The Electric Guitar

Paper Summary:

The paper presents a short description of the electric guitar and its components in order to explain how the instrument works. It also discusses the most well-known and important producers and manufacturers who contributed to the guitar's evolution. It contends that the electric guitar is still undergoing many changes to suit today's musical needs, explaining that different musicians prefer different sounds for diverse purposes. The paper also introduces and discusses the guitar playing of various influential musicians.
Outline
Introduction
Guitar Components
The Need for an Electrified Guitar
Early Methods of Amplification
Pioneers of Electrification
Lyod Loar
Rickenbacker's "Frying Pan"
Les Paul and "The Log"
Early Guitar Manufacturers
Gibson
Fender
Bigsby
Most Popular Models/Musicians
Gibson Les Paul
Fender Telecaster
Fender Stratocaster
Later Producers
Danelectro
Jackson
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The need for an electrified guitar arose in early 1920's when musicians and bands became more and more popular and their audiences grew larger. The artists realized they needed louder and more powerful instruments in order to compensate for their increasing audiences and growing venues. Bands started using microphones set up near the sound hole of their acoustic guitars to amplify the sound. This was effective only in small concert halls where there was not a large space for the sound to fill. It also caused a problem when the guitarist wanted to move around on stage. If the player moved to far they would loose the amplified sound, needing the guitar to be very close in front of the microphone to produce efficient volume. The desire for an improved method of amplification was evident."

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