What Are Electric Guitars Made of?

Electric guitars have become a mainstay in the world of music. What was once a strange counter-culture instrument is now as important to contemporary music as vocals or rhythm. Because of its widespread use, it is easy to forget that electric guitars were quite a feat of engineering for instruments makers.

History

In the early 20th century, electric guitars had the same construction as acoustic guitars. The only difference was the addition of an electrical pick up used to amplify the sounds of the guitar through a speaker system. However, things began to change and soon, electric guitars were being created to play with amplification. Jazz guitarists in the 1940s and 1950s began experimenting with the creation of a non-hollow guitar called a "single piece guitar." This instrument could not be heard at all until plugged into an amplifier. Soon jazz and the blues were dominated by electric guitars. The 1950s and 1960s gave way to rock 'n' roll, which relied heavily on blues riffs that were sped up to a more energetic rhythm. The influence of blues riffs necessitated the use of the electric guitar.
Today, the electric guitar is at the forefront of music. Contemporary rock includes the accompaniment of electric guitars and huge amplifiers. What started out as a simple change in technology altered the face of music forever.

Function

The function of the electric guitar is simple. Connecting the body of the guitar to an amplifier, allows its music to be heard by much larger crowds with very little need to accent the stage acoustics. This means venues do not have to be shaped to bounce and enlarge the sound.

Types

There are several types of electric guitars and each one has a unique reputation and quality.
Fender Stratocaster:
This is a classic electric guitar which features a solid body, scratch plate and a vibrato arm.
Gibson Les Paul:
This guitar is named after the jazz musician Les Paul, who created his own electric guitars and was responsible for many of the ways musicians play electric guitars today. This guitar has a smaller scratch plate on the bottom side of the strings and the strings are adjusted on the top with a headstock similar to an acoustic guitar.
Epiphone Guitar:
This guitar is a combination of acoustic and electric principles. It has a hollow body guitar that creates resonate sounds through slits in the body much like a violin, however, it is also designed to make the most of electric amplification.
Other electric guitar types include variations on the number of strings, ranging from seven to twelve strings.

Features

The construction of an electric guitar varies based on the type of guitar it is. Most solid body guitars like Fender and Gibson, are made of wood with metal coils for the strings and steel for the machine head and bridges. Frets, which separate notes on the guitar are made from metal and embedded into the neck of the guitar. The Fender and many contemporary guitars include a plastic scratch plate that can be easily replaced if needed.
Other electric guitars are made from metals, such as steel. Slide guitars which are popular in country music are made from a steel frame that is laid flat as it is played. Resonator guitars are also made from steel and have acoustic properties but are often hooked up to an electric amplifier.
While many acoustic guitars use animal sinew or gut or a synthetic emulation of the historical materials, electric guitars almost exclusively use a coiled string made of steel, nickel and bronze.

Significance

From its roots in jazz and blues, the electric guitar has worked its way into nearly every major version of pop music since the 1950s. Rock n roll, heavy metal, funk, and psychedelic music all feature electric guitars. The instrument itself has had its own champions who have refined and revolutionized styles of play.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Jimmy Hendrix developed a compelling new style of playing electric guitar that paved the way for a completely new style of guitar playing. Electric guitars have also made their way into rap music, which is not known for heavy instrumentation. Rock Box, by Run DMC featured rap songs that had a heavy reliance on electric guitars for many of the hooks in the songs. This combination eventually led to the creation of another branch of music, "rock rap." Artists like Limp Bizkit, Cypress Hill and Linkin Park arose due to the inclusion of electric guitars in a medium that had not previously used them. Clearly, electric guitars have had a compelling impact on music and continue to do so today.

Resources

• Information on electric guitars for beginners.