Learn Electric Guitar Through It's History

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Historically, the electric guitar hasn’t been around for as long as the traditional acoustic and other conventional guitars. In fact, the electric guitar was developed only 70 years ago in the 1930s by Adolph Rickenbacker. Since then, the electric guitar has undergone significant development over time and has reached its current state. In this article, I will explore the history of the electric guitar.

The History

Guitars and similar instruments have been popular for hundreds of years. The electric guitar was created in the 1930s by Rickenbacker. The early electric guitars used tungsten pickups. Pickups essentially convert the vibrations of the guitar strings directly into an electrical current, which is then passed into the amplifier to create the music.

The earliest electric guitars had small soundholes in the body. These guitars are known as semi-hollow electric guitars and are still popular today, primarily because they are incredibly versatile instruments.

However, with the help of pickups, it became possible to create guitars without the need for soundholes (unlike acoustic and conventional guitars) that could still be heard when connected to an amplifier. These guitars are called solid body electric guitars.

The popularity of the electric guitar began to rise during the Big Band era of the 1930s and 1940s. Due to the volume of the brass sections in jazz orchestras, it was necessary to have guitars that could be heard over the other sections. Electric guitars, which could be connected to amplifiers, filled this gap.

The most common type of electric guitar today is the solid body electric guitar. The solid body guitar was invented by musician and designer Les Paul in 1941. It is a guitar made from solid wood with no soundholes. The original solid body guitar created by Paul was very simple—it was essentially a rectangular block of solid wood attached to a guitar neck with six metal strings. Les Paul’s innovative solid body guitar design has naturally evolved from the original rectangular shape to the rounded shape that Les Paul guitars have today.

During the 1950s, guitar manufacturer Gibson introduced Les Paul’s invention to the public. The Gibson Les Paul, as it was and still is called, quickly became a best-selling electric guitar. It has remained the most popular guitar for over 50 years.

During the same time period, another designer named Leo Fender created his own solid body electric guitar. In the late 1940s, Fender introduced the Fender Broadcaster electric guitar. The Broadcaster, which was later renamed the Stratocaster, was officially introduced to the public in 1954. The Stratocaster, as it is known today, was a completely different guitar compared to the Les Paul. It had a different shape, different hardware, and was significantly lighter. Fender’s Stratocaster electric guitar is the second most popular guitar in the world, just behind the Les Paul.

Over time, other manufacturers such as Paul Reed Smith, ESP, Yamaha, and Ibanez have all produced their own solid body electric guitars. However, most electric guitars still feature the iconic shapes of the Les Paul or Stratocaster.

Manuel Marino

Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME