)
rest stroke
free stroke
finger tapping (flamenco)
string striking
A variety of techniques
See also: Extended technique.