Electric Guitars

The electric guitar has revolutionized music since its mainstream introduction in the mid-20th century. While experiments with electrically amplifying string instruments dates back to the 1920s and earlier, the first mass produced and commercially successful electric guitars emerged in the 1930s and 1940s.

Companies like Gibson, Rickenbacker and Fender led the way in electric guitar innovation. Their early models like the Gibson ES-150, Rickenbacker Electro lap steel guitar and Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster became icons and paved the way for the dominance of the electric guitar in many popular music genres.

Electric guitars enabled guitarists to play solos and riffs louder and for longer durations than what was possible on acoustic guitars. The unique tone from pickups, pedals and amplifiers alongside innovative playing techniques helped evolve the instrument into a popular lead instrument.

Icons like Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen and many more demonstrated the capabilities of the electric guitar and helped cement its status as one of the most beloved and influential instruments in modern music.

Today, the electric guitar remains an essential part of bands and live music across genres from rock, blues, jazz, metal, pop, hip-hop and more. Continued innovation by manufacturers help the electric guitar evolve alongside the progression of music. For aspiring musicians, learning to play the electric guitar allows tapping into a rich history while mastering an expressive and versatile contemporary instrument.

Main Types

There are three main types of electric guitars: solid body, hollow body, and semi-hollow body.

Solid Body

Solid body electric guitars are the most common type. As the name suggests, these guitars have a solid wood body, as opposed to a hollow body. The solid body allows for increased sustain and gives the guitar a brighter, louder tone. The most famous solid body guitar is the Fender Stratocaster. Solid body guitars have a huge range of sounds, from sparkling clean tones to extreme distortion, making them incredibly versatile.

Hollow Body

Hollow body electric guitars have a hollow body construction, much like an acoustic guitar. This gives them a warm, rich and resonant tone. The hollow body allows them to be played without amplification, but also makes them prone to feedback when amplified at high volumes. Jazz players often favor this type of guitar. Famous models include the Gibson ES-175 and Epiphone Casino.

Semi-Hollow Body

Semi-hollow electric guitars have a tone that sits somewhere between a solid body and hollow body guitar. They have a solid center wood block running through the body with hollow "wings" on the sides. This design minimizes feedback while still retaining some of the resonant tone of a fully hollow body. The warmth and character of semi-hollow guitars have made them popular with blues and rock players. Iconic models include the Gibson ES-335 and Gretsch 6120.

Construction

Electric guitars are constructed from various wood types and components that significantly impact their sound and playability.

Body Wood

The body wood is a major factor in an electric guitar's tone. Softer woods like alder and basswood allow pickups to resonate more, producing a warmer, rounder tone. Harder woods like maple and ash have a brighter, crisper sound. Mahogany is a popular choice for its balanced tones. Composite bodies made from plastics and carbon fibers are also available for great sustain and minimized feedback.

Neck

The neck should be comfortable and fast to play while providing stability for accurate intonation. Most electric guitars have bolt-on or set necks made from maple or mahogany. The shape and thickness of the neck affects playability. Thinner necks allow easier fretting while thicker necks promote sustain.

Fretboard

The fretboard is commonly made from rosewood or ebony as they wear well from extensive use. Some guitars have maple fretboards for enhanced tonal brightness. The width and radius of the fretboard also influence playability. Wider fretboards accommodate shredding while a flatter radius helps with bending strings.

Bridge

Bridges anchor the strings and transmit their vibrations to the body. Common bridges include fixed, tremolo, and vibrato types. Fixed bridges offer tuning stability while tremolo and vibrato bridges enable effects like dips, dive bombs, and warbles by altering string tension.

Pickups

Pickups are magnets that convert the string vibrations into an electrical signal. Common types are single coil and humbucker. Single coils have a bright, crisp tone suited for pop and country. Humbuckers have a thick, warm sound for hard rock and metal. Guitars can have multiple pickups to provide tonal versatility.

Sound and Tone

The sound and tone of an electric guitar depends on several key factors:

Pickups

The pickups on an electric guitar are magnets that convert the strings' vibrations into an electrical signal. There are two main types of pickups - single coil and humbucker. Single coil pickups tend to have a brighter, twangier sound while humbuckers have a thicker, warmer tone. The combination, positioning and individual wiring of the pickups affects the overall sound.

Woods

Electric guitars use solid wood, laminates or composites for the body and neck. Harder woods like alder and ash transfer string vibrations efficiently for brightness and sustain. Softer woods like mahogany have a warmer, rounder sound. The type of wood affects resonance and tone.

Electronics

The guitar's electronic components like the volume and tone knobs, selector switch, capacitors and pots modify the pickup signal. These allow guitarists to shape the tone by adjusting the highs and lows and volume levels. Active pickups and preamps can add gain and overdrive to the sound.

Amp Pairing

Playing an electric guitar through an amplifier is key to achieving the desired tone. Guitar amps color and amplify the sound. Tube amps distort pleasingly when overdriven, while solid state and digital amps offer cleaner tones. The amplifier settings and electronic effects pedals used also significantly impact the overall guitar tone.

Playing Styles

The electric guitar is extremely versatile and can produce a wide range of sounds depending on the player's technique and choice of effects. There are two main playing styles for the electric guitar: lead guitar and rhythm guitar.

Lead Guitar

The lead guitar generally plays the melody or solos during a song. Lead guitarists often use techniques like bending, vibratos, hammer-ons and pull-offs to produce expressive sounds. They may also utilize effects like distortion, overdrive or wah-wah to create a unique tone. Lead guitar playing often involves fast solos, melodic lines and improvisation.

Rhythm Guitar

Rhythm guitar provides the chordal and rhythmic accompaniment to the melody and solos. Rhythm guitarists strum chords or play riffs to establish the harmonic and rhythmic foundation. This allows the other instruments and vocals to follow a steady beat. Rhythm guitarists may use additional effects like chorus or reverb to thicken the overall sound. The rhythm guitar ties all the elements of the song together.

Effects

Electric guitarists can choose from a vast array of effects pedals and processors to sculpt their tone. Here are some of the most popular effects used:

• Distortion/Overdrive - Adds grit and sustain to the guitar sound, from subtle warmth to heavy saturation. Used in blues, rock and metal.

• Delay/Echo - Creates repeating echoes of the original sound. Provides depth and atmosphere to lead lines.

• Wah-wah - Sweeps the frequency range, allowing guitarists to emulate vocal-like sounds. Popular in funk and rock solos.

• Chorus - Produces a shimmery, thick sound like multiple guitars playing together. Often used to fatten up rhythm guitar parts.

• Reverb - Simulates the acoustic environment of a physical space. Used to make the guitar tone sound huge and ambient.

The endless combinations of effects allow electric guitarists the flexibility to craft tones for any genre or style. From jazz to metal and everything in between, effects help guitarists shape their unique sound.

Iconic Models

The electric guitar world has been shaped by several iconic models that have stood the test of time and influenced generations of players. Here are three of the most popular and influential electric guitars:

Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster is likely the most popular and iconic electric guitar model. First released in 1954, its distinctive double-cutaway body, three single-coil pickups, and tremolo bridge system have become instantly recognizable.

The Strat's bright, clear tone cuts through a mix nicely and works for a variety of musical styles. Famous Strat players include Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and John Mayer.

Gibson Les Paul

Gibson's Les Paul model was released in 1952 and was one of the first solid body electric guitars. Its mahogany body and humbucking pickups give it a thick, warm tone that works well for rock, blues, and jazz.

The Les Paul has been played by guitar greats like Duane Allman, Slash, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. Its heavy weight and thick neck profile has also made it iconic.

Ibanez RG

The Ibanez RG is a modern rock and metal guitar known for its fast, thin, neck profile and comfortable contoured body shape. First introduced in the late 1980s, the RG became popular with hard rock and metal guitarists like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.

The RG typically comes with a double locking tremolo bridge and active pickups, ideal for dive bombs and heavy distortion. More recent RGs have exotic shaped bodies and eye-catching finishes, while retaining the thin, fast neck that makes them popular with shredders.

Notable Players

The electric guitar has been used by many legendary musicians over the decades. Here are 3 of the most influential and iconic electric guitarists:

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is considered one of the most important and influential electric guitarists in rock music history. Hendrix pioneered new techniques and effects like distortion, feedback and wah-wah. His unique style mixed elements of blues, funk and psychedelic rock. Some of his most famous songs are "Purple Haze", "Foxy Lady" and his rendition of "All Along the Watchtower". Hendrix is known for his flair and showmanship on stage playing his Fender Stratocaster upside down and behind his back.

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton is regarded as one of the most significant blues and rock guitarists. He was ranked #2 in Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Clapton was a member of influential bands like The Yardbirds, Cream and Derek and the Dominos. He popularized the Gibson Les Paul guitar with his work in the late 60s and 70s. Clapton pioneered the use of controlled feedback and inspired later blues rock guitarists. He continues to record and perform live shows today.

Eddie Van Halen

As the lead guitarist and founder of Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen has been hailed as one of rock music's most influential and important guitar players. His groundbreaking two-handed tapping technique mixed with heavy distortion led to his innovative guitar solos and melodies. Van Halen introduced a variety of exotic scales and harmonics rarely used by rock guitarists before. His favorite guitar was his custom Frankenstein (or "Frankenstrat") built from a Stratocaster and Gibson parts. Van Halen's revolutionary playing inspired generations of guitarists.

Tuning and Maintenance

Standard tuning for electric guitars refers to E A D G B E. This is the most common tuning used on 6-string electric guitars. Other alternate tunings may be used, but standard tuning allows for easy transition between chords and scales.

Changing strings is an important part of regular electric guitar maintenance. New strings will stay in tune better and produce brighter tone. Strings should be changed at least every few months, depending on how much they are played. It's recommended to change one string at a time to maintain proper tension on the neck. Remove old strings by turning the tuning peg to loosen. Pull the string out of the tuning post hole and off the bridge. Thread the new string through the hole and tune up to pitch.

Adjusting intonation involves setting the saddles on the bridge so notes fretted at the 12th fret match the pitch of the 12th fret harmonic. This ensures proper tuning up and down the neck. To check intonation, play the 12th fret harmonic on the string and compare to the 12th fret note. If flat, move the saddle back. If sharp, move it forward. Make small adjustments and recheck until they match. Proper intonation is crucial for electric guitar tuning stability.

Getting Started

Getting started with electric guitar can be an exciting journey, but also requires commitment and consistent practice. Here are some tips for beginners:

Choosing a Beginner Guitar

• Look for well-known brands like Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, Squier, Ibanez, or Yamaha. Avoid cheap no-name guitars.

• Consider a "starter pack" that includes an amp, cords, picks, etc. This will have everything you need to start playing.

• Try out different guitar sizes and shapes to find one that feels comfortable. Solid body guitars like the Stratocaster or Les Paul are common for beginners.

• Expect to spend $200-$500 for a decent beginner electric guitar. Better to buy quality that will last than a super cheap guitar.

Learning Chords and Scales

• Start with open chords like G, C, D, Em, Am. Use chord charts or guitar tabs to learn finger placements.

• Practice chord changes by strumming through chord progressions for familiar songs. This will build muscle memory.

• Learn the pentatonic minor scale shape starting on the low E string. This scale shape is essential for blues and rock improvisation.

• Use a metronome or drum tracks to keep tempo and work on timing. Develop rhythm skills even without complex chords or lead playing.

Basic Effects Pedals

• An overdrive or distortion pedal like the Boss DS-1 provides the quintessential electric guitar tone for rock and metal.

• Delay and reverb pedals like the Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy or TC Electronic Hall of Fame provide ambience and interest for lead playing.

• A multi-effects processor like the Zoom G1Xon helps beginners access various tones and effects like overdrive, chorus, delay, and more.

• Start with one or two versatile pedals and build your effects pedalboard over time. Make sure the pedals suit your playing style and musical tastes.

The key for beginners is consistent practice of chord changes, scales, rhythm, and finding the right sound. Be patient in developing technique and having fun with this versatile instrument!

Conclusion

The electric guitar has revolutionized music since its mainstream introduction in the mid-20th century. Its versatility, playability, and signature sound have made it integral to countless genres from rock and metal to blues and jazz.

Key points covered in this article:

• Main types of electric guitars include solid body, semi-hollow, and hollow body styles. Each provides a distinct look, feel, and sound.

• Electric guitars rely on electromagnetic pickups to convert string vibrations into electrical signals. The type, number, and placement of pickups impacts the guitar's tone and versatility.

• Iconic electric guitar models like the Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul, and Ibanez RG have become symbols of genres and eras in music history.

• Effects like overdrive, distortion, delay, and chorus allow electric guitarists to shape their sound. Pedals and amps with built-in effects offer creative options.

• Electric guitars require regular tuning and maintenance for optimal playability and longevity. But their solid construction makes them more durable for gigging musicians.

The electric guitar empowered the rise of new genres, allowed for greater sonic experimentation and flexibility, and became a fixture in everything from massive stadium shows to intimate studio recordings. It remains one of the most influential and expressive instruments across nearly all forms of popular music worldwide.