| In The Beginning | | | | wood…a railroad tie, hence the name "Log." |
| The guitar's soft melodic tone made it difficult for | | | | Around this same time, guitarist Merle Travis and |
| people to hear it when being played alongside other | | | | engineer Paul Bigsby developed a solid-body electric |
| instruments. So during the 1930's an inventive individual | | | | guitar that resembled the solid-body guitars that we're |
| decided to change that and invented the first electric | | | | so familiar with today. |
| guitar. Little did he know, or have imagined way back | | | | The First Mass Produced Electric Guitar |
| then how the invention of the electric guitar would | | | | Leo Fender in 1950 was the first to mass produce an |
| significantly affect the course of 20th century music. | | | | electric guitar which was originally called the Fender |
| Like most new things, the electric guitar had its critics | | | | Broadcaster. This guitar was quickly re-named to the |
| but it quickly won people over because of its ability to | | | | infamous Telecaster because the name "Broadcaster" |
| allow musicians to play much more creatively and | | | | was already being used by another company. Leo |
| express their own individual styles. | | | | followed this up in 1954 with the most renowned guitar |
| The First Pickup | | | | of all time…the Stratocaster. |
| In 1924 an inventive engineer working for the Gibson | | | | Leo's success led other guitar manufacturers into |
| guitar company named Lloyd Loar, designed the first | | | | developing their own mass-produced electric guitars. |
| magnetic pickup. Using a magnet, he converted guitar | | | | Most notable was the teaming-up of the Gibson guitar |
| string vibrations into electrical signals, which then were | | | | company with Les Paul to create the famous Gibson |
| amplified through a speaker system. This first pickup | | | | Les Paul electric guitar. |
| was crude, but it was a great beginning. | | | | More Affordable Electric Guitars |
| The First Electric Guitar | | | | During the 1960's and 1970's famous brand name |
| In 1931 the Electro String Company was founded by | | | | electric guitars were too expensive for the average |
| Paul Barth, George Beauchamp and Adolph | | | | person to buy. Less pricey imitations quickly came to |
| Rickenbacker, and developed the first electric guitars | | | | market but they were sub-standard in sound and |
| marketed to the general public. They made their guitars | | | | playability. The Japanese, in the 1980's started |
| from cast aluminum and were played on a person's | | | | manufacturing electric guitars of similar quality to the |
| lap using a steel slide much like today's steel guitar. | | | | more expensive American made models, but with |
| Because of their unusual material, they were | | | | much more affordable pricing. This prompted Fender |
| affectionately called "Frying Pans." | | | | and other leading guitar manufacturers into producing |
| The early success of the frying pans prompted the | | | | less expensive versions of their classic models. This |
| Gibson guitar company to build their first electric guitar, | | | | resulted in electric guitars now being more affordable |
| the ES-150 which is a legend today. | | | | and accessible to more people. |
| The First Solid-Body Electric Guitar | | | | Today, the Gibson and Fender guitar companies are |
| Electric guitars were quickly becoming popular, even | | | | still producing some of the most well-known and best |
| though there was a major problem with their | | | | made electric guitars on the market. But it's getting |
| construction. Their bodies would vibrate due to the | | | | crowded with other high quality brands such as BC |
| amplified sounds coming through the speakers they | | | | Rich, ESP and Peavey. Innovative designs, shapes and |
| were played into, causing what we know as | | | | materials are being incorporated with new technologies |
| feed-back. The obvious remedy was to build a guitar | | | | to produce better sounding electric guitars. |
| made with a solid body which wouldn't vibrate so | | | | Modern guitars have built-in software allowing them to |
| easily. | | | | sound like other types of guitars. Some are even fitted |
| As with most innovations, there is controversy over | | | | with pickups that synthesize the sound of different |
| who invented the first solid -body electric guitar. Guitar | | | | instruments or record the notes in musical notation. |
| legend Les Paul in the 1940's developed his | | | | The electric guitar has come a long way with an |
| affectionately called "The Log" solid-body guitar by | | | | interesting and inventive past and many in the industry |
| attaching a Gibson neck to a solid piece of | | | | say it has an even brighter future. |