Electric Guitar Bridge and Whammy Bar

The electric guitar is made up of three basic elements – the body, neck and headstock.

The Body

The body is the main part of the instrument and may be solid, hollow or a bit of both. Hollow bodied guitars usually have f-shaped holes, like a cello.  Shapes vary widely ranging from the standard ‘Stratocaster’ and ‘Les Paul’ shapes to the ‘Flying V’ and ‘Explorer’ shapes.  In essence they can be virtually any shape.  Think of Dave Hill’s guitar.  The top of the instrument may be flat or curved.  The protrusions either side of the neck are referred to as ‘horns’.

The Neck

The neck of the guitar may be made of a single piece of wood or two or three pieces glued together.  The point where the neck joins the body is known as the neck joint.  Necks may be bolted, glued, or may be part of the same piece of wood as the body.  The fingerboard or fretboard may be made from ebony, maple or rosewood.  The wire divisions set into the neck are called the frets.  They are usually marked at set places with mother of pearl or ink inlays.  Most electric guitars have an adjustable rod running through the neck for added strength.

The Headstock

The end of the neck is called the headstock.  It usually displays the make of the guitar and houses the tuning pegs or machine heads.

The Hardware

The switches, knobs and all ‘added on’ elements of the body and headstock are referred to as the hardware.  The point where the strings are held on the body is known as the bridge.  It may be equipped with a whammy bar or tremolo arm for that ‘Hank Marvin’ effect.  Some guitars are designed in such a way that the strings go across the bridge and are anchored onto a tailpiece at the end of the body.

The Nut

At the other end of the neck the strings pass over another bridge where the neck is joined to the headstock.  This is called the nut and may be made of metal, ivory, wood or bone.

Pickups

Electric guitars have one, two or three pickups whose job is to pick up the vibrations of the strings and send them to the amplifier. The player can select which pickups are being used at any one time by use of the pickup selector or toggle switch located on the body.  Naturally, this affects the sound.

Although the guitar itself is quite a simple, straightforward piece of kit, its construction requires the hands of a skilled luthier.  Electric guitars do need to be maintained and so electric guitar parts are readily available.  Some you will be able to fit yourself and others will need the skill of a professional guitar repairer.

Photograph by Andres Rueda

Fender Effects Pedals and Amp

Today’s guitar players have an almost infinite array of electric guitar effects pedals available, creating effects at the touch or ‘stomp’ of a button; hence they are often referred to as ‘stomp boxes’.  You’re not limited to a single pedal.  Several can be connected at once using patch cables.  Alternately, you may want to connect your effects pedals together onto a patch board.  This allows you to collect all your effects into one place to facilitate transportation and streamline the organization.

It’s worth noting that if you have too many pedals connected together, this can result in an irritating hum or buzz.  This can be corrected by the use of a noise gate pedal.

Here are a few of the more popular effects pedals available today:-

Distortion

As its name implies, it clips the signal, affording it a distorted sound which has been extensively adopted by players of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.

Chorus

A chorus medal duplicates the signal and mixes it back in with the original sound, creating a lush and fuller chorus effect.

Flanger

A flanger copies the signal like the chorus pedal but adds a delay but with a series of repeats.  These repeats are alternately longer and shorter, producing a still thicker effect.

Wah Wah

Made famous by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, the wah wah pedal modifies the signal by allowing higher and lower frequencies through as the pedal is rocked, much like the accelerator pedal of a car.  The name is onomatopoeic.

Reverb

As in ‘reverberation’, this adds an echo to the original signal.

Talk Box

A Talk Box incorporates a speaker with an air-tight plastic tube attached to it.  The end is taped to the microphone, extending far enough for the player to put it into their mouth.  By changing the shape of the mouth, it is possible to modify the sound produced.  For a good example of its use, listen to Peter Frampton’s classic ‘Show me the way’.

Boost

At the flick of a switch, this simply turns up the volume, or, alternately, takes it down.  It may be used in preparation for a guitar solo, or to let a quieter instrument through.

Overdrive

Overdrive offers a form of ‘smoother’ distortion.  It seeks to emulate the sound made by an amp pushed beyond its recommended limitations.

Distortion

This is the gear above Overdrive.  Listen to Van Halen if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

Fuzz

Dave Davies of the Kinks achieved this effect by slashing the internal walls of his speaker cabinet.  Ike Turner, reputedly, did it by simply dropping the thing.  The effect is a hard, gritty form of distortion.  Listen to the Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’ or ‘All day and All of the Night’.

Compressor

Very popular in Country and Western music, the Compressor seeks to maintain a middling volume level.  It makes the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder.

Delay

As its name implies, it copies the signal, enabling you to have a sound repeated once or several times.  Think Roy Harper or, perish the thought, U2.

There are a host of other effects available to today’s electric guitarists.  Most stores will allow you to try their electric guitar effects pedals at your leisure.  So shop around and experiment and don’t forget to look online for some of the best deals available.

Photograph by charlietphoto

Mesa Boogie Tube Amp

When you play an electric guitar, the sound you make is dependent on a number of things, including good amplification. The guitar itself has its own ‘voice’, its own sound, often peculiar to itself; something that distinguishes it from other instruments.  Just like a car engine, it has its own sound.

The electric guitar amp you use makes a world of difference to the sound you are going to make.  How the amplifier is balanced in terms of bass, treble distortion and so on, will affect the sound.

The speaker you use also has a role to play.  The speaker may be part of the same unit as the amp, or a separate box.  Either way, this is where the sound is delivered and it’s an important part of the setup.  Even the cables you use have an influence.  Use the best.  It’s worth it in the long run.

Finally, of course, your own musical ability will invariably affect the overall sound that you make.

How Do Electric Guitar Amps Work?

An amplifier is made up of three components – the preamp, the power amp and the speaker.  Each has its role to play in the creation of the sound made by the electric guitar.

The preamp

The preamp receives an electronic signal from the instrument.  The preamp houses the bass, treble, middle, gain, drive and volume controls that you can adjust yourself.  Depending on how advanced it is it may boast a whole host of other effects for you to play with.

The power amp

This receives the signal from the preamp and supercharges it.  The bigger the power amp, the bigger the sound.

The speaker

The signal is passed from the power amp to the speaker(s) which convert the signal back into sound.

What to look for in a Second Hand Electric Guitar Amp

Of course, you don’t have to buy a brand new guitar amp, but you do have to know what you’re looking for.  Here are a few things to consider:-

1.   Compatibility.

Make sure that the amp you’re buying has been designed with your particular electric guitar in mind.  Guitar Amps are made for specific instruments so, although you can get a sound when you plug your guitar into a bass or keyboard amp, it probably won’t be the one you’re looking for.

2.   Price

Second hand amps can be very cheap although buying used goods, especially something that may have been thrashed, overloaded or generally abused, may not be worth taking the risk for.  Consider what a new one would cost before you buy.

3.   Expertise

Take somebody along who knows what they’re talking about.  Even better, get it checked by an expert.

Electric guitar amps are an important component whenever your guitar is to be amplified.  It can make or break the sound and will therefore make a significant difference to the performance given.  Take time and care in the selection of your electric guitar amplifier.

Photograph by billaday

1. Traditional

Generally starts off by teaching the basics of notation (reading music). Learning to read and play simple melodies progresses to bass string accompaniments and simple duets using a limited selection of notes, which is what you need as a beginner. The advantage of this method is that it is always taught in tandem with learning to read music; the best way to learn to read music is by doing it in conjunction with learning an instrument. Also, reading and understanding notation will transfer to any subsequent musical instrument.

2. Folk

This method leans towards a chordal approach, that is, learning to play a collection of notes together (a chord) and using various strumming patterns to accompany a song. Sometimes this approach may include some notation reading, but it is generally aimed at the student who does not want to learn how to read music.
Personally, I feel that such an approach is missing an opportunity to learn and understand notation. A traditional approach will lead naturally to learning chords anyway. You can always teach yourself chords from a chord dictionary if you want to combine two approaches.

3. Tablature

This method teaches through a pictorial representation of the strings showing where to put your fingers.

1 --0----------------------------
2 --1----------------------------
3 --0----------------------------
4 --2----------------------------
5 --3----------------------------
6 -------------------------------

This picture means you fret:

the 2nd string at the 1st fret
the 4th string at the 2nd fret and
the 5th string at the third fret
1st and 3rd strings are left open or unfretted.

This is, perhaps, too complex a method for the beginner to grasp. It can be used to enhance the playing of a more experienced guitar player.

Guitar Lessons

When learning to play any musical instrument, it is always a good idea to at least start off by having some lessons from an experienced tutor, if only to avoid getting into bad habits. A good teacher will advise about style, technique, notation, posture, phrasing and guitar care. As you progress you may need to find a teacher attuned to your own particular needs and tastes, but at the beginning of the learning experience, the aims will be the same, to get the basics of the instrument sorted out and to achieve results that are pleasing.

Fender Electric Guitars

Serious musicians cannot bear the thought of adding an average instrument to their musical arsenal.  Rock gods may have started their careers with second-rate guitars, but following their rise to stardom, it becomes necessary to use a guitar brand that has been revered by the music industry for its innovative construction and sound.   Fender has become synonymous with quality guitars which continue to enthrall hardcore musicians and fledgling enthusiasts alike.

Fender was founded by Leo Fender in 1946.  It was Fender who built the first mass produced solid-body Spanish style electric guitar, which was known as the Telecaster.  It was followed by a solid-body electric bass, known as the Precision Bass (P-Bass).  Fender went on to produce the iconic Stratocaster.  Though mass-produced, the guitars maintained their high-quality standards, causing many musicians from different genre to take notice.  Whether it was rock, jazz, country, or funk, there was always a Fender guitar available to do the job.

The core of Fender’s instrument line, consisting of the Telecaster, Stratocaster, Precision Bass, and Jazz Bass, continues to attract musicians and collectors and have remained in production, virtually unchanged, since the 1950s.  Fender recognized the need for varying types of guitars for the more discerning musicians and has expanded their classical guitar line.   Quality sound combined with sound construction and ease of use has made Fender a cultural icon.  The guitars are considered to be “design classics” and have formed the blueprint of Fender’s success.  It is no surprise that many other companies have tried to draw up a similar blueprint, with limited success.

It is remarkable how Fender have grown from such humble beginnings to become a world renowned maker of classical and electric guitars.  Numerous Rock and Jazz legends have made Fender their guitar of choice.  What has endeared the guitar enthusiast to the make is the simple, yet effective design which has revolutionized how guitars and stringed instruments are made.  As long as there is a need for quality guitars, Fender will remain in business.

Photograph by: Fender Electric Guitars by Martin Taylor