solid body electric guitar
Electric guitars are the defining icons of rock ’n’ roll culture. Often as revered as musicians, they have become highly valuable collectors’ items. The innovations surrounding the solid body electric guitar − from its first embodiment to its variations and accessories like pedals − have transformed music significantly over the past fifty years. At the root of the electric guitar lies the notion of amplification. The desire to create a sound bolder and louder than acoustic guitars could make led to the experiments in pick-up technologies, new materials and shapes that eventually brought forth the solid body electric guitar.
Guitar makers have played a critical role in music culture and have become industry legends. Early electric guitars were essentially acoustic guitars with electric pick-ups added. They were relatively difficult to mass produce, and their tone was affected by the vibration of the hollow acoustic guitar body. Solid body guitars could be made in virtually any shape and were easier to manufacture. By 1951, Leo Fender and the Gibson guitar company were both mass producing solid body guitars. Fender, an early proponent of user-centered design, worked closely with musicians and often built several prototypes for them to test. The Fender Telecaster was contoured, made thinner and its corners beveled and rounded to “fit like a shirt.” Its ergonomic design brought the guitar close to the body and allowed rock ’n’ roll musicians to jump around during their active performances. Following the success of Fender’s Telecaster, the Gibson company sought the assistance of musician Les Paul to develop their product. Paul had already built a simple solid body guitar on a 4-by-4-inch slab of wood − a guitar he called The Log. Gibson’s Les Paul had an arched top and a glossy black or gold finish.
The Les Paul and Fender’s Broadcaster, Telecaster and especially the Stratocaster became favorites among rock musicians. Mass production made the electric guitar widely available to the public at an affordable price. With the advent of rock ’n’ roll in the mid-1950s, many young people began purchasing guitars and imitating the playing styles of Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and others.
Experiments in guitar design continue today. The Wave Guitar created by industrial designer Ravi Sawhney of RKS Guitars uses a wooden body with a polymer core, a unique composite material that emits a resonant sound. The guitar has an entirely new form and offers multiple options of color and graphics for customization. Moog Music’s Moog Guitar is a hybrid new instrument that is part guitar and part synthesizer, with features that never existed in guitars before. Such instruments of desire inspire musicians to create new forms of of music and manufacturers to continue their attempts to generate newer and stranger sounds.
