Acoustic and Classical Guitars

With a master's degree in economics from Columbia University, Brian Lippey is the founder and CEO of Caledonia Partners, LLC, an investment management firm. Outside of his professional work, Brian Lippey is an avid guitarist and founded the Guitar Shop TV website for guitar enthusiasts.

Guitarshoptv.com brings together guitarists and fans, featuring videos of shows, interviews, gear reviews, and member-only resources such as The Ultimate Guide to Acoustic Guitars e-book. An acoustic guitar is a hollow wooden instrument that creates sound with the vibration of its strings.

Acoustic guitars generally have metal strings. A classical guitar is an acoustic guitar with nylon strings instead of metal. The classical guitar is a common choice for beginners because nylon strings are easier on the fingers than metal strings.

Classical guitars also usually cost less than other guitar styles. Since new guitarists often quit before they actually learn to play, buying an expensive guitar for a beginner may not be a wise investment.

Jimmy Page Reunites With Long-Lost Guitar

Since 2010, Brian Lippey has served as the chief executive officer of Caledonia Partners, LLC, a firm he also founded. When not working, Brian Lippey enjoys listening to classic rock acts such as Jimmy Page.

Jimmy Page, lead guitarist of the legendary rock group Led Zeppelin, was recently reported to have made a reunion with a guitar which he used when he was still starting out: a Bigsby B7-loaded model nicknamed "Les Paul Black Beauty." Page reportedly played the 1960-made guitar on many of his sessions before he joined Led Zeppelin and even made a rare appearance at the band's Royal Albert Hall show in 1970.

But it was reported to have been stolen in 1970 at an airport. Since then, it has surfaced until recently with the help of collector Perry Margouleff who helped track it down. This particular guitar is notable because while Page had other Bigsby-loaded “Black Beauties” through the years, the recently returned 1960 model was the original one that helped him rise to fame.