Electric Guitar or Acoustic Guitar: Which Is Best for Adult Beginners?

Oli Kipfer
Jul 28
8 min read

You want to learn guitar. You're an adult, you know what you want - but before you make your first purchase, one question stops a surprising number of people in their tracks: should I start with an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar? The honest answer: there is no universally right choice. But there is a choice that's right for you. And this article will help you make it.

Kind beim Gitarrenoten lesen — Acoustic or electric guitars - which one to buy?

What you won't find here: general guitar basics, chord theory, or power chord tutorials. We have separate articles for those. What you will find: a clear, honest comparison of the two starting paths - including the physical reality, what music teachers actually recommend, and what makes a good beginner guitar.

What's the Difference Between Electric and Acoustic Guitar?

Both are guitars. Both have six strings, a fretboard, frets, and are tuned identically. But physically and sonically, they are very different.

The Acoustic Guitar

An acoustic guitar produces its sound entirely mechanically: the strings vibrate, the hollow wooden body amplifies the tone, and it projects through the soundhole. No cable, no amplifier, no electricity.

There are two main types of acoustic guitar relevant to beginners:

Classical Guitar (Concert Guitar): Wide fretboard, nylon strings, quieter, warm sound. Originally developed for classical music and flamenco, but today the most common starting point for children and many adults. Nylon strings are gentler on the fingers.
Western/Steel-String Guitar: Narrower fretboard, steel strings, louder and brighter sound. The instrument you know from folk, country, singer/songwriter music, and acoustic pop. John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran - all play western guitar.

There are also jazz guitars (semi-hollow, for jazz and blues), flamenco guitars (similar to classical, but with a specific tonal character), and specialty forms like resonator guitars or lap steel. For beginners, however, the relevant options are almost exclusively classical guitar, western guitar, and electric guitar.

The Electric Guitar

The electric guitar typically has a solid body with no soundhole. It produces almost no sound on its own - the tone is created by electromagnetic pickups that convert string vibration into an electrical signal. That signal goes into an amplifier, and that's where the sound you hear is produced.

This means: without an amp, an electric guitar sounds barely louder than muted scratching. With an amp - and the right effect - it can sound like Metallica or like John Mayer.

The Physical Reality: Strings, Action, and Frets

This is the part many guides skip - and the one that beginners feel most directly.

Strings: What Hurts and Why?

The strings are your first point of contact with the guitar, and they shape the learning experience enormously in the first few weeks.

Guitar Type	String Type	Feel
Classical Guitar	Nylon	Soft, low pressure
Western Guitar	Steel	Hard, cuts into fingers
Electric Guitar	Steel (thinner gauge)	Middle ground - easier than western

The steel strings on a western guitar typically have a thicker gauge than electric guitar strings. This makes the western guitar physically more demanding in the first weeks than most people expect - and more demanding than an electric guitar.

Action: The Underrated Factor

Action describes the distance between the strings and the fretboard (frets). The higher the action, the more force you need to press a string down to the fret, and the faster your hand tires.

Acoustic guitars - especially cheaper models - often have higher action than electric guitars. This is one of the main reasons many guitar teachers consider electric guitars physically easier to fret.

A properly set-up guitar (professional setup) makes a huge difference here. We'll come back to this in the buying section.

Fret Spacing and Fretboard Width

Classical guitars have the widest fretboard - great for fingers that need space, but challenging for people with smaller hands. Western guitars are narrower. Electric guitars have the narrowest fretboard and feel the most natural in the hand for many adults.

Finger Muscles and Calluses: What Happens in the First Weeks?

This is not a minor detail, and it's worth being prepared for it.

Calluses

When you start playing guitar, your fretting-hand fingertips will hurt. This is normal - and temporary. After two to four weeks of regular playing, a light callus forms on the fingertips. From that point, the pain almost completely disappears.

What helps:

Short, regular practice sessions rather than infrequent, long ones. The skin needs time to recover.
Cool the fingertips briefly with cold water after playing.
Dabbing alcohol on the fingertips dries the skin and can slightly speed up the process - but it's not essential.

Nylon strings (classical guitar) are the gentlest option here. Electric guitar strings sit in the middle. Steel western strings are the most demanding - but the skin adapts within a few weeks in every case.

Finger Muscles

Fretting chords, especially when both hands work independently, trains muscle groups you've barely used before. In the first weeks, you'll notice your fretting hand tires quickly.

This is not a problem - it's a training effect. The muscles build up quickly. Three weeks of consistent practice at 15-20 minutes per day are enough to feel noticeably better grip control. Don't force it: pain in the wrist or forearm is a warning sign and should be discussed with a teacher. Incorrect hand position is the most common cause in the early stages.

What Do Music Teachers Recommend - and Why?

The views of experienced guitar teachers are surprisingly nuanced here.

The classic recommendation: acoustic first. The argument: those who learn on an acoustic guitar develop stronger finger muscles and a better ear for their own sound. No amp sound to mask mistakes. What you play, you hear as it is. When you then switch to electric, it feels easier.

The more modern counter-view: start with the instrument that motivates you. Guitar teachers who work extensively with adults often hear a different story: many adults quit after a few months - not due to lack of talent, but lack of motivation. An adult who dreams of AC/DC and starts on a classical guitar doesn't learn worse. But they quit sooner.

The practical consensus:

If your favourite music is acoustic (singer/songwriter, folk, classical pieces): acoustic guitar.
If your favourite music is electric (rock, blues, indie): electric guitar - from the start.
If you're not sure: classical guitar as a physically gentle entry point, then switch once the direction becomes clear.

One point nearly all teachers agree on: a professional teacher in the first few months saves many times the learning time. Not because online resources are bad, but because posture errors and grip technique problems are invisible at the start - and hard to correct later.

How Do You Learn Best - Electric or Acoustic?

The learning path differs slightly depending on the instrument.

Learning Acoustic Guitar as an Adult

Start with open chords. G major, C major, D major, Em - four chords that unlock hundreds of songs. We have a dedicated article on this.
Practise strumming patterns early. The right hand makes the music. Rhythm matters more than perfect fretting technique.
Include favourite songs. As an adult, you learn faster when the material interests you. Ask your teacher to incorporate pieces you actually want to hear.
Barre chords are coming. At some point, F major arrives. It's harder than everything before it. Plan more time for it - and don't expect quick results. It's the same for everyone.

Learning Electric Guitar as an Adult

Sort out your equipment before the first session. You need an amp (or a headphone amp for quiet practice), a cable, and ideally a tuner. Without a setup, the electric guitar sounds like nothing.
Clean sound before overdrive. Distortion sounds great but also masks mistakes. Clean tone first.
Power chords are a quick win. Two fingers, instant real rock sound. We've explained exactly how that works in detail.
Don't get stuck on technique. Adult beginners tend to overthink technique. Playing is more important than perfect understanding.

A Quick Note: What About Children?

For children under 12, most teachers recommend the classical guitar - because of the nylon strings and age-appropriate sizing. The electric guitar comes later, once the foundation is in place and the desire is concrete. How to introduce children to guitar, how parents can support the journey, and which size is right - we've covered all of this in detail.

Buying a Guitar as a Beginner: What Matters?

Now for the practical side. Not whether to rent or buy (we've already covered that in a dedicated article) - but: what makes a good beginner guitar, and how much should you spend?

What Makes a Good Beginner Guitar?

A professionally set action. This is the most important and most overlooked factor. A cheap guitar with a professional setup plays better than an expensive guitar straight from the factory shelf. Never buy a guitar without playing it first - or have it set up by a professional immediately after purchase.
Stable tuning. Cheap guitars go out of tune quickly. This is frustrating and makes your playing sound worse than it actually is. Tuner apps (free, very accurate) help, but the instrument must hold its tuning.
Soundboard wood quality. A solid wood top sounds better than a laminated one. For beginners, this is not essential - but as the next quality step up, it's the first meaningful upgrade.
Does the size fit your hands? Fretboard width, string spacing, and the body size of the guitar should suit you. Get advice when buying. Narrow hands may prefer a narrower fretboard; broader fingers need more space between strings.

How Much Should I Spend as a Beginner?

Guitar Type	Recommended Budget (Beginner)	What You Get
Classical Guitar	CHF 200-400	Solid wood, stable tuning, acceptable sound
Western Guitar	CHF 250-500	Brand guitars (Yamaha, Fender, Takamine) with good build quality
Electric Guitar + Amp	CHF 350-600	Starter sets with amplifier, cable, sometimes a bag

Below CHF 150, be cautious. Very cheap guitars often have such high action and such unstable tuning that they actively make learning harder. You end up investing more frustration than money.

Above CHF 800, you don't need to go as a beginner. A good mid-range starter guitar is more than enough to play well for years. The upgrade comes when you know exactly what you want.

One last tip: ask your teacher for advice when buying. They know which models hold up in practice - and which ones have poor action despite a good price.

Buying guitars and electric guitars in Switzerland: find the best stores in Zurich here.

Find Guitar Teachers Near You

Whether you start with electric or acoustic - an experienced teacher makes all the difference. On Matchspace Music, you'll find vetted guitar teachers across Switzerland, for the style, instrument, and schedule that suits you. First lesson with a 24-hour satisfaction guarantee.