The History Of The Electric Guitar
Electric Guitar Timeline
The Electric Guitar has a long and fascinating history that spans decades. The electric guitar is an iconic part of musial history and its influence can be seen and heard throughout the the 20th and 21st Century to date! Here are some of the key dates that highlight the electric Guitar and the moments that turned it into such an iconic instrument!
1931: The First Ever Electric Guitar!
The first ever electric guitar was built in 1931. The guitar itself was created by a man named George Beauchamp who was part of the National Guitar Corperation. This particular electric guitar was nicknamed 'The Frying Pan' do to its unusual shape
1936: Gibson Make Electric Guitars
Gibson Guitars was founded by Orville Gibson and have been making guitars since 1894! They stepped into the electric guitar market back in 1936 with the 'Gibson ES-150' which stood for 'Electric Spanish'. It would be the first of many amazing guitars to come from this iconic brand.
1954: The First Stratocaster Electric Guitar
The first ever stratocaster was designed and released by Leo Fender of 'Fender Guitars'. This design of guitar would go on to redefine the guitar image and reputation forever. It can be seen and heard in music of all genres and many other brands have come up with their own versions since
1958: Chuck Berry Releases 'Johnny B Goode'
In 1958 Chuck Berry defined the Rock n' Roll movement forever with his song 'Jonny B Goode'. The intro to this song has become one of the most recognisable guitar lines in modern music history. This single was a US top 10 hit and set the bar for other artists of the genre such as Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison.
1966: Welcome Jimi Hendrix!
The electric guitar and how it was played was changed forever in 1966 with the arrival of Jimi Hendrix. He formed The Jimi Hendrix Experience in London England and went on to create iconic songs like 'All Along The Watchtower', 'Purple Haze' & 'Voodoo Chile'. He was famous for playing guitar behind his head, with his teeth and even on fire! One of his most iconic electric guitar performances was at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 where he performed his rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.
1972: The Electric Guitar Riff & Smoke On The Water
As we approach the modern age of electric guitar we cant get away from the importance of the the power the electric guitar 'riff'. One of the most well known guitar riffs across the globe is 'Smoke On The Water' which was written in 1972 by Deep Purple in England. This song became a must for guitar students everywhere and is still iconic today. If you're at an event where electric guitar is being played there wont be a player around who doesn't know of this song!
1977: The Electric Guitar Ballad 'Stairway To Heaven' Is Released!
Arguably one of the most requested song choices to learn from any electric guitar student. Stairway to heaven became an iconic peice of music defining a new era of hard rock guitar. To this day it still has students learning the electric guitar the word over fascinated and determined to master this powerful peice.
