Instrument of the Week: Electric Guitar
The electric guitar is synonymous with rock music, and is a relatively new form of guitar in the long history of the string instrument. As bands became more popular in the early 1900s, the guitar’s muted sound was drowned out by other loud instruments, creating a problem that needed a solution. In 1924, “Lloyd Loar designed the first magnetic pickup. He developed a way to pick up the sounds of the string vibrations of a guitar and amplify them electronically through speakers.”
Although it is not known who invented the first guitar, some of the early pioneers of the electric guitar include well known brands like Rickenbacker, Gibson, and Fender.
