A Quick History of the Electric Guitar

Electric guitars are everywhere today. But have you ever wondered how they became so popular — or where they came from in the first place? Today’s post walks through electric guitar 101: how, when, and where it was first invented, and the journey to the present day.

Electric Guitar History: Origins of the Instrument

The electric guitar was created to solve some common problems that acoustic guitar players face: limited volume. While acoustic guitars can produce beautiful, resonant tones, their volume is limited. This was a problem even before the 1900s, as romantic composers struggled to use the instrument in concert music: a single brass instrument can obliterate any and all sound from an unamplified acoustic guitar.

Because the electric guitar was more an innovation than an invention, it’s difficult to nail down questions like “Who invented the electric guitar” or “When was the electric guitar invented.”

Many consider George Beauchamp’s 1931 “frying pan” guitar the true start, as that instrument pioneered the concept of coil pickups. Some say jazz guitarist Charlie Christian “invented” it when he attached a pickup to his acoustic guitar’s body, while others say he simply was one of the first to use the ES-150 successfully.

You could point out a half dozen other innovations along the way. The truth is guitarists and guitar makers were all experimenting during the 1930s, releasing models of varying success and using a range of technologies.

The better question is, when did the modern electric guitar start to take shape?

First Widespread Success: Orville Gibson and Les Paul

While there are plenty of questions about the instrument’s origins, there’s little question of who popularized the modern electric guitar.

1936: The Gibson ES-150

The first widespread commercial success was the Orville Gibson’s Gibson ES-150, a hollow-body electric with a single-coil bar pickup that was first sold in 1936. This guitar set the example for generations of guitars: Gibson still makes and sells ES-series guitars that look similar to that first model.

1949: The Fender Esquire and Broadcaster/Telecaster

Hollow body electrics are popular among jazz and blues guitarists to this day for their warmer sound, but they are prone to feedback at louder volumes due to their combination of acoustic and electric sound. So players and makers continued to innovate and iterate even as the Gibson ES series took hold.

The solid-body guitar was the next step in the guitar’s evolution. Without an amplifier, a solid body is nearly useless. In fact, it produces almost no acoustic sound because its body is literally a solid hunk of wood. But that means when plugged in, a solid body can be driven to new levels of volume without feedback, enabling both louder outputs and heavier effects loads.

Les Paul is widely seen as the first to invent a working solid body, starting with his “log guitar” and later with his own prototypes through Gibson (which never made it to market). Others (including Bigsby) released models that contributed to the instrument’s development but never captured the market.

Then, in 1949, Fender brought the Esquire and Broadcaster (later renamed Telecaster) to market, and the solid body went mainstream. Like Gibson’s ES series, the Fender Telecaster is still being made today.

1950s and Beyond: Continued Growth and Innovation

Gibson quickly realized their mistake in quashing Les Paul’s prototypes and introduced the Gibson Les Paul, another iconic model still made today. This solid-body guitar's traditional shape emulates Gibson’s hollow and semi-hollow electrics.

Fender’s Stratocaster came along in 1954. If there’s one guitar associated with rock music of the 60s and 70s, it’s the Strat.

Numerous other innovations include the semi-hollow body (which produces some, but not a full amount of, natural tone) and the acoustic-electric (which focuses more on the acoustic sound but can be plugged in when needed). Makers also continue innovating with pickups (materials, number, and combinations) and materials.

Today, the landscape is rich and varied, with something for everyone and then some.

Need help selecting the right electric guitar for your needs? You’ve come to the right place. Call or stop in today!