House of Rock and Roll

Electric Guitars – Revolutionizing the Music World

Plugged in music? Want to play a trendy, smart instrument? Are you in search of a perfect sound? Then electric guitar is just the thing for you.

During the era of big band, an instrument was necessary who can compete with the large volume instruments used in the jazz concerts of 30s and 40s.And that is why electric guitars were invented.

Electric guitars have a very interesting history. The string instrument makers, people who are enthusiastic about electronics and instrument manufacturers have designed it. They designed it in different combinations.

The pre historic guitar had a twang sound. Then the quest for a different sound began that led to the birth of an electric guitar, which had an amplifying horn in mid 20′s of the last century. During 1920 and 24, Lloyd Loar invented the first pick up. In 1936, mass production of electric Spanish guitar (ES 150) begun. Jazz musician Charlie Christian used to play this guitar. In the year 1943, Leo Fender created a solid body electric guitar with oak wood

In the 1950s, different kinds of electric guitars like Explorer, Flying v were invented. After these inventions, electric guitars started to fly higher. Many famous musicians, like Bob Dylan, Jimmy Hendrix, BB King, Chuck berry popularized the electric guitars.

Bands like Guns and Roses, Europe, Queen, Deep purple also popularized this instrument.

Electric guitars are very different from that of other string instruments. This is one string instrument where you can play both the lead and the rhythm portion. This is actually a type of instrument where the vibration that comes from its strings converts into electrical current. And it is being amplified, that gives a metallic tone to them.

The tones of electric guitars can be changed. To do this, you need a gazette called processor. This processor offers you different kinds of tones. You can mix two or more tones or create some of your own tones with the help of the processor. There are several other tricks also, that can be done by the electric guitar. Like, distortion, tremolo etc.

This instrument was basically associated with rock music. But as time moved on it tied its knot with several other kind of music like jazz, blues, country music, rock n roll etc. It can be said that electric guitar has become an indispensable part of the 20th century music.

The first performance with an electric guitar was during the year 1932 in Wichita, Kansas. George Barnes was the first person to use an electric guitar in recording. He was the one who recorded two songs in Chicago on 1st March, in the year 1938.

In today’s music scenario, electric guitars are gaining more and more importance. Today, we cannot imagine a music show without them. As the instrument got popular, the players also started getting noticed by the public. Even now they are so popular that we first notice the guitar player than any other musician in a music show. Electric guitars are no more under dogs, but it can be said that they are now ruling the instrumental world.

History And Types of Guitars

The guitar (violao) is a musical instrument that utilizes strings to produce sound. Usually, guitar is made with six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten and twelve string guitars are not rare.

Guitar (violao) is considered as an instrument in many forms of music like blues, country, flamenco, rock and even pop. Acoustically playing, the guitar involves production of the tone by vibration of the string and modulation by the hollow body. Electronic manipulation can also be done on the tone using an amplifier.

Combinations of various woods, with either nylon or steel strings are used for the construction of guitars. The person who makes and repairs string instruments like guitar is called a luthier.

History and development of string instruments similar to guitar (violao) can be traced back to at least 5,000 years. In those days, when synthetic material was not available for making guitars, a guitar was defined as `a long, fretted neck, flat wooden soundboard, ribs, and a flat back instrument, most often with incurved sides`.

There are two major types of guitars:

Acoustic guitar (violao): A soundboard (present in the front of the guitar body in the form of a piece of wood) is used to produce the sound from this kind of guitars. No external arrangement or device is needed to produce sound. This makes the acoustic guitar quieter than other commonly found band or orchestra instruments and often an external amplifier is used to make the guitar sound audible and to match the sound of other band instruments. The latest range of acoustic guitars come with a host of pick-ups for amplifying and modifying the raw guitar sound.

Within the acoustic guitar type, the sub-categories include: Classical guitars; Flamenco guitars; Steel string guitars (include the flat top or `folk` guitar); Twelve string guitars; Arch-top guitars; Renaissance or Baroque guitars; Resonator, resophonic or Dobro guitars; Russian guitars; Acoustic bass guitars; Tenor guitars; Harp guitars; Extended range guitars; Guitar battente.

Electric guitars: Electric guitar bodies are solid, semi-hollow or hollow. The sound produced is little and low without amplification. An amplifier forms an integral part of electric guitars. Vibrations of steel strings converted into electric signals by electromagnetic pick-ups are fed in to an amplifier using a cable or radio transmitter. The sound is often modified either using electronic devices or through distortion of valves naturally. The pick-ups here are of two types: single line or double line, each can be either active or passive. Electric guitar sound is most commonly used in jazz, rock-n-roll and blues style of music.

Construction of the guitar (violao) is based on whether the player is left-handed or right-handed. Usually, players use their dominant hand to pluck the strings. For most of the people, it is the right hand. The other hand of the player is on the frets for depressing and gripping guitar strings.

The various major guitar components include: headstock, nut, fretboard, frets, truss rod, inlays, neck, heel or neck joint, strings, guitar body and pickups.

There are certain accessories that might be helpful while playing a guitar (violao). Accessories like: Plectrum – also called the guitar pick, is used for picking the strings. It is made of a plastic like hard material; Slides – used for creating glissando effect in blues and rock genre of music. Neck of a bottle, knife blade or round metal bar, any of these can be used as a slide; Copatasto – it is used for changing pitch of open strings.

The Most Famous Guitars in the History of Rock and Roll – Guitarists

If you like music, then you know about an American guitarist, singer and songwriter named Jimi Hendrix. He was classed as one of best and influenced many a budding guitarists with his music.

Though starting in England it wasn’t until the Monterey Festival in 1967 that he was recognized worldwide. He later went on to headline The 1969 Woodstock Festival and with his style of playing using guitar feedback and overdriven amplifiers he turned an undesirable sound into a highly popular type of music.

HIS GUITAR-FENDER 60s REVERSE HEADSTOCK STRATOCASTER

Another amazing artist is Jimmy Page, from England he is also a composer and record producer.
He started out as a Studio guitarist then joined a band called the Yardbirds, which played from 1966 to 1968. He then founded one of best and most popular English bands called Led Zepplin. In rock history, Jimmy Page is a legend in his own right. as a guitarist and songwriter. Page was also ranked the #9th greatest guitarist of all time.

HIS GUITARS-GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC, GIBSON CUSTOM SHOP JIMMY PAGE DOUBLE NECK ELECTRIC

You can’t talk guitarists without talking about” Slowhand” Eric Clapton. This English award winning rock guitarist, singer is also a songwriter and composer. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 3 times and was one of the best musicians of the 20th and 21rst centuries. Though he’s tried different styles, the blues are always present in his playing. He has played with Cream, The Yardbirds and blues -rock band John Mavril & the Bluesbreakers.

HIS GUITAR-ERIC CLAPTON ARTIST SIGNATURE STRATOCASTER

Another great guitarist, from America, is Joe Satriani. His style of instrumental rock music in a world previously dominated by pop opened the doors for a completely new type of music. His blues and rock tone has a warm sound and the influences of such artists as Jimi Hendrix , Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck can be heard in his music.

HIS GUITARS-IBANEZ JS100, IBANEZ JS1000, IBANEZ JS1200

Fame came to Carlos Santana and the Santana Blues Band in the late 60s and early 70s. With a fantastic blend of rock, blues, jazz, salsa using Latin instruments such as congas, and timbales it was a sound with great melody that Santana perfected over the decades to come.

HIS GUITAR-PRS SANTANA II GIBSON SG

AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band and its co-founder Angus Young is an amazing guitarist and songwriter and is ranked in the magazine Rolling Stones list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time at 96th. He is known for his schoolboy -uniform outfits and his hard edge style lead guitar playing.

HIS GUITAR-GIBSON ANGUS YOUNG SIGNATURE SG

One of the most famous bands of all times is by far The Rolling Stones. One of the co-founders. Keith Richards is a guitarist from England and sings as well as produces music with lead vocalist Mick Jagger. Together they have written and produced many hit songs and Richards is rated number 10 on the Rolling Stones Guitarist list.

HIS GUITARS-FENDER 1950s TELECASTER, GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC

These are but a few of the most famous guitarists and the guitars they play!

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