By Mitch Rice
Playing guitar comes with an ecstatic feeling that players might not be able to explain. Using an electric guitar brings much more satisfaction. While beginners are likely to struggle with electric guitars, for those who have mastery, it is likened to tough-typing.
To help guitar lovers have a better understanding of electric guitars, we have compiled useful information in this article. We’ll keep it simple so that beginners and those not familiar with guitars can easily understand.
What is an Electric Guitar?
An electric guitar is a musical instrument that produces melodic sound by converting its vibrations into electrical signals. The vibrations that occur when a player strikes the cords of a guitar are transmitted into an amplifier which turns into electric signals to produce a wide range of sounds.
Electric guitars are pretty versatile, with this instrument, you can produce music ranging from rock ‘n roll to jazz, reggae, and many others.
While it is possible to play an electric guitar with your fingers, some players combine fingers and a pick. The essential items you need to play the electric guitar are; an amplifier, a cable (for connection of the guitar to the amplifier), and picks.
Depending on the occasions on which you’d be playing the guitar, you can also get accessories like a guitar bag, straps and buckles, pedals, guitar stand, tuner, and others.
Types of Electric Guitars
There are different types of electric guitars namely;
- Solid-body guitars: Solid inner and outer build, zero hollowness
- Hollow-body guitars: Feature a complete hole in the guitar
- Semi-hollow body guitars: Feature F-holes or soundholes to aid airflow
- Archtop Electric guitars: Come with an arched top, they are acoustic or semi-acoustic
Solid-body guitars are by far the most popular, not to worry, we’ll delve into details shortly. But first, let’s take a look at the vital elements that make up an electric guitar.
Body Type: The three major types of electric guitars got their names from the different types of guitars. The hollow body type features a space or hole inside the guitar. The solid-body types are made of strong woods and have a solid body, while the semi-hollow has a small hole.
Body Shape: Many people often confuse the body type of a guitar with its body shape, but they are two different things. The body shape is essential to how the guitar looks, this could be a V shape, U-shape, flying, and others.
Neck Type: Guitar neck is another element that distinguishes different types of guitars. Ranging from rounded to thick and thin necks, different manufacturers pick up different neck designs. Players also have different preferences when it comes to the guitar neck, it’s all about how easier they find certain necks.
Wood Type: Electric guitars are made of different woods – from maple wood to mahogany rosewood, koa, spruce, Sapele, cedar, and others. However, not all wood types are suitable for guitars because wood type has an impact on the sound the guitar will give. It is also possible for a single guitar to combine up to three types of wood, one for the body, another for the neck, and one for the fretboard. If you’re considering playing the guitar, you need to be familiar with the different tones of wood and the most suitable ones.
Pickups: These are of various types and they produce different tones in a guitar. A pickup is an essential element that detects and produces the sound of strings. The variations of electric guitar pickups you will find on the market include single-coil pickups, dual-coil also called humbuckers, and P-90s.
About Solid-Body Electric Guitars
Solid-body electric guitars have gained much popularity among users over the years. They are built with solid wood and have no hollowness in them. These guitars are constructed with tonewoods – different ones for the guitar neck and fingerboard.
If you need a standard electric guitar, the solid-body type is your best pick. They are widely used and produce a different range of music genres including jazz, rock ‘n roll, pop, country music, blues, and so on. Solid-body guitars are also versatile as you can use them on different stages, including live performances.
These guitars use magnetic pickups which aid the amplification of the metal string sounds. They also come with control knobs to allow players to adjust the volume and tone of the instrument and switch between pickups.
Solid-body guitars also produce punchy sounds, all thanks to the fantastic combination of pickups, tonewood selection, scale length, bridge, and strings.
Talks about solid-body electric guitars are not complete without the mention of the great inventor – Leo Fender, who first produced these guitar types in large quantity. Examples include Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Jaguar, Mustang, and Jazzmaster.
Other popular manufacturers of solid-body guitars are Yamaha, Ibanez, ESP, Gibson, and Epiphone.
Before Playing Electric Guitar
If you’re looking to commence playing guitar, there are important things you should pay attention to. While guitarists produce sounds basically by striking their fingers against guitar strings, there is more to playing guitar than that.
Learning guitar chords, finger exercises and intense practice plays a huge role in the mastery of guitar for beginners. However, some essentials and non-essentials determine how great the sound you’d produce with an electric guitar will be.
Without the essentials, getting the best of an electric guitar is impossible – they include an amplifier, a cable for connectivity, and guitar pickups for great sound. The non-essentials include a guitar stand, maintenance pack, gig bag, pedals, and other accessories.
When selecting an electric guitar, it is useful to go through buyers’ guides and be familiar with the pros and cons of different types of guitars.
In addition to fantastic sound, it is important to choose a guitar you are comfortable using. Will the guitar not cause you neck pain? Can you play it on any stage and in any situation? Is the weight appropriate? These are some of the things to consider.
Final Thoughts
A perfect electric guitar cannot substitute for mastery in playing guitar. While you focus on the instrument itself, you should also invest in gaining mastery at using it. The good news there are various online websites available like Guitar Outrun to guide you and help you make the best of playing the guitar.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.
