Explaining the Origins of the Electric Guitar [VIDEO]
Oct 30, 2013 20:06
Without technology, the world would never have been familiar with the magic that happens when legendary musicians like Les Paul, Duane Eddy, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Slash, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page rock out on their electric guitar.
But the origins of the electric guitar itself still remain a mystery, particularly when it comes to who invented it and how it all started.
Many people thought Les Paul to be the inventor of the electric guitar, but he really wasn’t. The credit for this rightfully goes to musician George Beauchamp and electrical engineer Adolph Rickenbacker, who created the first commercially viable modern amplifiable electric guitar.
After a lot of experimentation, the duo finally invented an electromagnetic device which picked up the vibrations of the guitar strings with great clarity. The electromagnets convert these vibrations into an electrical signal, which is then amplified and played through speakers. The duo were the first to achieve the modern, electrically amplified guitar with sound quality good enough to use in a professional music setting.
As for how the electric guitar gained popularity, this has to do with the fact that classic guitars were too audibly quiet to contribute to the music a band produced in many settings. And according to guitar historian Richard Smith, Hawaiian music as a genre was a key factor in the invention of the electric guitar. Even Beauchamp, who designed the very first crude electric guitar right in his house, was said to have played the Hawaiian guitar.
For a more thorough explanation on how the electric guitar came to be, read the full article here.
But the origins of the electric guitar itself still remain a mystery, particularly when it comes to who invented it and how it all started.
Many people thought Les Paul to be the inventor of the electric guitar, but he really wasn’t. The credit for this rightfully goes to musician George Beauchamp and electrical engineer Adolph Rickenbacker, who created the first commercially viable modern amplifiable electric guitar.
After a lot of experimentation, the duo finally invented an electromagnetic device which picked up the vibrations of the guitar strings with great clarity. The electromagnets convert these vibrations into an electrical signal, which is then amplified and played through speakers. The duo were the first to achieve the modern, electrically amplified guitar with sound quality good enough to use in a professional music setting.
As for how the electric guitar gained popularity, this has to do with the fact that classic guitars were too audibly quiet to contribute to the music a band produced in many settings. And according to guitar historian Richard Smith, Hawaiian music as a genre was a key factor in the invention of the electric guitar. Even Beauchamp, who designed the very first crude electric guitar right in his house, was said to have played the Hawaiian guitar.
For a more thorough explanation on how the electric guitar came to be, read the full article here.
