A Short History Of The Electric Guitar






by Simone Davies


As was discussed in our article on "the History of the Guitar," guitars have been about for centuries. The original guitars were Acoustic guitars, which modified in shape over one or two hundred years. Since you've already received a time line of the development of the guitar, in this article we'll go into greater depth talking about the Acoustic guitar itself.

The Acoustic guitar is essentially a descendent of the Classical guitar, which, in its current form, has been around for over 100 years. The main difference between the Classical and Acoustic guitars are that one is strung with nylon strings, while the other one is strung with steel strings. Since the Acoustic guitar is strung with steel strings, it's got a louder, brighter sound which is appealing to folks and blues players.

Another difference between the Acoustic and Classical guitars is that the Acoustic guitar has a bigger body size, stronger structure, and a narrower neck than does the Classical guitar. The composition of the Acoustic guitar is stronger so it can withstand the immense tension placed on it by the heavier steel strings.

Acoustic-Electric guitars have not been in existence for nearly the quantity of time that their Acoustic counterparts have. These guitars, which have the power to be both plugged into an amp and played unplugged, have been around for approximately 70 years.

The bodies of cheap Acoustic guitars are typically made of laminated tone wood. More expensive Acoustics are made from higher cuts of solid spruce top wood On an Acoustic guitar, the material which the body is made of truly matters, so those looking for a rich sound will want to select a guitar with a body made of nicer wood such as spruce top wood.

The neck of the Acoustic guitar is usually made from maple, mahogany, or rosewood. But some guitar necks are composed of different woods. Once again, the quality of wood does matter. Generally speaking, Acoustic guitars with necks made from a quality maple or mahogany and bodies made with solid spruce top are quality guitars with great tone. These guitars sometimes cost $250 on up.

The vibration of the strings is increased by the sound hole of the guitar. Here's where all sound that you hear comes from.

If you look within the sound hole of the Acoustic guitar, you'll see the development of the body. There are braces and linings, all crucial to keeping the guitar untouched and playable. X-bracing, a strong, durable bracing, is typically used on Acoustic guitars as it is heavy and powerful enough to face up to the pressure of steel strings.

On the body of the guitar, you'll find the bridge. Here is where one end of the strings goes. The strings are inserted into the small holes and the bridge pegs hold them there.

On the neck of the Acoustic guitar is the fret board. Most fret boards on the Acoustic guitar are made of rosewood or ebony. More expensive Acoustic guitars have fret boards made from higher quality woods.

The headstock of the Acoustic guitar features six tuning pegs (3 on each side of the headstock) and six tuners (three on each side of the headstock). Good Acoustic guitars will have die-cast Grover tuners which usually stay in tune longer than other brands of tuners.

Like their Electric counterparts, Acoustic guitars are tuned in the standard E A D G B E tuning. Most Acoustic guitars have 6 strings, while some have 12. If you're curious as to the difference between the two, check our article on "Twelve string vs. Six string".

The Acoustic guitar still remains a very popular instrument. It is employed in nearly every form of music"rock, pop, country, blues, you say it. Acoustic guitars are superb instruments for both beginners and professionals.




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