Sound created by string vibrations transformed into currents of electricity and then amplified is the basic definition of an electric guitar. In the 1930s the first incarnation of the electric guitar appeared, although it was nothing more than electromagnetic-transducers attached to a hollow arch-top acoustic guitar. In the 1940s Les Paul invented the Fender, the first modern electric guitar.
The Guitar’s BodyMost bodies of an electric guitar are made of a solid piece of wood but some do have a semi-hollow resonance chamber. The body is the house for the pickups and controls of the guitar. Acoustic guitars vibrate their sound through a ’soundboard’ on the body and thus the type of wood is important (the same is found on the right handed and left handed acoustic electric guitar). Despite soundboards not being used; the wood type used in the body of the electric guitar will determine how the instrument resonates. Denser woods, such as alder, ash, and mahogany, create a richer sound.
BarA metal bar attached to the bridge varies the string tension be moving the bridge backwards and forwards. This bar is also known as the Tremolo, Whammy, Vibrato, or Wang Bar.
The Neck and Fingerboard of the GuitarMost electric guitar necks are made of maple wood. Laminated to the front of the neck is a strip of wood (usually rosewood or maple) called the fingerboard or fretboard. Running above the fingerboard are the strings, which are pressed into the fingerboard during playing to change the vibrating lengths to change pitch. Rosewood fingerboards are dark of timbre. Maple fretboards are bright of pitch.
The Pickups of the GuitarIt is said that the pickups are the ‘voice of the guitar.’ Made of wire wrapped magnets, the pickups take the string vibrations and change them into an electric current. This current can then be amplified. When the string vibrates, the magnetic field of the pickup is disrupted. This is how the electrical signal is created.
There are two types of pickups:
The Single Coil PickupSingle coil pickups consist of only one coil and they tend to create a bright sound. The drawback to using a single coil pickup is that it is susceptible to having a background ‘hum.’ Ambient sound and signal created by electronics that is caused by changes in the magnetic flux of the pickup is the root cause of this hum.
The Humbucker PickupThe sound distortion caused by single coil pickups gave rise to the invention of the dual coil, or Humbucker, pickup. These are made up of two coils that are wound as mirror images and have opposed polarity within the six magnetic coils. The ambient sound is cancelled out before it is amplified, thus the hum is eliminated. Humbucker pickups have a thick sound and some guitars allow the option of switching between the two pickup types.
Guitar StringsElectric guitar strings have various windings, alloys, and gauges, all of which factor into the sound of the guitar. All electric guitar strings are made of metal and the right handed electric guitar is strung high E, B, G, D, A, and low E while the left handed electric guitar is strung upside down.
The String’s AlloysMost commonly used are strings made of steel because they produce vast volumes and tones that are brilliant. Stainless-steel nickel plated strings have a subdued tone. Nickel strings have a muted-round sound and are best used in rhythm and jazz.
The Guitar String’s GaugeThe string’s gauge refers to its thickness. Thin gauge is easier to bend and is preferred by lead guitarists because they can be played fast. The medium gauge stings create great volume and are ideal for strummers and pickers. Full sound can be had with heavy gauge strings but they can be rather hard to play.
The String’s WindingThe winding of the string comes in four different styles: flat, ground, round, and any of the other three but nylon taped. Fast guitarists usually prefer not to use the most common winding because round windings tend to ‘grab’ the fingers. Flat windings, also known as ribbon strings, have a smooth, oily surface and are the pride and joy of fast guitarists that like subdued tones. Only electric bass guitars have ground windings. Ground windings are round wound with a machine polish. Any of these three windings can be coated with nylon to produce a sound like that of an acoustic bass guitar. This is the definition of ‘nylon taped.’
One must do his or her homework when finding an electric guitar for sale. The prospective buyer must take into consideration the type of music he or she plans to play and how comfortable he or she will be with the instrument. Each guitar has an individual sonic-personality because of the various combinations of pickups, wood, and string.
