Electric Guitar History. Reading & Research

merciful-evans

Portsmouth uk
Joined
Mar 6, 2018
Messages
955
Location
Portsmouth UK
I have been researching electric guitar history for a PP presentation. I needed to check some ‘facts’ and fill some gaps. I came across this book and decided to buy it. It’s by a couple of Guitar World writers. I’m not sure I’m allowed to mention the title?

My main interest is the very early stuff 1900-1940, but everything is fascinating. I’m about 30% in (Chet Atkins/Muddy Waters). I’m getting through this book fast.

PRS is of course has its own chapter. That's still up ahead of where I am now,

Quotes:

‘The Dopyera brothers hated one other, but they hated everyone else more’. Guitar historian Mathew Hill

‘We enjoyed sharing our likes & dislikes in life generally’. Les Paul speaking of Leo Fender & Paul Bigsby sharing beers on Les’s patio.



‘Epi looked at me and said “What the hell are you doing”? I spent Sundays at the Epiphone factory making that thing. They were all curious to see what I was up to. And when I got done making it, the only ones who liked it were the Night Watchman and me.’ Les Paul and the log.
 
Looking at Les Paul's history was very interesting to me. The man was a brilliant inventor and a pioneer not only in electric instruments, but with modern stereo recording equipment as well. I visited a museum in Milwaukee last summer that held a large amount of his early guitars and other inventions.
 
Looking at Les Paul's history was very interesting to me. The man was a brilliant inventor and a pioneer not only in electric instruments, but with modern stereo recording equipment as well. I visited a museum in Milwaukee last summer that held a large amount of his early guitars and other inventions.

I would have loved to see that stuff. I have a mental picture of his backyard workshop as a sort of musicians Alladin's Cave.
 
Last edited:
You should to look up interviews with McCarty for some real insights. He saw most of the early electric guitar history. He related that everyone hated Leo Fender and that Les Paul had very little to do with the design of the LP guitars. There was a juicy interview linked in a thread here recently.

https://reverb.com/news/former-gibs...oods-and-the-problems-of-top-heavy-management

I already read (and shared elsewhere) that some weeks back. I agree its very insightful.

The book has a large amount of Ted McCarty in it including much of what is contained in that link. :)
 
Still haven't got to PRS yet, but the style has given way from wonderful insightful history and degenerated into fanzine hyperbole about artists of the 60s/70s. :(
 
Please do share the name of this book, @merciful-evans . Since it has PRS content there shouldn't be any conflict with the forum mods. Hopefully the book picks up a little later once you slog through the current "fanzine hyperbole" section.
 
The electric guitar pickup was invented in 1938, so there can't really be any history before that.
Lots of knowledgeable people disagree, but I don't consider an acoustic guitar with a pickup "plopped" on top of it to be an "electric" guitar.
I would call it an "amplified" guitar.
For the real poop, make sure you check out Paul Bigsby in general, and the Bigsby "Merle Travis" guitar released in 1948.
 
The electric guitar pickup was invented in 1938, so there can't really be any history before that.
Lots of knowledgeable people disagree, but I don't consider an acoustic guitar with a pickup "plopped" on top of it to be an "electric" guitar.
I would call it an "amplified" guitar.
.

That's incorrect.

The electric guitar pickup (magnetic as is used today) was made in 1931 by George Beauchamp. He designed and built a unique (non-acoustic) guitar around the pickup at that time. The production model came out the following year. It was the Ro-Pat-In Electro A-25 or 'Frying Pan'.A Spanish version followed later.

Prior to that, the first commercial electric guitar was the Stromberg-Voisinet-Electro in 1928/29. It was a poor design that disappeared quickly.

Prior to this the triode vacuum tube was invented in 1907 (electric guitars are no use without amps).

And in 1890 a patent was granted to George Breed for an electric guitar design.
 
Back
Top