Tech Tip:The Best Guitars for Blues and Country Music

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Kyle Williams; San Rafael, CA


Q: I've been asking a lot of people which guitar they would use to get a bluesy, country type sound. Can you give me some ideas? I am thinking of getting one for my birthday at the end of the month.


A: There really are no limitations to what guitar you can use to play a certain style of music but here are some of the most popular guitars used in these genres of music.


For Blues:
The Les Paul is the classic and is widely used because of its full tone and great sustain. It has two humbucker pickups and a three-way toggle switch to generate different tones.


The Semi-Hollowbody with F-holes is another popular blues axe. These guitars have two holes in the top of the guitar shaped—you guessed it—like Fs. Because of its hollow chambers, it generates a bass full tone. It can also achieve long sustaining notes when the sound regenerates in the hollow body causing something similar to a microphone feedback effect. Many manufacturers make this style of guitars.

For Country:
The Stratocaster is the guitar of choice for many players. This guitar has three single-coil pickups and usually comes with a five-position toggle switch to make different combinations of pickups that create a wide spectrum of tones. It is perfect for playing the famous Country "Chicken Pickin."

The Telecaster is also a great country guitar. It has two single-coil pickups and a three-position toggle switch. It has a thicker body than a Strat and because of that has a thicker tone.


My suggestion to you is try playing different style-guitars and see which one sounds and feels best in your hands.

Hope this helps!



Yours in Music
John McCarthy
Rock House