The Rise Of The Electric Guitar

The Rise of the Electric Guitar

The electric guitar plays a very important role in the modern world. Ever since the last half-century, it has been a popular and crucial instrument in music. The electric guitar produces the resonant and sonorous music that we listen to today. The contribution of the electric guitar heavily impacted music technology today and gave rise to a significant change in modern musical styles.

Before electric amplifiers and speakers were developed during the 19th century, people had the desire to increase the sound of a guitar. This was because there were many performances in large concerts and ensembles and musical instruments needed to be louder and more powerful in order to be heard. By using new materials and designs,

These include distortions, overtones, and feedback—the amplification of vibrations in the body of the instrument as well as in the strings. To try and solve these challenges, inventors began experimenting with solid, rather than hollow, guitar bodies. The Slingerland company commercially introduced a Spanish solid-body electric guitar in 1939. Around 1940, on an instrument nicknamed "the Log," guitarist and inventor Les Paul had strings and pickups mounted on a solid block of pine to minimize body vibrations. During the 1940s, Paul Bigsby and Leo Fender also began experimenting with Spanish-style solid-body guitar design.

When the electric guitar was first created, many people debated whether or not it was a “true” instrument, because it did not produce a pure, “authentic” musical sound. Country and jazz musicians, most especially Charlie Christian, a jazz soloist and the electric guitar 's first virtuoso player, defended the electric guitar, proving its louder sound and ability to compete with other melody instruments in ensemble

All experimented with the instrument 's tonal and harmonic possibilities. In the process, other musicians, makers, and audiences started to pay attention to the new electric sound.

Like most inventions, the electric guitar was first criticized and traditionalists doubted its ability. However, country and blues players and jazz instrumentalists soon realized the variety of new tones and sounds that the electric guitar could produce, exploring innovative ways to alter, bend, and sustain notes. In the 1950s, enthusiasts of rock and roll found the electric guitar to be appealing.

Slowly, other manufacturers started to produce their own models of the electric guitar after being influenced by Fender’s immediate success. In 1952, Gibson became Fender 's first major competitor, introducing its own solid-body guitar with the help of celebrity endorser Les