The Basics Of An Electric Guitar

Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by amauto in Uncategorized

Amplified sound created by electrical currents caused by vibrating strings is the definition of the music created by an electric guitar. The first electric guitars in the 1930s consisted of electromagnetic transducers fastened to hollow-arch-top acoustic guitars. The Fender, created by Les Paul, was the original modern-day electric guitar. The Fender made its debut in the 1940s.

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.

The Guitar’s BarAttached to the bridge is a metal bar that deals with string tension variation. It works by tilting the bridge forward and back. Other names for this component are Tremolo Bar, Whammy Bar, Wang Bar, and Vibrato Bar.

The Guitar’s Neck and FingerboardThe guitar’s neck is generally constructed out of maple. The fingerboard, or fretboard, is a thin strip of either maple or rosewood that is laminated to the front of the neck. The strings run above the fingerboard and when the guitar is played, the strings are pressed towards the fingerboard to change their vibrating lengths. This is how the musician changes pitch. Fingerboards made of rosewood have a dark timbre. Maple fingerboards create a bright pitch.

The PickupsThe pickups are what makes the sound and thus they can be said to be the ‘voice’ of the guitar. They are made of magnets wrapped in wire. The strings vibrate when the guitar is played. These vibrations disrupt the magnetic field of the pickup. This creates an electric current that is then amplified.

Pickups fall into two different categories:

Single CoilSingle coil pickups are brighter in sound. The biggest problem with the single coil pickup is that it tends to pick up a humming sound. The hum consists of a fundamental signal and harmonic content. All of this is due to changes in the magnetic flux of the pickup.

HumbuckerHumbuckers were designed to overcome the humming effects of the single coil pickup. Humbuckers consist of two coils and are thicker in sound. The two coils are wound reverse to each other with opposing polarity in the 6 magnetic coils. This causes any ambient sound to be ‘cancelled out’ before amplification. Some electric guitars types let the musician turn off one of the coils to change the guitar’s ‘personality.’

Strings of the GuitarThe guitar strings of an electric guitar vary in gauge, alloy, and winding. These are all significant factors in how the electric guitar sounds. It is important to note that all electric guitar string alloys are metal. Nylon strings would not be detected by the pickups. The strings on a right handed electric guitar run high E, B, G, D, A, and Low E. The strings on a left handed electric guitar run Low E, A, D, G, B, and high E because the guitar is played 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 String’s GaugeString thickness is the string’s gauge. Fast guitarists prefer thinner gauges because they are easy to bend. Pickers and strummers prefer medium gauges because they produce a considerable volume. A full-vibrant sound is produced by heavy gauged strings, but these are hard to play because they do not bend easily.

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.’

When someone puts their electric guitar for sale, deciding to buy it depends on the music type you will play and how comfortable you are with the instrument. Just remember that sonic personalities of electric guitars vary because of the assortment of wood, string, and pickup combinations.

Tags: electric guitar primer