In as much as the acoustic guitar is intended to entertain the audience, there was the need for an innovation. This exactly was what led to the introduction of electro acoustic guitar. With this new type of guitar, it was possible to play for the entertainment of a large audience.

Records have it that Les Paul invented electro acoustic guitar in 1931. This is how it works. A microphone is placed close to the opening of the guitar body. By doing this, the sound of the guitar could travel far beyond the limit of its original boundary. The electro-magnetic pickups usually convert the vibration of the steel string into an electrical signal sent to an external amplifier. Then the sound is played for the entertainment of all.

In a nutshell, electro acoustic is a transition from the normal acoustic guitar to the modern day electric guitar. It has a combination of the microphone pickup with the ordinary frequency of the steel strings and an electromagnetic pickup like the one we have in the electric guitar.

The blend of these two technologies (acoustic and electric) is electro acoustic guitar. It is a blend of the earlier and later technology in that it is still used by modern guitarists. With it, the musician can now achieve the best of both worlds. That is, marry the soothing tones of the acoustic with the effects and volume possibilities of the electric.

Technological advancement has not left the guitar behind. We now have varieties of electrical guitar available in guitar shops. These range in their sizes, color, and design. However, whatever the differences in electronic guitar, they share a set of common features with their precursor, electro acoustic guitar.

For all guitars, there is a bell curve of quality. There are a few that are extremely good and a few more that are extremely poor and hardly playable but in general, most guitars are fairly similar. The first thing to know when shopping around for a cheap guitar is that for almost every name brand, there exists at least one alternative model. For example, for half the price of a Gibson you can get an Epiphone.

Fender models are available in the similar, yet dramatically cheaper Squier edition. These are cheaper for fairly arbitrary reasons. A Fender Squier, for instance is cheaper simply because it is assembled in Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia or Mexico with parts and mechanics of a slightly lesser quality. Otherwise, they are essentially the same. At first glance, even the keenest of eyes may sometimes mistake an Epiphone for a Gibson.

There are also companies such as Dean, Lotus, Ibenez, Harmony, or Yamaha, which provide a wide-range of affordable guitars. The general going rate for a low-range electric guitar is about $200 to $250. A second rule of thumb when looking for a cheap guitar is that you do not necessarily have to go straight to the big name stores. In fact, sometimes you can find hidden treasures in the most unlikely of places such as pawnshops or even garage sales. Often times these places do not know what they have and you may walk away with a steal.

Just because a guitar is cheap does not necessarily make it a cheap guitar. You should always try it out and see how it feels before buying it.  The basic qualities to inspect should be the intonation (the guitar’s ability to stay in tune after being played), the action (how high the strings are set from the fret board and of course, the sound. However, preference over all of these factors may vary depending on the individual.