The electric guitar was invented in the late 1920s by Lloyd Loar, but it was not until the 1930s that it began gaining popularity. Rickenbacker and Beauchamp perfected Loar's design and began selling electric guitars commercially. In the 1950s, Leo Fender invented the solid body Telecaster guitar, making electric guitars more affordable and popular. Gibson soon introduced Les Paul's signature model. Since then, electric guitar technology has advanced with different shapes being introduced, as well as onboard preamplifiers, though the basic design has remained unchanged. Amplifiers were also crucial to the development of the electric guitar, evolving from modified stereo equipment to dedicated guitar amplifiers and modeling amps.

1. History of the Electric
Guitar
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Zager Guitars
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2. Invention of the electric pickup
 Invented in late 1920’s by Lloyd Loar
 Faraday’s Law of Induction
 Didn’t catch on at all.
 Adolph Rickenbacker and George Beauchamp
 Perfected Loar’s design
 Rickenbacker began selling the “Frying Pan”
 Hawaiian lap steel players love it…
…other players didn’t
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3. Mass Production
 Leo Fender invents the Telecaster
 First mass produced solid body electric guitar
 Cheap to produce, affordable
 Gibson introduces the Les Paul
 Higher end model endorsed by Les Paul
 Both models are still sold today
 “Solid Body” guitars are designed for amplification
 Sound much better than old style modified hollow
bodies, less feedback.
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4. Continued …..
 Guitars shapes have become increasingly
modern (ex. Flying V)
 Preamplifiers inside guitar
 Basic construction and operation has stayed the
same
 Much cheaper now
 Ex. Gibson and Epiphone, Fender and Squire
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5. Amplifiers
 Can’t have the electric guitar without the amplifier
Guitar ---> Pre-Amp--->Power-Amp--->Speaker
 First amplifiers were modified stereo equipment
 Manufacturers started building guitar specific amp in the 1930’s
 Until 1970’s most amps were tube powered
 Refinement of silicon transistors led to “solid state”
 Tube sound is sought after, solid state amps emulate tube amps,
distortion.
 Computer technology has lead to modeling amps
 Can often emulate many (20+) different models
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6. Thank You !!!!!
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7. Thank You !!!!!
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