Victor Epand asked:


Originally guitars were all acoustic, and the volume achievable by such guitars was quite enough for the environments in which they were played. However, as music developed and the locations in which it performed grew larger, and with the introduction of accompanying instruments, it became necessary to increase the volume and sound of the guitar. Especially with jazz gaining in popularity, the brass instruments would simply drown out the guitar, and so solutions had to be found.

It was Les Paul, a major innovator in the world of guitars, experimented with attaching microphones to guitars, and this led to some of the earliest electric guitars, although these were generally simply hollow acoustic guitars with tungsten pickups. In 1931 these were being manufactured by the Electro String Instrument Corporation, and the design of an acoustic guitar with a hollow body and a tungsten pickup was devised by Harry Watson, and this model was called the Rickenbacker. This was officially the very first electric guitar, although still a very long way off the ones we see today. Although they were used, and popular, straight away, the first documented record of an early electric guitar being used in a public performance was in Kansas in 1932, when Gage Brewer helped to publicise this new type of guitar in a special Halloween performance.

The first recording of an electric guitar is often attributed to Eddie Durham, but in fact this is incorrect, and fifteen days earlier George Barnes, a jazz guitarist, recorded Sweetheart Land and It’s a Low-Down Dirty Shame in Chicago in 1938. It was Durham, however, who introduced the early electric guitar to Charlie Christian, who became one of the most significant influences for many decades on electric guitars in jazz music.

The electric guitar we know and recognise today usually has a solid body, although not always. The solid body electric guitar is made of wood - often a single piece where possible. The earliest solid body electric guitar was not made of wood however, and was in fact made of cast aluminium, with steel strings. This was officially named the Rickenbacker, but was more commonly referred to as the Frying Pan or Pancake Guitar for obvious reasons. The sound of this guitar was quite aggressive, with a very modern feel to its voice.

In the 1940s Les Paul was still developing ideas for the electric guitar, and in his own time he created the log guitar, which derived its name from the fact that it was constructed from a simple 4×4 wooden post, with a neck attached to one end. The pickups were home made, and there were two halves of the body attached purely for appearance sake. This guitar was patented, and was the first of its kind, although the Gibson Electric Guitar designed later by Les Paul shares no characteristics at all, and it seems to have been a one off.

The next major development in the world of the electric guitar was in the mid 1940s when Richard D Bourgerie, who was employed making electrical equipment during the second World War for the US military at the Howard Radio Company, created an electric guitar pickup and amplifier combination for George Barnes. Barnes in turn showed this new design to Les Paul who requested another be constructed for himself.

Today there seem to be as many different makes and models of electric guitar as there are players, and if you are entering the world of the electric guitar yourself for the first time, you may be slightly taken aback by the sheer range of options, features and designs available. Essentially, however, they all share more or less the same basic features, with a body that is either solid or hollow, usually six steel strings, and perhaps the biggest and most significant choice, the pickup. Depending upon the type of pickup, the guitar may well sound quite different, and this is perhaps the one place to look most carefully.

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Peter Suhm asked:


Fender electric guitars were the first solid body electric guitars to be offered on the mass market. Other companies actually fabricated and sold electric guitars before the Fender Company, but none were as commercially successful as Fender’s. In fact, the general consensus is that it is the Fender Company that is responsible for the electric guitar frenzy that swept through the world of popular music with the introduction of their Fender Telecaster. The Broadcaster was actually the first solid body electric guitar, but Fender made it economically feasible to mass produce it with only a few slight variations in the next model, the Telecaster. Fender’s Telecaster served as the inspiration for other manufacturers to make their own versions of the solid body electric guitar. Other famous models include the Stratocaster, the Jazzmaster, the Mustang, the Jaguar, and the Duo-sonic. Countless more models exist though they are less known. Fender electric guitars are manufactured Mexico and Asia as well as in the United States. The highest quality guitars are those made in the US. The Squier brand, also manufactured under the Fender name, is the most economically priced electric guitars and they are produced in the Asian countries. The Fender Company began as an electronic repair business. Founder Leo Fender began much of his work improving already existing and designing new musical amplifiers. Fender is still known today for its fine quality and innovation in amps. Some of Fender’s electric guitar signature features include the larger headstock shape and bound necks with block shaped position markers. The neck joint on most electric guitars is a four-bolt joint, but in Fender guitars, it is now a three-bolt joint intended for better sound. Fender electric guitars are also identified by a second string tree for the middle G and D strings. Another signature feature is the semi-hollow body design and completely different headstock of the Fender Stratocaster. This model also incorporates a Humbucking pickup designed by Seth Lover.  Some people maintain that the Fender Standard Stratocaster electric guitar is the guitar that changed the world with its alder body, 21 fret maple neck with a rosewood or maple fretboard, 3 single-coil pickups, a vintage tremolo, and die-cast tuning keys. The Stratocaster comes in a wide choice of cool colors as well, including Sage Green Metalic, Blue Agave, Brown Sunburst, Midnight Wine, and Arctic White. Such colors add a unique quality to an already awesome guitar. The Fender electric guitar is an excellent choice for the serious guitarist who wants a famous brand at an affordable price.  

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Peter Suhm asked:


Gibson electric guitars hold the claim for being the first commercially successful electric guitar introduced into the market in 1936. from this model, many more were fashioned, the most popular being the Les Paul series named after the accomplished jazz musician, Les Paul, who was an electronics inventor and one of the pioneers in solid body guitar technology. The Les Paul series is the most famous line of Gibson electric guitars. Gibson electric guitars have many signature features and characteristics, starting with an asymmetrical neck profile making it one of the most comfortable and playable necks ever offered. This neck also features a larger neck tenon for maximum wood contact between the neck and the body. Gibsons are also recognized for their glued-in necks, a contrast to Fender’s bolt-on neck joints. The Gibson solid body electric guitar has a more traditionally curved body shape as well. Other characteristics unique to Gibson include the fact that the Les Paul strings are mounted on the top of the guitar body, not through the body. One of the easiest ways to identify a Gibson electric guitar is simply by picking it up and holding it. Gibsons are knows for their heavy weight. The Gibson electric guitar is one of the thickest solid body styles ever made. The company claims that the thickness of the guitar along with the kinds of woods used contribute to its weight, a factor they say creates a warmer tone than other electric guitars. Spanning from their signature Les Paul series that originally included two models, the regular model and the custom model, the Gibson Company produced numerous additional models. The Les Paul series models were targeted for every level of payer and every level of price except for the true beginner. The novice guitarist market was filled with the Melody Maker model and then the Junior design. Other well-known models include the Standard series, the Deluxe and Studio series, and even the Gibson Robot guitar, a model that can tune itself by simply pulling out the master control knob and strumming the strings. Famous Gibson electric guitar players include Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jimmy Page, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Duane Allman, Ace Freshley, Pete Townsend, Angus Young, Frank Zappa and Tony Iommi, to name just a few! If you choose a Gibson electric guitar, you will definitely be in good company! The only real disadvantage to having a Gibson electric guitar is with the plethora of copies and imitations that have saturated the market. If you want to stay true to the Gibson name and own a guitar that is authentically a Gibson original innovation, then you must be aware of copies and imitations. You can usually spot a “fake” if you know the features of a “true” Gibson electric guitar and carefully inspect any guitar before you buy it.

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Peter Suhm asked:


Lots of kids want to play the electric guitar. Creative exploration and expression are a vital part of self-discovery and positive personal development, so if it is the electric guitar that is tugging at a child’s heartstrings, by all means, indulge! This article will give you some easy-to-follow guidelines to help you choose the best electric guitar for your child. First of all, size does matter! Learning to play on the wrong size instrument can lead to frustration at best, often leading to giving up, possibly the worst consequence of learning on the wrong size is the development of poor technique. Generally speaking, guitars are made according to four different sizes, referred to as quarter, half, three-quarters, and full size. The overall length of electric guitars varies greatly depending on brand, style design, and model, so the full length does not account for the size. For accurate sizing of an electric guitar, measure the distance from the “bridge” of the guitar to the “nut”. This is called the scale length of the guitar. This measurement is only of the part of the strings that actually vibrate when you stroke them or pluck one. Although lengths can sometimes vary, the following chart is a good indicator of the four different sizes of electric guitars. Quarter size:  31”Half size:  33”Three-quarters size: 34-36”Full size:  38-40” The height of the child playing the guitar is what determines what size is the best fit. The following chart is a good reference: Size of Guitar              Height of PlayerQuarter size:               3’3” – 3’9”Half size:                    3’10” – 4’5”Three-quarters size:     4’6” – 4’11”Full size:                     5’ or taller It is much easier for a young child to get his hands around the appropriate sized guitar. If a child is bordering two sizes, it is recommended to buy the larger guitar simply because the child is still growing. Technically speaking, there is no such thing as a “beginner’s guitar”. As far as the structural components of the instrument are concerned, all electric guitars have the basic 6 strings, several frets on the neck, and pickups. “Small” does not necessarily mean “beginner”. That being said, however, it is a good idea to buy a simple, low-cost, no-frills instrument for a child’s first electric guitar. All brands manufacture such low-end basic electric guitars, but Ibanez and Yamaha are usually considered to be the best choice because these companies have targeted the novice player in several of their models.  Getting a kids’ electric guitar is an exciting event for both the child and the parent. Remember, the most important factors to consider when buying kids’ electric guitars are: a) the passion and dreams of the child, and b) the right size for the child’s body.

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Peter Clark asked:


So you’ve wanted to be a rock star since you were a kid, (maybe you’re still a kid), and you’ve decided that to be a rock star you need to learn to play the electric guitar.

Problem is you really don’t know a lot about electric guitars, and if you’re going to buy one you need to learn a little more about them. A lot actually.

The best piece of advice is to buy yourself a cheap electric guitar. When you’re first learning it’s not essential that you own a hugely expensive model of electric guitar. It’s usually harder just to make it produce the sound you want it to produce, so you don’t need the best guitar.

Secondly, it’s important to start learning about the different types of electric guitar available. As you progress through the process of learning to play the guitar you will eventually need to trade up to a more expensive guitar, and if you know what sound it is you want to produce and which guitar is more likely to do that you’ll probably be happier with your choice. But remember, first all you need is a basic cheap electric guitar till you’ve learned how to play the basics.

The start to your journey learning about electric guitars is to learn what all the part of the guitar are. And what different options there are with each of the parts. This is a pretty complex subject to tackle and you can spend years learning all about what produces which type of sound from an electric guitar, but here’s a few basic terms,

The body of the guitar isn’t always the same. You can get solid bodied guitars, and hollow bodied, or even semi hollow. Each produces a different sound. There is usually a sound hole where the sound comes from and these can be in different places, depending on the style of guitar. Pickups catch the resonance of the strings and transmit them to the amplifier to enable it to produce the amplified sound.

The soundboard is timber and is mounted on the front of the guitar and helps amplify the sound.

The neck of the guitar is the long piece that holds the strings and has a series of frets along the neck, this can also be known as the fingerboard. At the top of the neck is the head of the guitar and this holds the tuning pegs which help in the tuning of the guitar by tightening or loosening the strings.

The strings can vary in number according to what type of guitar you play. A bass guitar can have as few as 4 strings whilst some guitars have up to 12 strings. Guitar strings can be made from a number of different materials.

That’s the very basics of electric guitars, and that’s only the first step in the process of learning about guitars and how to play them. The sound that you want to produce will require you to learn a lot about the way the sounds are produced, and you’ve got many years of learning in front of you if you’re serious about becoming a rock star, or even just an accomplished guitar player.

But remember the first bit of advice. It takes a long time to learn to play, and if you’re just starting out take your time, learn as you go, about how guitars work as well as how to play one, and start with a basic cheap electric guitar until you’ve attained a basic proficiency.

Then you can splash out on the electric guitar that only can make sing. Good luck.

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Victor Epand asked:


Compared to its acoustic cousin, the electric guitar has a very short history. In modern times, electric guitars are most often associated with genres such as rock and roll, blues rock, and jazz. However, this instrument has its origins in the big band music of the 1930s and 1940s. As the jazz orchestras of those days grew and their brass sections increased proportionally, the need for an amplified guitar became more and more pronounced. Adolph Rickenbacher, George Beauchamp, and Paul Barth, all of who eventually founded the Electro String Company, are usually credited with the production of the first electric guitars around 1931. Whoever did it first, the eventual result was a guitar that used pickups to convert the vibrations of its steel strings into an electrical current, which was made louder with an instrument amplifier and speaker.

As mentioned, an electric guitar’s strings are always steel. This is, however, one of the few features shared by all the various types. Electric guitars come in a variety of models, including solid body, hollow body, wood, metal, one- six-, seven-, eight-, nine-, and twelve-string, and even double neck models.

The first of these, the solid body type, is the most common. They are generally made of some kind of lacquered wood, which can be anything from maple, to koa, to ebony. The average solid body electric guitar has six strings, and the vibrations of this type of guitar are produced by the strings alone. This is notable in comparison to the hollow body electric guitar. Although the two types work similarly, the body of the hollow body guitar vibrates along with the strings, which means that the pickups convert both string and body vibrations into an electrical signal. A semi-hollow body guitar is a combination of the solid and the hollow types, and it is generally held to strike a balance between the attributes of the two. Then there are the metal body electric guitars. The bodies of these models are chambered (due to weight considerations), but they are designed to be played as though made of solid wood. Finally, the electric guitar can sport anywhere from one to twelve strings, which makes for, as one might imagine, a plethora of sounds and potential musical applications.

While there are any number of electric guitar manufacturers in the world, some are certainly more famous than others. Fender and Gibson, for example, established their reputations in the 1950s as makers of high-quality mass-produced guitars, and they remain some of the most well-known products available. Other reputable companies include BC Rich, ESP, and Peavey.

The electric guitar has gained a certain notoriety over the years, thanks to its association with a number of high-profile artists, among them Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, and the irrepressible Keith Richards. Interestingly, there has been a movement over the past few decades towards the use of the electrical guitar in contemporary classical music. However, such compositions are by no means common, and the genres of rock and jazz remain the primary territory of the electric guitar.

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Richard Neesal asked:


If you are, or wish to be, an electric guitarist, you would know that one of the most difficult tasks awaiting you is the selection of your electric guitar. No matter what your level of interest and your achieved expertise in the guitar, the art of choosing the right guitar for yourself remains complicated and challenging for the simple reason that it could play an integral role in producing the signature tone and style that you might hope to originate as your distinctive mark.

The fundamental design is more or less a constant in the various makes of electric guitars available in the market. The standard construction is along the lines of: a body, the neck, the head stock piece, electrical pickups and the bridge.

The crucial part in which the electric guitar differs from the acoustic version is in its use of the amplifier. The amplifier is a device required to broadcast the sound produced in the guitar: every pluck of the strings is captured by the pickups and routed through the amplifier at which point several differing sound effects can be introduced.

The two most important factors that you would have to consider at the time of buying the electric guitar for yourself are price and sound.

Electric guitars are available for a wide range of prices, from as low as 99 to as high as 20,000 dollars. Thus, having an idea of your budget limits is very useful. A beginner should preferably look for a starters kit which would include instruction manuals along with the guitar and the amplifier.

When it comes to determine the nature and quality of sound by which you could select your guitar within your price zone, it is handy to know the different types of electric guitars, the variations in their designs and the differences in their sound output.

Electric guitars are grouped under four broad divisions: we have the Acoustic-Electric, the Electric, the Hollow Body Electric and the Steel Electric guitar, and each category of guitar produces a distinct sound.

The acoustic-electric guitar is an acoustic guitar with in-built pickups which can be plugged up with an amplifier or a public address system. These are sturdy and durable, relatively uncomplicated in design and simple to maintain, and are among the most popular kinds of guitars for touring bands.

The electric guitar usually has a solid wood body which means that the sound is only produced through the pickup mechanism. Additionally the amplifier is used to increase or decrease volume and for generating sound effects. These are generally the most popular models among beginners and prices range from 99 dollars and upwards. Almost all the reputed guitar manufacturers like Fender and Gibson market their own electric guitar kits for beginners, comprising a guitar, an amplifier and how-to- get-started manuals.

The hollow body electric guitar follows the same lines of construction as the traditional electric guitar, except for one essential variation. The hollow-body guitar, as the name implies, has two chambers hollowed out of the wooden body. This enables the guitar to generate acoustic vibrations over and above the electric ones and thereby results in the delivery of a uniquely resonating sound. These types of guitars are generally used by Jazz musicians and come in several sizes and tones.

The other kind of electrical guitar is the steel guitar, and was popularized by Jeff Healey. These are so dissimilar in design to traditional guitars that many years of specialized practice is usually necessary to learn how to properly perform on them. Unlike the normal guitar which is played while being hung from the player’s neck around his or her shoulders, the steel guitar, is played on its back while being laid out on a platform before the player. The guitar strings on this variety are usually raised above the fret board and require the use of a “tone bar”. A tone bar is a cylindrical tube that is worn on the middle finger of the fret hand, and produces the characteristic “whine” of the steel guitar. This variety of guitar goes best with the genres of country and western style music.

Irrespective of the kind of guitar that you are seeking to buy, it is always advisable that you thoroughly research your options before finalizing your purchase. Take the opinions of experienced guitarists if possible. Otherwise you should at least try and talk to the employees at the local guitar store, and search the internet to get all the information that you need to help identify the exact make and model of guitar is suitable for you. And most importantly: always test the guitar before you buy it. Happy rocking!

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Ian Williamson asked:


Guitars are the most common instruments played by many music lovers of all ages. Even kids can easily learn to play the guitar. Choosing the right guitar is very easy. There are many types of guitars that can go along with any kind of music. All a guitar player needs to do is identify the kind of music he prefers to know which type of guitar is best for him.
The following are the most common types of guitars.
Classical Guitars
Classical guitars are the father of all guitars. They have been used for many genres and all kinds of music. Classical guitars come with nylon strings which give the guitar a unique and colorful sound. The sizes of classical guitars have been standard for many years. Classical guitars that are of the finest quality are made with spruce or cedar tops. The guitar is able to produce various sounds even with the use of fingernails.
Electric Guitars
Electric guitars are the next most common guitar especially in the 20th century. Electric guitars are known as the main attraction of rock music. These guitars have been famous since rock music was introduced and blend very well with jazz, pop and even blues music. The main difference between other guitars and electric guitars is that they are played with amplifiers because they are unable to produce sound without amplification.
Steel Guitars
Steel guitars acquired their name because they are literally made of steel. These types of guitars are played horizontally. A guitar player may place the guitar across his knees or legs or on a stand. The pedal steels of these guitars are the ones responsible for their unique sounds.
Bass Guitars
Bass guitars are similar to electric guitars. However, there are also variations in these guitars such as the acoustic bass guitars. Although bass guitars fall under the family of guitars, the sounds they produce are very distinctive and separate from any other guitar. The reason is that bass guitars usually have four strings unlike standard guitars that have six to twelve strings.
Many other guitars may be found on the market. There are also the archtop guitars, twelve strings guitars, solid body guitars and the resonator guitars. All these types of guitars produce different kinds of music that can satisfy the taste of many music lovers. All a person has to do is identify his taste for music to be able to decide which guitar is perfect for him and his music.

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Ian Williamson asked:


The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments today. Most of the music that you hear on the radio uses guitars in many different ways: pop, rock, reggae, blues, ballads and everything else is influenced by the guitar.
The guitar, together with the drums and the piano compose the modern music scene equipment set. The playability of the guitar has made it one popular instrument. A guitar can be played by a learning child or an experienced guitar player. It’s not “picky” about its players.
Today, the electric type of guitar is most often used in musical production. The guitar has been enhanced with a very good accompaniment in the form of the effects box. Today, guitars can emulate the sounds of a piano, a violin, even the sounds of the human voice and is continuously widening its horizons.
With the functions and features of the modern electric guitar, one can’t help thinking about the beginnings of the instrument. Where did the guitar come from? This article tries to give a brief history of the wonderful musical instrument, which is the guitar.
The creation of the guitar cannot be traced to a single person. The guitar came about through the evolution of its predecessors. Its image has also undergone change throughout the centuries. Today, playing the guitar is a symbol of talent and musical prowess, but during the early times, the guitar was actually a symbol of being poor and it was refuted by most classical musicians.
Predecessors
There have been many guitar-like musical instruments in the ancient times, up to as many as 5,000 years ago. Instruments which look like the guitar were seen in statues which were recovered in archeological expeditions in the Iranian region of Susa. However, the very first documented mention of the instrument dates back to the fourteenth century. At that time the guitar-ancestor had three pairs of strings (usually referred to as double courses) and a single string with the highest tone.
Some say that the word “guitar” came from the word “qitara”. Qitara is an Arabic name for the different kinds of lutes during the early times.
Evolution
The guitar, as we know it, is said to originate in Spain. It is believed that the people of Malaga invented the instrument. The guitar evolved from having three pairs of strings to four pairs of strings and eventually six single strings.
The guitar began to become popular in the 16th century. It was played by the lower and middle classes as a counterpart for the vihuela which was played by the aristocrats. The vihuela was tuned like a lute but had a body similar to that of the guitar.
The guitar made a serious evolution during the 18th century: the double strings where replaced by single strings and a sixth string was added. In the 1800s, Antonio Torres de Jurado gave birth to the classical guitar. Basically, he increased the size of the body of the guitar. The guitar still struggled because it was considered as an instrument for the taverns - an instrument which could not be used for classical music. In Spain, where people hated the piano, the guitar found refuge. However, it was also tainted by the views that guitars were for gypsies and for no-good bums who asked for loose change in bars.
Electric guitar
The modern electric guitar was invented in 1931. The electric guitar uses electronic “pick-ups” to enable it to produce sound. The pick-ups convert the vibrations from the strings into electric signals. The body of the electric guitar is semi-solid or solid, depending on the design. The structure of the guitar took a great leap when the electric guitar was born, no longer did its sound depend on the structure and construction of the body, but on the quality of the pick-ups and soundboard.
The sounds of the electric guitar can also be altered to be able to achieve a desired tone. The use of the guitar effects box has given the guitar a wide array of sounds. I is continuing to garner popularity in all fields of music, even in classical music.
The guitar is a very dynamic musical instrument. Through evolution, the guitar has made its mark on the modern music scene. From crude instruments with many variations, the guitar has become a real and much-sought after instrument.

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