Electric guitar is a stringed instrument which works on the principle of electromagnetic induction. Electric guitars have electromagnets in the system that converts the string vibrations into electric signals. The electric signals generated are weak and hence need to be amplified using the amplifiers before being sent to the loudspeaker.
How They Produce Sound
Most of the electric guitars have six strings and a range of frets on the neck. These guitars are usually solid body guitars while some of them do have a hollow or semi hollow body. It is the combination of the magnetic induction and the amplification that make electric guitars work. The sound in electric guitars is produced by magnetic pick ups and controlled by knobs. On striking the string of the electric guitar that is not plugged in, the sound produced is almost inaudible.
The Fretboard or the fingerboard is the playing area of the guitar. Frets are the bars which are located horizontally at appropriate distances on the fingerboard. When the string is pressed down, the frets stop the string at the right pitch to produce appropriate tones. All electric guitars have control knobs to adjust the volume of the tones. Truss rods are metallic cylinders used for adjusting the tension on the neck of the electric guitar.
Electric Guitar Construction
Although, the design and construction of different electric guitars vary, all electric guitars are comprised of some common parts. The neck is generally longer. The neck of the electric guitars can be of two types, a set neck or a bolt-on neck. The top of the neck is referred to as headstock and contains machine heads or tuners which are turned to change the string tension and thereby adjust the tuning. Nuts are located between the headstock and the neck area, and the strings of the electric guitar pass over the nuts.
Electric guitars are made of various materials and construction techniques. The material used in making the body of the electric guitar has an impact on the sound quality of the guitar although solid body guitars are not much affected by the material used. Some of the commonly used woods in making the body are alder, swamp ash, poplar, mahogany, maple and basswood. Materials such as cardboard and plastic are also used in making the bodies. For the soundboard, the commonly used material is rosewood, koa, and ebony. The neck is commonly made of mahogany, maple and basswood.
The Strings
The strings of the electric guitars are not intended for producing louder tone and hence the materials used for electric guitar strings are different than that of acoustic guitars. These materials include stainless steel, nickel plated steel and pure nickel strings.
Electric guitars, though initially not widely recognized, have now gained huge fame in the music industry. They are being used as the major instruments in many musical shows and are used to play almost all types of music like rock n roll, heavy metal, punk, and pop.
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