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Types Of Electric Guitars
By chris | October 27, 2009
When most people think of an electric guitar, they imagine the pioneering Fender Telecaster or the classic Gibson Les Paul both of which sparked the popularity of electric guitars in the 1950s. But electric guitars are a diverse family of instruments that include the solid body (the type represented by the Les Paul and Fender Telecaster), hollow-body, semi-hollow-body and even more obscure versions like the double neck guitar. Before you go about trying to learn the electric guitar, make sure you understand the different types.
In describing the different types of electric guitars, it’s best to start at the beginning of the electric guitar’s history with the hollow-body electric guitar. More than 70 years old, the hollow-body appeared in Swing bands during the 1930s and is still in use to this day. Also known as a semi-acoustic guitar, hollow-body guitars have both a sound box and electrical pickups. This produces a unique sound based on the vibrations of the open chamber in the body of the guitar combined with the vibrations from the strings. The hollow-body is still popular more than 70 years after its inception and its unique sound can be heard prominently in Jazz music today.
Even though the first electric guitar was the hollow-body, the solid body electric guitar is the dominant player in the electric market today. Debuted in 1950, the first solid body to hit the mass market was the Fender Telecaster. The solid body is the most radical departure from the traditional acoustic guitar. It’s comprised of a solid wood body and almost totally dependent on an amplifier. Solid body guitars require amps because they don’t have an empty chamber in which sound vibrates and is naturally amplified. Solid body guitars are noted for their clean, cutting sound totally divorced from the feedback that’s noticeable in hollow body electric guitars. The sound of the solid body is also more precise and it’s the natural starting point for anyone interested in learning the electric guitar.
An interesting cross between the solid body and hollow-body guitars is the semi-hollow-body. Built with a piece of wood running through the middle of the guitar, the semi-hollow-body has hollow chambers on the left and right sides of the body. Essentially a compromise between the hollow-body and solid body, semi-hollow-body guitars possess a relatively clear sound with less feedback than a hollow-body but enough vibration and resonance to still be suitable for Jazz. Unlike the hollow-body, the semi-hollow-body has a precise enough tone that it’s suitable for genres like pop, rock and country.
Aside from these three dominant types of electric guitars, there are a number of variations on the electric guitar with different necks or numbers of strings. For instance, some people may be familiar with the double neck guitar that allows the musician to play both the bass and six-string guitar at once. Also, although the six-string guitar is standard, electric guitars are available with any number of strings from six to twelve.
From the iconic solid body to the obscure double neck, there are many types of electric guitars that cater to specific playing styles, needs and genres of music. For this reason, it’s important to know how the guitar developed and exactly what options are available even though you may play the guitar your whole life and never own anything but a solid body.
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