Electric Guitars

Electric guitars have pickups (a type of in-built microphone) and need to be plugged into an amplifier (amp) to be heard.

Solid Body Electric

The solid body electric is commonly used in Metal, Rock, Blues and Pop Music. Famous solid body electric guitars are the Fender Stratocaster the Fender Telecaster and the Gibson Les Paul.

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Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most famous of all electric guitars. Designed by Leo Fender and first released in 1954, the Stratocaster (commonly called a “Strat”) has been used by millions of guitarists all over the world. Some of the most famous Strat players include Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton.

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The Fender Telecaster

This classic solid body electric guitar is used extensively in Country music and is also popular with Rock, Pop, Soul, Funk and Blues players. It is capable of producing a variety of sounds from clear bell like tones to stinging attacking sounds. Equally effective for both Rhythm and Lead guitar, the Telecaster has been favored by players like James Burton (who played with Elvis Presley), Muddy Waters, Albert Lee and Roy Buchanan.

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Gibson Les Paul

Along with the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul is one of the most famous of all electric guitars. It is great for heavy Rock sounds as well as being versatile enough for Blues and Jazz. This guitar was made specially for Les Paul – a great Jazz player who also invented multi-track recording. This technique is essential for recording and is now used by everyone from top recording studios to musicians using computers at home.

Hollow Body Electric

The hollow body electric (semi-acoustic) is most commonly used in Jazz and Blues music. A famous hollow body electric guitar is the Gibson 335.

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Gibson 335

Many Blues and Jazz players favor hollow body electric guitars for their full, rich tone. One of the most famous hollow body electrics is the Gibson 335. It has been used by players like Freddy King, Magic Sam and Larry Carlton. BB King had a model called the 345 specially designed for him. His guitar is named Lucille.

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Dobro

The Dobro is a metal bodied “Resonator Guitar”. It has a resonator cone which amplifies the sound even though there are no electronics involved. There are also wooden bodied guitars with a metal resonator cone. All of these guitars are great for slide and fingerpicking. They are traditionally associated with Blues, Bluegrass, Country and other Roots music.

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