Going Electric

‘The Dylan’ ditched his acoustic guitar and went electric. No in-between with electric acoustic guitars. But in the eyes of some of his right-on, trendy folkie followers it was a cardinal sin, sell-out, call it what you will … Dylan had crossed the line.

This momentous change came in July 1965 when Dylan played the Newport Folk Festival. The folk establishment accepted Dylan as one of theirs after Peter, Paul and Mary had a big hit with his song, Blowin’ in the Wind.

Dylan launched into Maggie’s Farm playing (how dare he?) an electric guitar. Some of the crowd were gobsmacked and some started booing.  The disapproval did not abate during the next two numbers and Dylan decided to make a sharp exit as the heckling and catcalls continued and overshadowed some applause.

Winning Over The Crowd

Dylan was persuaded to go back on stage and then sang two numbers without the band. He later said the band did not re-appear because they had only run through three songs and not because of the fans’ disapproval.

He sang It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue and Mr Tambourine Man but the audience listened in almost total silence. But Dylan gradually won the crowd round and left the stage to the sounds of applause and cheers.

As if to make his point Dylan didn’t go back to Newport for 37 years. And when he did, in 2002, he went back in disguise, with a false beard and hairpiece.

Dylan could have bridged the gap with an electric acoustic guitar but in those days the instrument was in its infancy and it wasn’t until 1966 that they eventually crept in. Just think, he could have conveyed the electric sound he wanted and placated his irate followers at the same time.

The Electric Difference

Electric guitars are fitted with pickups, a microphone or transducers. Dylan could have rigged one up because they are used in folk music and sound like an acoustic guitar. The bonus of connecting them to speakers is an increase in volume, which would be ideal at an open-air festival.

Charles H Kaman pioneered electric acoustic guitars with his the Ovation Roundback. Kaman had no direct link with guitar manufacture as he worked in aerospace engineering. He developed the prototype guitar following research into rotor blades on helicopters.

Kaman’s electric acoustic guitars gained prominence when country singer Glenn Campbell started to use one in 1968 and since then performers such as Ray Davies, Cat Stevens (Yousuf Islam), Neil Diamond, Paul Simon and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and David Gilmour have been seen with them.

Full electric guitars can either have solid or hollow bodies but rely for their sound on electronics and vibrations being picked up by electronic pickups – these vibrations are then turned into the sound we hear by processing electronics and amplification.  Perhaps it’s this less than pure sound which upset Dylan’s fans so much and why we will always associate ‘The Dylan’ with acoustic.

Peterborough Music offer a great range of electro-acoustic guitars from top brands such as Eko, Dean and Freshman.

Fender Starcaster Electric Guitar and Amp Package

The Starcaster by Fender is an affordable option for anyone looking for the classic Stratocaster appearance. It’s ideal for beginners, with a C-shaped maple neck with a rosewood fretboard and medium-jumbo frets for easy play. Includes: guitar Planet Waves cable, strap, stand, Qwicktune tuner, Planet Waves 16-Pick Sampler Pack, EXL110 strings, 15-Watt Starcaster Amp & TKL Gig Bag. Planet Waves 16 Pick Sampler Pack includes: Celluloid Pearl, Black Ice, Surepicks and Duralin Guitar Picks in a variety of gauges.

• Maple Neck (c-shape) Rosewood Fingerboard (9.5″rad
• 1 Ply White Pickguard
• 3 Single-Coil Pickups – 1 Volume, 2 Toner Controls
• 5-Way Selector Switch
• Includes: guitar Planet Waves cable, strap, stand, Qwicktune tuner, Planet Waves 16 Pick Sampler Pack (#PW-SAMPLER), EXL110 strings, 15-Watt Starcaster Amp & TKL Gig Bag

Silvertone SS10 Citation Guitar & Amp Package

The precision-built Citation SS10 guitar features a contour-cut, S-type sculpted body design with a classic black and white coloring. It also features a vintage tremolo for subtle shimmery manipulation of chords or hard-core whammy-bar excursions, three high output single coils with 5-way selector switch, single volume and dual tone controls, and a sleek maple fingerboard.

• Electric guitar package with everything you need to start rocking out
• Includes Smart II amplifier, digital tuner, chord chart, strings, strap, picks, cable, gig bag
• Citation SS10 guitar with contour-cut, S-type sculpted body design
• 20-watt Smart II amplifier with switchable overdrive, 6-inch speaker, three-band EQ
• Guitar backed by limited lifetime warranty

Epiphone Special-II Les Paul Player Pack

Our number one selling model comes with everything you need to get going on guitar. The Epiphone Special II Player Pack is a great way for beginners to get started on guitar with real, Les Paul tone, just like seasoned pros love the Special II because its a great-sounding, workhorse guitar that lets them leave their more expensive axes at home. The authentic LP power starts with all-Mahogany construction with a Rosewood fingerboard and is voiced by a pair of hot open-coil 700T and 650R Humbucker pickups. Like all of our electric guitars, it comes standard-equipped with 500K Ohms potentiometers, our own heavy-duty 3-way pickup selector toggle switch and non-rotating heavy duty output jack. This value-champ also features Chrome hardware including the Epiphone LockTone™ locking Tune-o-matic bridge and Stop-bar tailpiece for amazing sustain and even more mind-blowing value.

One question to ask your self is what genre of music you are interested in. Depending on the musical style that you want to play it may change the brand of guitar to look at.

Generally for rock and metal guitarists a good choice is Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, Dean, or Washburn. There may be models that have the type of designs and pickups more suited for rhythm guitarists and more distortion.

For other genres such as Jazz and Country, a Fender, Gretsch, or Yamaha might do the trick for a cleaner sound.

The other consideration is what type of amp to buy. Marshall, Peavey, Fender, and Crate all make versatile guitar amps that can be used for any type of music.

Start by going to a local music store and trying some of the brands that we have mentioned. The ultimate choice is yours so if you like a guitar and it feels right, it may be the one for you.

You can generally find electric guitars cheaper on the Web after you decide on a brand and model that you are interested in.

We truly believe that you can learn just as much, just as fast with an online guitar course vs. lessons from a local instructor. There are many advantages of taking an online course including:

• Learn at your own pace
• Much cheaper than regular lessons
• Variety of course materials including video, audio, book learning
• More up to date training techniques
• Online support/coaching

As you can see the advantages are great and this is why you should consider online electric guitar lessons as a viable way to learn to play electric guitar.

Before the internet came along, the traditonal way to learn guitar was through a local instructor. Local lessons usually involve going to a music store or someone that plays in a band and taking boring lessons where you learn how to play songs like mary had a little lamb.

There is nothing wrong with this, but wouldn’t you rather learn at your own pace, as fast or as slow as you want and through watching videos and other interactive materials?

Our site features the best online electric guitar lessons you can get and why they are a much better way to learn the traditional methods. Check out the information on this site to see why learning electric guitar can be a fun and easy process.

Learning on an Electric Guitar

According to guitar gurus, it would be foolish to begin your electric guitar learning quest with an electric guitar. But this is not always the case. There are plenty of electric guitars that are suited for beginners. You need to make sure not to get caught up in buying something too expensive or features you don’t need as you shop for your first guitar.

More About Electric Guitars

For people that already have preliminary guitar playing knowledge (and are seriously considering learning or buying an electric guitar), the next step is to learn electric guitars better. The same goes for individuals using older style electric guitars.

Buying the Right Type of Amp

An expsensive electric guitar might sound crappy on a substandard amplifier. Part of the learning process is also about knowing which guitar amp to shop for. The best thing to do is to try guitars that you are interested with on different amps to get an idea of sound quality and tone. Expert buyers usually test amps thoroughly and turn knobs to higher values for listening to see what type of sound is created.

Listening to Tracks

Learning to play by ear is one of the ways you can learn electric guitar. Realistically, an electric guitar learner could train himself by just listening to diverse riffs and/or tunes of electric guitars in music.

Online Guitar Courses

Online guitar courses are a great way to learn the electric guitar. Electric guitar lessons that you can access on the Web are one of the most economical and easiest ways to become a master of the six string.

Any of the methods above can help you with electric guitar and make you a better player in no time.

When it comes to construction, all electric guitars are pretty much the same. For instance, all electric guitars have the following things in common:

1. Body
2. Neck
3. Head stock piece
4. Electrical pickups
5. Bridge

In addition to this, they also come with amplifiers that make their sounds more audible.

Price

Price and sound quality are the two most crucial considerations while choosing the best electric guitar. Electric guitars might be bought for as cheap as $99. Do you want to know what the upper limit of the price is? How does $20,000 sound?

Price differs based on the make, material, fashion of construction as well as the quality of the guitar’s pickups. Most beginners get simple starter kits. Most kits include things like:

1. Guitar
2. An amplifier
3. Picks
4. A strap and
5. Instruction booklets

But the appearance of a guitar is as important as anything to guitar enthusiasts. One of the most popular guitars of all time is the Gibson Les Paul. The Fender Stratocaster is another guitar that is very popular among electric guitar enthusiasts.

Among all the most prominent designs, manufacturers such as B.C. Rich happen to have a loyal following. The main attribute of a manufacturer like BC Rich is the affordability. They are made while keeping in mind the purchasing power of common people.

Even a high school student does not have to worry much while buying a typical Gibson or a Fender, since they are available under $300. There are B.C. Rich guitars that come with exotic custom appearances. These are available for $200 or a little more..

As you can see electric guitar prices vary greatly and it really depends on what your playing style will be and what your preferences are. The good news is that there are alot of great places on the Web to buy guitars.

This article is a short guide for guitar researchers. And it tells you what facts are involved in the value of guitar strings.

The 3 factors involved with electric guitar strings are-

1. Alloys
2. Winding
3. Gauges

Alloys

There are 3 types of alloys electric guitar strings are made out of. They are-

1. Stainless steel
2. Nickel-plated
3. Pure nickel

Stainless steel strings

They’re pretty popular among guitar enthusiasts. They have unique appeal due to their one of a kind and luminous tones, sustain, as well as great volume. They are mostly anti-corrosive, but they’re equally strong when it comes to magnetism.

Nickel-plated strings

In fact they are special kind of stainless steel strings that come with unique nickel-plated surface. Because of the extra nickel, the overall tone is subdued. In that way you get a tone that is much softer and smoother. This is achieved since the surface is really faster or easier on your fingers.

Pure nickel strings

These sorts of strings are mostly seen with acoustic guitars, and they produce very bright and round sound. But these strings are much less vibrant compared to the typical stainless steel strings. They’re mostly used by Jazz musicians as well as rhythm guitarists.

Winding

It refers to the particular ways in which strings are wound – which affects the playability or the tone.

Gauges

Simply refers to the wide range of diameters the strings come in.

Summary

So when all these facts do matter matched, you get good quality strings!

Electric Guitar History

The first solid body electric guitar was created by Leo fender in the last 1940′s with only one pickup. The two pickup version was named the Telecaster. In 1954 after a series of innovations and advances the Fender Stratocaster or ‘Strat’ was introduced to the world. This innovative design and sound is considered to be the start of the modern electric guitar era. Today there are hundreds of brands available in all types of shapes and sizes for different styles of music.

The Parts of An Electric Guitar

The electric guitar is madeup of some basic parts that include the head or headstock, neck, body, and strings. The headstock includes the tuning gears which allow the string tension to be changed, thus altering the tuning.

The neck is divided into frets, also known as the fretboard. Depending on where the fingers are placed on the fretboard different musical notes can be played. The body or bottom part of the guitar is where the bridge, pickups, tremelo bar, volume and tone control knobs, and fine tuners are located.

How an Electric Guitar Works

The user takes a guitar pick or their finger across a single string or multiple strings to create vibration that the pickups translate into electric current or sound. A guitar amplifier takes that sound and makes it louder and alters the tone with built in effects. Each guitar has it’s own unique sound depending on the size and shape of the body, pickups used, and the strings that on the guitar. The tremelo or ‘whammy bar’ as it is sometimes called can be moved when notes are played to create a variation in pitch or a vibrato effect.

Other guitar pedals and effects are available that can be purchased separately to change the sound to about anything that the user wants. From country to blues and rock, the electric guitar can be used for a variety of different sounds.

Learning How To Play The Electric Guitar

It can be frustrating for new guitar players as the electric guitar can be a difficult instrument to master. Electric guitar lessons are a recommended way to learn playing techniques and methods that can be used to increase skill levels. This site has many resources focusing on electric guitar lessons.

Options when learning the electric guitar:

1. Lessons from local instructor
2. Online guitar course
3. Learning from books

Each method to learning the electric guitar that was mentioned above has both benefits and drawbacks. Let’s examine each way to learn the electric guitar.

Electric Guitar Lessons From A Local Instructor

This is a very common way to learn the electric guitar. Typically you will locate an instructor through a music store, ad in the paper, friend, or a referral from someone else. You will setup scheduled lessons, usually once a week and have ‘homework’ to help you practice how to play. The benefit is that you have a local source to learn. The main drawback is the material may be limited depending on the skill level and experience of the guitar instructor. Lessons may be boring and you might find yourself learning at a slow pace.

Online Electric Guitar Course

Learning electric guitar with an online guitar course is both an exciting and easy way to become a good guitar player. Online guitar courses usually include a wealth of training materials and information to help you get started including instructional materials, videos, and software to help you practice.  The big advantage to this type of guitar training is that you can learn at your own pace and develop your skills quickly. One disadvantage might be that their is less of a schedule as opposed to learning with an instructor. Some people do better with a set weekly schedule with homework type assignments. You can approach learning with an online electric guitar course the exact same way but you have to be motivated enough to follow through as an independent learner.

Learning Electric Guitar With Books

This is similar to guitar courses as you have to study at your own pace. Books can be boring and the instructional value is limited to the material that you are looking at in the book. The advantage is cost as this is an economical way to get started. It might be a good way to learn some basic chords and techniques but for advancing as an electric guitar player there are far better ways available.

Which Method is Best To Learn th Electric Guitar?

The answer to this question really depends on your personality type and motivation to learn. If you need a teacher or mentor and hands on training then an instructor might be the way to go. If you are independent, motivated, and want the biggest variety of electric guitar training tools available then go with an online guitar training course.

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