| As with many inventions, the electric guitar | | | | helped publicize and design the Gibson |
| initially met with skepticism from original | | | | guitars, which included his legendary Les |
| performers as well as from guitar makers and | | | | Paul models. It was the mass production of |
| traditional audiences. Country and blues | | | | Fender and Gibson guitars that lowered the |
| players and jazz instrumentalists initially | | | | price and made them reachable by teenagers |
| took to the variety of new tones and sounds | | | | across the country. Now any teenager could |
| offered by the electric guitar, as they | | | | envision themselves as being in a musical |
| explored new sounds and found ways to change, | | | | rebellion.In the 1960s, many people thought |
| bend, and have longer sustained notes.In the | | | | that rock and roll would be a quick fad, but |
| 1950s, rock and roll found a new home in the | | | | with the Beatles and Beach Boys and other |
| electric guitar's greater volume and the | | | | groups of the 1960s, rock and roll dominated |
| driving tones that appealed to teen audiences | | | | the music and became powerfully rooted in the |
| (who had newfound spending dollars). While | | | | American culture.It was also in the 1960s |
| the electric guitar impacted other music, the | | | | that guitarists found new sounds and most |
| electric guitar was at the center of the | | | | guitarists were using distortion and other |
| cultural rebellion that symbolized rock and | | | | special effects such as tremolo and |
| roll. The new guitar "legend" was created: | | | | reverb.Distortion and feedback became |
| with slicked-back hair, a leather jacket, a | | | | commonplace with guitarists like Hendrix, Van |
| motorcycle, and "sizzling" electric | | | | Halen and Tom Scholz.In the early 1970s, you |
| guitar.The Spanish-styled solid-body guitar | | | | also saw new guitar effects such as phaser, |
| design became associated with rock and roll. | | | | flanger, compressor, tube screamer, octaver, |
| The earliest known commercially produced | | | | and many others offering a wide range of |
| Spanish solid-body electric guitar is the | | | | sounds that continue to be used to this day. |
| 1939 Slingerland. Les Paul experimented with | | | | And now you can get these effects built in to |
| a similar design in 1940. In 1947 Paul Bigsby | | | | a modeling amp and combine effects in a way |
| teamed up with famed country singer Merle | | | | that they complement each other rather than |
| Travis to produce a solid-body guitar that is | | | | competing with each other.The last few |
| very similar to the guitars used still to | | | | decades have also seen the rise of the |
| this day.But it was Leo Fender that | | | | professional female guitarist. Pioneers like |
| especially revolutionized the electric guitar | | | | Heart and Bonnie Raitt have given women |
| along with his awesome line of amps. As a | | | | respect in an industry that was traditionally |
| radio repairman, he designed great amps with | | | | male-dominated.The electric guitar has been |
| a highly desired tone. He was also the first | | | | around for sixty years. Even though the 1980s |
| to successfully mass-produce and market a | | | | were heavily dominated with synthesizers, the |
| Spanish-style solid-body electric guitar. The | | | | electric guitar is still in all types of |
| success of his Telecaster line and later | | | | music and is played and listened to by men |
| Stratocaster line, inspired additional | | | | and women of every age.Copyright (c) |
| manufacturers to start making their own | | | | 2006Jessica Deets writes about information |
| models.Gibson was Fender's first major | | | | interesting to help people. |
| competitor in 1952. Expert guitarist Les Paul | | | | |