Wandering In The Electric Melodies

1. Frying Pan

Not a frying pan in reality but surely made everyone look hot in the 30s’. It is the first ever electric guitar ever to be made. Launched in 1931 by The Rickenbacker, frying pan was quite big of an electric guitar and it was made on a Hawaiian theme.

2. Electro String

Again, from the house of Rickenbacker, Electro string was launch in 1935. Not much after the frying pan but this was much more improvised and a better-looking version too. It sounded more accurate and it was known as the ‘Bakelite Spanish Guitar’.

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3. Log

Launched in 1941, The log was released by Les Paul. It was more of an experiment gone right and actually managed to catch a lot of attention. It also set the basis for many new electric guitars to come in the market. Les Paul made this guitar by using Epiphone’s workshop on Sundays.

4. Bigsby-Travis

As the name suggests, this electric bliss was made by Paul Bigsby and Merle Travis. Merle Travis was an established guitarist and he gave his experience a real shape. It was one of the refined and polished kind of guitars in the market when it launched in 1947.

5. Broadcaster

The first guitar which was not made to look cool but instead the emphasize was given on practicality and usage. Leo fender released this guitar in 1948. It was released at nearly the same time as Bigsby-Travis but it was much more practical and made more sense.

6. Gibson-Les Paul

Les Paul did not give up on his dream and continued experimenting even after ‘the Log’. He pitched his idea to Gibson, the giant guitar manufacturer. Gibson called his guitar “The Broomstick with a pickup on it”. Soon after they realized their mistake and collaborated with Les Paul and released this masterpiece in 1952.

7. Frankenstrat

Also known as the ‘Frankie’, Frankenstrat was released by Van Halen in 1979. This was a revolution in the 70’s and it marked the beginning of a new era and much more technical and hyper guitars. With sleeker design and much more practical neck. This guitar was everyone’s favorite.

8. Jackson Randy Rhodes

80s’ was considered one of the most prominent eras of pop and rock culture. Jackson Randy Rhodes electric guitar exactly portrayed what was happening at that time. Designed by Randy Rhodes, this guitar came in 1982 with enhances based and the looks were absolutely futuristic and cutting-edge.

9. Ibanez 7-String Guitar

The originator of 7-string guitar, Ibanez and Steve Vai launched this masterpiece in 1994. The 7th string was a low-A which was not available in guitars before. Korn featured this guitar in its debut album and it was loved by many till now.

From the September 2021 issue of FHM India.