Electric Guitars
Electric guitars are made of solid wood, without resonating air spaces. These guitars consist of the following parts: the headstock, the nut, the machine heads, the frets, the truss rod, the neck, the fret board, pick-ups, control knobs, a fixed bridge and a plastic pick guard.
They use electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electronic signals. Since the signal generated is not strong enough to drive a loudspeaker, it is amplified using an audio amplifier then sent to a loudspeaker. The signal can be modified using effects like reverb and distortion.
The need for an amplified guitar became apparent during the big band era. Due to the size of the orchestras, the guitars had to compete with brass sections. 1932 is the earliest documented performance with an electrically amplified guitar, and the first recordings using electric guitars happened in 1933.
Electric guitars have helped begin many genres of music, especially rock & roll. They are used to play almost all the types of music you like, be it jazz, blues and country. Popular manufacturers of electric guitars include Gibson, Fender (their Stratocaster is one of the most recognizable ever made), Ibanez & PRS. There are several types of electric guitars available today: the solid body, the string-through body, semi-accoustic, electric acoustic, 3rd bridge and double neck, to name a few.