History of The Electric Guitar

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Orpheo

The field of development concerning electric guitars is still in motion. Some innovations that were once hailed as the be-all-end-all of electric guitars were replaced by newer technologies whilst others are still being used extensively to this day. This timeline doesn’t claim to be complete by any means. There are many more companies that have made a huge impact and are regarded very highly by many players. Instead, its purpose is to give a general view of how the electric guitar and the market for the guitar developed.

What guitars and companies would you add to the timeline?

About Orpheo

Orpheo is a long-time member of the Seymour Duncan forum with an interest in the technical side of luthery and pickups and plays jazz, blues, rock and metal on predominantly carved top single cutaway guitars.
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  • Matt Perkins

    How did you miss Les Paul’s “Log” prototype?!? It was the first semi-hollow – predates the 335 by 20 years.

  • lespaul20155

    Don’t forget to add Les Paul in there, from the log, to multi track recording to the SG, maybe something about Dimarzio parts, Zemaitis guitars, stomp boxes, and Marshall Amps too! Also, don’t forget yourselves, Seymour Duncan!

  • razgriz

    gibson sg

  • Marcus Leite

    Let’s not forget about Danelectro and Mosrite.

  • http://www.facebook.com/nemogravis1 Nemo Gravis

    How about some more modern innovations? Like Parker, Rain Song, and Modulus using graphite and carbon fiber?

  • http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.zabin Jonathan Zabin

    Rickenbacker 360-12

  • orpheo

    Allow me to explain my thought processes. I chose objects whose year of introduction or year of foundation are clear. Hence, I did not include the Log because it is unclear at what year it should be listed. Was I supposed to list it when Les Paul came up with the idea or when he started building it or when he rose to fame with that guitar?

    About the SG: why should it have been listed? It wasn’t an innovation, it wasn’t the first solid body it was just an evolution of an existing guitar.

    There are many innovations I chose not to list because it simply isn’t clear when they were introduced. A lot of information contradict each other. By no means I wish to marginalize companies, technologies, people or innovations. For instance the truss rod, the Slingerland 400 and the locking tuner and strap lock: innovations that either were pivotal in the development of guitars or still here because they make our lives easier. Unfortunately it’s simply not clear when they were first launched.

    One note about log been the first semi hollow. Rickenbacker’s frying pan was a (semi)hollow and predates the Log by some years… Not exactly by modern standards but still and the slingerland 401 can also be considered the first chambered electric if we really go down that road.

    Some things went down in history without much documentation: they slowly emerged and transformed into shapes we now know.

    For those interested, I can make an article in the future about the items I left out and a possible explanation on why their years are vague…

  • Orpheo

    I am absolutely amazed that ‘Seymour Duncan’ isn’t in the list! I could swear I added it. Must have gotten lost during editing somewhere?

  • Sin Sonic

    What about one of the most wanted electric guitars of the ’80s ? – How about KRAMER guitars ?

  • Orpheo

    Sin Sonic: I’m talking about innovations, big shots. Kramer was very popular but is simply a rework of what Grover Jackson was doing…sorry.

  • dodo

    what about Hofner, Danelectro and Mosrite?