The Steel String Acoustic has steel strings and is most commonly played by strumming or fingerpicking groups of notes called chords. This is the type of acoustic guitar you will hear in most modern styles of music, e.g., Top 40 Rock and Pop music. The steel string guitar has a different shape than a classical guitar. Other notable differences between the two types of acoustic guitars is that most steel string guitars have position dots, a pick guard and a strap pin.