History of the Electric Guitar

By Justin Hayes

Invention of the electric pickup

• Invented in late 1920’s by Lloyd Loar – Faraday’s Law of Induction QuickTime™ and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.

– Didn’t catch on at all.

• Adolph Rickenbacker and George Beauchamp – Perfected Loar’s design – Rickenbacker began selling the “Frying Pan” • Hawaiian lap steel players love it… …other players didn’t

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Mass Production

• Leo Fender invents the Telecaster – First mass produced solid body electric guitar – Cheap to produce, affordable • Gibson introduces the Les Paul – Higher end model endorsed by Les Paul • Both models are still sold today • “Solid Body” guitars are designed for amplification – Sound much better than old style modified hollow bodies, less feedback.

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Continued

• Guitars shapes have become increasingly modern (ex. Flying V) • Preamplifiers inside guitar • Basic construction and operation has stayed the same – Much cheaper now – Ex. Gibson and Epiphone, Fender and Squire QuickTime™ and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.

Amplifiers

• Can’t have the electric guitar without the amplifier Guitar ---> Pre-Amp--->Power-Amp--->Speaker • First amplifiers were modified stereo equipment – Manufacturers started building guitar specific amp in the 1930’s • Until 1970’s most amps were tube powered – Refinement of silicon transistors led to “solid state” • Tube sound is sought after, solid state amps emulate tube amps, distortion.

• Computer technology has lead to modeling amps – Can often emulate many (20+) different models

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Questions?