Electric guitars basic guide

Guide to electric guitars

This article is a step-by-step guide to everything you need to know about electric guitars, from their origin to how they work.

We’ve all at some point been captivated by some legendary song like Metallica’s Master of Puppets or Iron Maiden’s The Trooper, appreciating awesome riffs and masterful solos performed on the electric guitar. And that’s probably how the curiosity of wanting to learn this magnificent instrument is born.

In this guide we are going to show you different types of electric guitars, so you will know which one suits you best depending on your musical tastes, additionally, we will show you some purchase options, which will have different budgets according to the comfort of your pocket.

If you already have clear the concepts about the world of the guitar I recommend you to visit the following

post:

How does an electric guitar work?

Unlike an acoustic guitar, the electric guitar does not have a soundboard to amplify the sound of the strings, that is why if we play it without plugging it in, it sounds too low.

Thus, in order to amplify the signal of the electric guitar, a pickup is used , which consists of a magnet wrapped with a copper wire that forms a coil. As the strings of the electric guitar are metallic, their vibration, when approaching the pickup, generates alternating current that oscillates with the same frequencies of the musical notes played on the guitar.

This process allows the acoustic signal from the strings to be converted into an electrical signal. Finally, you must use a line cord to connect the guitar to the amplifier, you can check our amplifier guide, so you will have more information about it

Another important difference between an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar is its solid body, if we were to put the electronic system that an electric guitar works with to an acoustic guitar, it would generate an eternal feedback that is like a kind of loud whistle which would prevent us from playing cleanly. Therefore, by using a solid body and not a hollow body, the pickup will only pick up the vibrations of the strings, and not the resonance in the hollow body that an acoustic guitar has.

We know that this information is difficult to understand at first sight, that is why we leave you a video illustrating how an electric guitar works, and besides this, showing each and every one of its parts.

Types of electric guitars

As you may know, throughout the history of the electric guitar, several types of guitars have been developed, with many variations, taking into account the brand, the wood, the design, its electronic devices, among others. That’s why below we are going to see only some types of guitars, the most recognized of course.

Stratocaster

In 1954, the Fender Stratocaster was launched to the market, a model that promised to increase comfort and versatility in its sound.

The most characteristic woods of this guitar model are maple, ash and rosewood. This guitar generates bright tones and has a low resonance. It has 3 single coil pickups that offer different configurations to obtain warm, penetrating, medium or balanced sounds.

This type of guitar has 2 tone controls and a volume control, the location of the volume potentiometer facilitates the use of swells. It has asemi-floating bridge , so you can use the tremolo bar with good results. Among the guitar brands that have manufactured this model apart from Fender, we can find Music Man, G&L and Chapman Guitars.

Telecaster

In 1950 the Fender Telecaster was launched on the market, a model that at first wanted to differentiate itself from its Broadcaster model, as it was confused with a brand of drums in those years.

The most characteristic woods of this guitar model are maple, ash and rosewood. Like the Stratocaster model, this guitar generates bright tones and has a low resonance. It has 2 single coil pickups that offer warm sounds, “nasal” sounds characteristic of country music and penetrating sounds much more rock.

This type of guitar has a tone control and a volume control. It has a fixed bridge, so you can’t use the tremolo bar. Some people consider this guitar to be uncomfortable because of its body design. Among the guitar brands that have manufactured this model apart from Fender, we can find G&L and Fender made in Mexico.

Les Paul

In 1952 the Gibson Les Paul was launched to the market, a model that was designed to improve the sustain of the notes in the instrument.

The most characteristic woods of this guitar model are mahogany, maple and rosewood. These woods, in addition to generating a greater sustain, make the guitar produce a brighter sound. It has 2 “Humbucker” type pickups that offer very thick sounds, intense and full of harmonics, balanced sounds and also somewhat distorted.

This type of guitar has 2 tone controls and 2 volume controls. It has a fixed bridge, just like the Telecaster model, you can’t use the tremolo bar. Among the guitar brands that have manufactured this model apart from Gibson, we can find ESP, Cort and Epiphone.

ES-335

In 1958 the Gibson ES-335 was launched, a semi-hollowbody model that was presented as an alternative to the amplified hollowbody guitars, which had major shortcomings, such as lack of sustain or feedback reproduction.

The most characteristic woods of this guitar model are maple or mahogany, laminated maple and rosewood. This guitar favors the sustain in the strings, it is versatile and adapts to various musical styles such as Jazz, Blues and Rock. It has 2 humbucker pickups that offer clean, warm sounds and excellent overdrive tones.

This type of guitar has 2 tone controls and 2 volume controls. It has a fixed bridge and a pickguard that allows you to better play various styles and genres of music. Among the guitar brands that have manufactured this model apart from Gibson, we can find Epiphone and Gretsch.

7 strings

In 1990, the Ibanez Universe, the first mass-produced seven-string electric guitar, was launched on the market. A guitar specially designed to play Rock.

The characteristic woods of this guitar model are American basswood, maple and rosewood. The seventh string gives the guitar a deeper sound, without affecting the mid and high frequencies. However, it is more demanding in terms of equalization, since an excess of bass can affect the sound of the guitar, causing it to sound very heavy. It has 2 humbuckers and a single coil pickup.

This type of guitar has a tone control and a volume control. It has a floating bridge, quite characteristic and suitable for genres such as rock and metal, which allows you to use the tremolo bar more freely. Among the guitar brands that have manufactured this model apart from Ibanez, we can find PRS, BC Rich, Dean, ESP, Jackson, among others.

Although we are missing many types of electric guitars, with this information you can have a clearer idea about which guitar suits you best according to your musical tastes, or simply, with what sound or design you feel more identified. To complement, we leave you a video that shows you several of the designs we have exposed, and some additional ones.

Advantages and disadvantages

If you are a beginner, it is likely that you are still not sure why you should buy an electric guitar over an acoustic or semi-acoustic one, beyond aesthetic reasons or influences you have received from one source or another.

That is why we are going to show you some advantages and disadvantages that will help you make the right decision. Playing chords on the electric guitar is easier, since the neck is thinner and smaller than other types of guitars, besides, its strings are softer, so your fingers won’t suffer so much in the learning process. In addition we have an infinity of sounds, since you can use all kinds of effects pedals with which you can experiment throughout your career as an electric guitarist.

Among the disadvantages we can find that in general you will need more money, starting because an electric guitar is usually more expensive than an acoustic or semi-acoustic one. You will also need several accessories such as picks, strap, cables, amplifier, pedals, among others. In addition, you must practice a lot to know how you want your guitar to sound, since you must manage the tone control, volume, know basic concepts of equalization, and well, not everything you play on the electric guitar, you will be able to play on the acoustic guitar.

Now that you know this information, we also recommend that you take into account the type of music you want to play, since that directly influences the motivation you will feel to learn this wonderful instrument. Now we are going to suggest you some models, taking into account different budgets.

Brands of electric guitars

I’ve already given you a preview of several brands when I talked about guitars before but here I’ve prepared some selections and rankings with the most popular brands and their most sought after guitars:

Blog Recommendations

If you are a guitarist who wants to start studying and try your luck with this instrument, we recommend that you don’t invest too much money in a guitar, but of course that it is a guitar of excellent quality. That’s why we recommend the Epiphone Les Paul Standard.

You can check its main rivals like the Les Paul Studio or the Les Paul Custom, but we assure you that it is an excellent option, and the best of all is that you can get it with prices between 500 and 600 euros.

If you are a guitarist who wants to go big, is not afraid to experience the pleasure of learning with a high-end guitar and is willing to give it all for this wonderful instrument, we recommend the legendary Gibson Les Paul.

You can check out its main rivals like the Fender Stratocaster or the Fender Telecaster, but we assure you that it is an excellent choice, you can get several models that are between 1500 and 3000 euros.