The electric guitar was developed in 1931 mostly for the purpose of supplying a much better accompaniment for jazz bands. The guitar also shot to popularity with musicians who performed Hawaiian music by using the guitar when it lay flat in their laps. The initial musician giving the guitar a trendy status was Charlie Christian who played with Benny Goodman during the 1940 time of big bands.

Considering that the guitar by itself had a sound that was dwarfed by other big band instruments, another significant equipment design was the amplifier which was commercially available in 1932. The guitar amplifier made it possible for the guitar to contend with the big band brass musical instruments.

Original Guitar Manufacturers

Numerous designs of the electric guitar were becoming available during this time. An early guitar was called the "Frying Pan" due to the solid body of cast aluminum. It was easily obtainable in 1933 and was made by the Rickenbacker Company. An additional famous supplier of electric guitars was Gibson Guitar Company that commenced with the ES150 in 1936 which sold for $150. Gibson continued making guitars with its next successful guitar being referred to as the Les Paul which was manufactured in 1952. It offered a solid mahogany body and a maple top. The guitar was altered a few times until its final design in 1957 which remains preferred today.

A third important manufacturer was the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation started in 1951 by Leo Fender, a radio technician. The business was credited with developing an economical manufacturing assembly operation to generate instruments that could be reasonably priced. The company's most distinctive instrument was the electric bass guitar launched in 1951.

As the kinds and styles of electric guitars expanded, so did the arrival of a new form of popular music, rock and roll. This music, starting in the late 1950's and early 1960's, was first begun in the United States and it centered on the electric guitar. As the recognition grew so did the requirement for the electric guitar. An example of the early artists included Elvis Presley with "That's All Right, Mama" in 1954 as well as additional performers including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino and a host of numerous people.

Many changes took place in this new music category and a significant one was the large number of British groups getting into rock and roll. Most important in these groups was The Beatles in 1963. Like many groups the principle musical instrument was the electric guitar.

As rock groups came and went, the musical instruments moved into the new and different kinds of music with the electric guitar continuing as the favorite instrument.

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