Inventor of the electric guitar. The history of the appearance of the guitar

Al Di Meola is a fusion man. Unique technique and virtuoso improvisation, powerful sound of electric guitar and penetrating sensuality of acoustics, the most modern "chips" and thoughtful studies of flamenco and tango are soldered in his work. Al Di Meola has been awarded every imaginable award a guitarist can receive. He is not just one of the fastest guitarists on the planet, but also a cult figure among jazzmen, rockers, instrumentalists from all over the world!

He has more than 20 solo albums, world tours with performances at the best pop venues, joint projects with such giants of the scene as Phil Collins, Carlos Santana, Steve Wonder, Tony Williams, Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa and many others....

Di Meola was born in New Jersey on July 22, 1954. Since childhood, having fallen in love with the melodies of the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Ventures, he could not imagine his life without a guitar, and from an early age he had a good command of the instrument. Impressive musical success at a relatively young age were the result of his tireless labors. Fatally already during his high school years, Di Meola became a real guitar pro. “I played the guitar eight to ten hours a day, in search of myself and my individual style,” the musician later recalled.

Its ideological inspirers at the beginning creative way were Tal Farlow and Kenny Burrell. But when he discovered the music of Larry Coryel, whom Al later dubbed “ godfather fusion”, the young guitarist was amazed by the incredible fusion of jazz, blues and rock spoken by Larry's instrument. “I got on the bus and traveled all over New Jersey after him. Wherever he played, I was there.”

In 1971, Al Di Meola entered Berklee Musical College in Boston and almost immediately began playing in a Fusion Quartet organized by keyboardist Barry Miles. One day, one of Al's friends gave a recording of their performance to Chick Corea and... in early 1974, the 19-year-old guitarist received an invitation to join the legendary fusion band as a replacement for guitarist Bill Connors!

How did it happen? Al recounts: “I was sitting quietly in my apartment in Boston on Friday night when Chick called me and asked me to come to rehearsal in New York. I just couldn't believe it. But ten minutes later I put my things in a bag, got on a bus to New York and never came back.”

And just a week after rehearsing with Chick, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, Di Meola made his debut on the stage of Carnegie Hall, starting his musical career from such a high level. “Touring with Chick Corea in Return To Forever was my first big step in becoming a musician. Chick is one of the most important influences in my life. He has always been a reliable support, an inspiration and just a friend to me,” Di Meola always said about the first stage of his professional work on stage.

After three significant albums with Return To Forever - Where Have I Known You Before (1974, Grammy), No Mystery (1975, Grammy) and Romantic Warrior (1976), the band ceased to exist and Al had to start his own path in music .

His solo debut took place in 1976 as the leader of the Land of the Midnight Sun, which made itself known with bright rhythms and stylized Latin American compositions. The band featured drummers Steve Gadd and Lenny White, bassists Anthony Jackson and Jaco Pastorius, keyboardists Yan Hammer, Barry Miles and Chick Corea, and percussionist Mingo Lewis.

Six incomparable albums released by the band over the course of several years established Al not only as a leader in the field of fusion guitarism, but in general - as a significant phenomenon in modern world music.

1980 was marked by a triumphant acoustic trio with Paco De Lucia and John McLaughlin. Their debut album Friday Night in San Francisco, released by Columbia Records, sold two million copies. Three virtuosos successfully toured all over the world until 1983, recording in 1982 another top-selling album Passion, Grace & Fire. In 1995, they teamed up again to create a great CD Guitar Trio, which once again "blew up" the best concert venues in the world. And in 2008 Al Di Meola, along with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, again took off to the top of the music charts with The Sorceress (RTF 2008).

Currently, Al Di Meola is focused on the development of his new project New World Sinfonia. “I'm totally into this band,” he said, “we're all totally involved in our music and happy about it. The temporary reunion of The Return To Forever and a successful world tour was of course a great gift for our fans. But, by and large, this is more nostalgia, not new stage creativity... My goal today is to move forward.”

Main creative plans Di Meola - to collect studio and live recordings of New World Sinfonia in a new album. “Everything I do now brings me great satisfaction,” says Al Di Meola, “like a gourmet meal or a glass of precious wine. We play fusion - and it's like an explosion from the past that just sweeps away the listener.

Discography of Al Di Meola:

Land of the Midnight Sun Released: 25 October 1976 Label: Columbia Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download Elegant Gypsy Released: 1977 Label: Columbia Records Formats: LP, CD, 8T, digital download Casino Released: 25 February 1978 Label: Columbia Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download Splendido Hotel Released: 10 May 1980 Label: Columbia Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download Electric Rendezvous Released: 1982 Label: LP, Columbia Records Formats: CD, digital download Scenario Released: 1983 Label : Columbia Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download Cielo e Terra Released: 1985 Label: Manhattan Formats: LP, CD Soaring Through a Dream Released: 1985 Label: Manhattan Formats: LP, CD Tirami Su Released: 1987 Label: Manhattan Formats: LP, CD World Sinfonia II – Heart of the Immigrants Released: 1993 Label: Tomato Records Formats: 1993 Label: Tomato Records Formats: CD Orange and Blue Released: 1994 Label: Tomato Records Formats: CD Di Meola Plays Piazzolla Released: 5 November 1996 Label: Atlantic Records Formats: CD, digital download The Infinite Desire Released: 18 August 1998 Label: Telarc International Corporation Formats: CD, digital download Winter Nights Released: 1 September 1999 Label: Telarc International Corporation Formats: CD, digital download World Sinfonía III - The Grande Passion Released: 24 October 2000 Label: Telarc International Corporation Formats: CD, digital download Flesh on Flesh Released: 27 August 2002 Label: Telarc International Corporation Formats: CD, digital download Consequence of Chaos Released: 26 September 2006 Label: Telarc International Corp. Formats: CD, digital download Vocal Rendezvous Released: 19 May 2006 Label: SPV Formats: CD Diabolic Inventions And Seduction For Solo Guitar Released: 8 January 2007 Label: Di Meola Productions Formats: CD, digital download Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody Released: 15 March 2011 Label: Concord Records Formats: CD, digital download All Your Life (A Tribute to the Beatles) Released: 10 September 2013 Label: Valiana/Songsurfer Formats: CD, digital download Elysium Released: 22 May 2015 Label: in-akusitik Formats: CD

The appearance of the electric guitar played a very important role in the history of music, because without it many musical directions simply would not have arisen. And it all started small. The history of the creation of the electric guitar dates back to the 1920s and 30s, when the acoustic guitar was used by numerous American blues and jazz big bands, but since it was practically inaudible, it was given the position of only a rhythm instrument.

In 1923, the first experiments began to be carried out, in which they tried to amplify the guitar sound with the help of electricity. Then, Lloyd Lore, a little-known engineer-inventor in those years, managed to come up with an electrostatic pickup string instruments, which recorded the oscillations of the resonator box. However, his invention was a complete failure on the market.

One of important dates in the history of the creation of the electric guitar is 1931, when Georges Beauchamps and Adolf Rickenbacker invented the electromagnetic pickup. An electric impulse in it ran through the winding of the magnet, while an electric field was created and the signal was amplified from the vibrating string. As soon as their tool appeared, it was immediately called a “frying pan”. And all because its body was all-metal, and in its shape it really looked like a frying pan, to which a disproportionately long “handle” was attached - a neck. However, this first electric guitar proved to be the most viable.

Numerous experimenters in the late 1930s tried to embed pickups in spanish guitars, which looked more traditional and had hollow bodies. But without such troubles as resonant pickups (feedback), distortions, the appearance of other extraneous noise, it could not do here. By applying a double counter winding, capable of "extinguishing" the extra signal, it was possible to cope with all the shortcomings.

Leo Fender founded a company that by 1950 was already stamping copies of guitars called "Esquire" (translated as a squire or squire), followed by "Broadcaster", "Telecaster". The first instrument called the Stratocaster was released in 1954. Since that time, this guitar model has not undergone any special changes.

Since the shape of the body did not particularly affect the sound of the guitar, the designers tried to express their fantasies as best they could. For example, the instrument of the guitarist of the ABBA group resembled a star in its shape. The dovetail guitar belongs to the guitarist of the Scorpions. If we talk about manufacturing companies, then of them, perhaps, B.C. Rich and Gibson, the outlines of the instruments, which had a perversely extreme character. It was Gibson designers who invented the very “dovetail”. Some call it the "V Factor" while others call it the "Flying V".

An electric guitar that has a good sound, reliable assembly and quality of the materials from which it is made is almost impossible to buy thoughtlessly, at random. This tool is one of those things that you need to carefully prepare for the acquisition.

It is especially important to learn as much information as possible for aspiring musicians who have finally raised the money they need to buy their first electric guitar.

Many beginners simply choose a tool that they like in appearance, which:

• comfortable to hold;
• is expensive enough to be of poor quality.

How to make the right choice, even without experience

There are a lot of nuances that you need to pay attention to, a lot of details you should check to make sure that the tool in question is the one you need.

This concerns not only the functioning of all individual elements, but also the quality of the materials from which the main parts of the electric guitar are made. The soundboard and neck are made of wood, which unscrupulous manufacturers may not dry well enough, which will certainly have a bad effect on the life of the instrument.

Only an experienced musician with good hearing can fully appreciate the sound quality.

Buying the cheapest guitar is pointless. In the near future, it will have to be thrown away or, blushing with shame, sold to an even more inexperienced enthusiast.

Buying a used guitar is a different story, it's generally difficult to predict how long it will last. The most expensive models are affordable for very few beginners.

Fortunately, there is a fail-safe method for picking a good guitar, suitable for beginners. It comes down to three conditions:

1. It is better to choose a model of a proven company, the quality of which has no reason to be questioned;
2. Of the available guitars, it should be noted that are most suitable for you in terms of sound (taking into account the direction in which you are going to play), appearance, weight and ergonomics;
3. Before buying, check the operation of all elements.

Details on how to perform such a check are written later in this article.

Overview of reputable firms

You can be sure of the high quality of the tools of the following manufacturers:

• Fender is one of the most popular guitar brands. Most famous models of this firm are Telecaster and Stratocaster. They can be bought much cheaper if you choose samples collected in Mexico rather than the USA.
• Gibson. It is widely known in the circle professional musicians a company that has been one of the market leaders for decades. Models of this company can be easily distinguished by the style that manufacturers carefully adhere to. The most famous Gibson guitars are the Les Paul, Gibson SG, Explorer and Firebird models.

• Ibanez is a company whose products are preferred by hard rock and metal performers. For several decades, these electric guitars did not leave the polygons of heavy music. However, Ibanez brand models are used in all genres.
• B.C. Rich - this company is also famous among rockers and metalheads from the 80s to the present. Bich, Mockingbird and Warlock electric guitars are especially popular.

Each of these campaigns has its own story, but they have one thing in common: you can be 100% sure of the quality of their products. But that doesn't mean you can blindly buy a guitar just because it's an Ibanez or a Fender. Excellent sound quality is not everything.

Check before purchase

Choosing an electric guitar starts with an assessment of build quality.

Except when the inscription "Fender" on the neck of the guitar is written by the labor of the local school, all parts to be removed must be firmly fixed to the base. Nothing should stagger, dangle, creak, crunch. Feel and try to move everything, even the belt holders.

Further verification includes testing the operation of the main functional parts, such as:

• neck;
• frets;
• tremolo;
• pickups;
• volume and tone knobs.

Let's take a look at each of these details in turn.

Vulture

In the production of an electric guitar, one of the most important tasks is to create the perfect fretboard and adjust its fixation. This work requires high precision. It is not surprising that the low level of quality is first noticeable on the fretboard, and special attention should be paid to checking this detail.

Before choosing an electric guitar, you should inspect according to the following scheme:

• Examine the grain of the wood if it is not hidden behind a layer of opaque varnish. On the back side, the fibers should be along the neck, not across. Otherwise, strength is compromised and there is no guarantee that deformations will not occur.
• It is advisable to play every string on every fret, but this can take a long time. If it is not there, at least try how the string sounds if you clamp it on the first fret and closer to the deck. There shouldn't be any rattling.
• At the twelfth fret, there should be a distance of 2 mm from the string to the nut.
• Make a slide (moving your finger along the fretboard immediately after the note is struck). This way you can check if the frets are too wide.
• Hold the instrument as if it were a violin, resting the soundboard against the neck. From this angle, it is easier to see the flaws and bumps in the neck, if any. If it is directed to the side or twisted, then you should not buy this model.

• Next, you need to check if the neck is bent. In the region of the 7th fret, if you clamp any string on the first or fourteenth, there should be a distance of half a millimeter between it and the metal frets. If the height is more or less, it can be adjusted anchor rod. The main thing is that the gaps should be the same on all strings.
• The anchor rod, which can be used to adjust the degree of deflection of the neck, is located inside it. It is advisable to check if it is spinning.
• There should be no noticeable gaps between the neck and the body at the junction.
• The nut on high-quality electric guitars is fixed firmly and securely. The slots must match the thickness of the strings so that the strings cannot slide sideways through them.

fret sills

This is the name given to the metal plates on the fretboard. It is necessary to check the sound of all strings at each fret. The slightest impurities, rattling and rustling indicate that something is wrong with the fret tracks.

Don't expect it to go away with time. Sometimes sellers can promise this, but do not believe it: the overlay will dry out and deform a little more, as a result of which the frets will come out of their grooves even more. Naturally, this change is not for the better.

Sometimes linings are made from the so-called ebony wood. In this case, the form will remain stable. But guitars equipped with such overlays are very expensive.

Tremolo (or "vibrato")

This device is needed to fix the strings and change the tuning of the instrument right during the game, with a subsequent return to the original sound.

A lever is inserted into a special hole in the tremolo. To create an effect, the guitarist presses it against the body, and then returns to its original position. The tuning does not go astray thanks to the springs that return the strings.

You can test tremolo like this:

• put any chord;
• play all the strings with your right hand;
• press the tremolo lever;
• release it and strike the strings again.

If the sound has changed after the second play and the guitar seems out of tune, then the tremolo is not working well. This may result in the inability to properly tune the instrument.

What you need to know about pickups

They detect vibrations in the magnetic field they create and transmit it to the amplifier.

The history of pickups begins with the installation of contact microphones on guitar bodies. But it quickly became clear that something else had to be invented, since such devices perceive not only the sounds of the strings, but also all the rest. Then sound pickups were invented. Nowadays, they are piezocrystalline and magnetic. The first are installed mainly on electro-acoustic guitars. The piezocrystal built into them converts mechanical vibrations into an electric current of the same frequency.

On solid-body guitars, magnetic pickups are more often installed, it is worth talking about them in more detail.

In fact, this device is a coil. It is based on a permanent magnet (sometimes there are several). The winding is made of copper wire. A magnetic field is created around the sensor, the vibrations of the strings in which change the current in the coil winding, transferring the desired frequency to it. For example, the sounding first string performs 440 vibrations per second. In this case, the frequency of the current in the winding is 440 hertz.

There are two types of magnetic pickups:

• singles;
• humbuckers.

Single

This type of pickup consists of a single coil.

Its core is made of four or six magnets. The wire winding, the thickness of which does not exceed 0.06 mm, is made up of tens of thousands of turns.

Singles are valued for being able to provide a very clean and deep sound. Instruments with such pickups are preferred by professionals who play jazz genre. The history of these areas guitar music was created with the help of singles.
But this type of device also has a drawback.

Singles are not protected from interference. The cheapest of them are even capable of receiving and broadcasting a radio signal, sadly. The interference of extraneous electromagnetic fields can be heard in the speaker along with the sounds of the guitar.

Modern modifications are divided into two windings, which are connected to each other in antiphase. These pickups have the humbucking effect described below. Leads are not terrible for them.

humbuckers

The name of these pickups comes from the English “hum-bucker”, which means “noise suppressor” in Russian.

The history of humbuckers dates back to 1935, when Electro-Voice proposed a device in which two coils are wound on a permanent magnet in different directions (clockwise and vice versa). Through such coils, the radio signal goes to different directions, due to which all pickups are superimposed on each other and destroyed.

Humbuckers don't produce as clean and crisp a sound as single coils, but the effect they provide is interesting in its own way.

Tone and volume knobs, pickup switch

The tone block located behind the plastic shield inside the electric guitar makes it possible to adjust the timbre and volume of the instrument.

The pickup switch allows you to turn them on selectively or all together (it has five positions).

To check the tuning knobs, you need to plug the guitar into the amplifier and turn them, paying attention to the purity of the sound. There should be no crackling or crackling. If such rustles occur, it means that variable resistances may fail in the near future.

How to buy a model suitable for a specific musical genre

Before choosing an electric guitar, you need to consider what style you want to play.

Humbucker guitars are most often chosen by players who prefer heavy styles.

For melodic music, it is better to purchase an instrument with singles. A good electric guitar with these pickups is the Fender Squier Affinity Fat Stratocaster RW.

There are also models with different types of pickups. For example, the Ibanez GRG170DX has two humbuckers and one single coil. Such electric guitars are bought by those whose preferences in music are quite diverse.

Tips for choosing a good electric guitar

If you decide to become virtuoso musician, the skill of which will be admired by hundreds of thousands of fans, then you cannot do without a good electronic guitar. As practice shows, most beginners have big problems with a selection of quality tools. Present on the market today great amount various models, which are very easy to get lost even for experienced musicians. Let's try to figure out what you should pay attention to when choosing an electric guitar so that money is not thrown away.

Electronic guitar design Electronic guitar design

At first glance, it may seem that the appearance of the tool does not matter at all, however, this is absolutely not the case. If you plan to perform on a professional stage in front of a large audience, then this is one of the key criteria, as you need to look stylish in front of your fans. Therefore, buy an electric guitar that you will like externally. You should want to constantly take it in your hands so that it does not needlessly gather dust in the closet.

What to look for when choosing a tool? What to look for when choosing a tool?

When buying an electric guitar, it is very important to make sure of its quality, since the prices for them are quite high. Therefore, when you have already decided on a specific model, carefully inspect it and make sure that the tool is not defective and does not have any defects. There should be no scratches, chips or visible traces of use on the case. In addition, carefully inspect all electronic components, controls and interfaces. All toggle switches should rotate smoothly in both directions without any squeaks and backlash. If something dangles or rattles, and extraneous sounds are heard from the body, then this is a sign of a factory defect: it is better not to buy such an electric guitar.

It is also very important to decide how much the electric guitar will cost. Professional grade tools are expensive and may not be affordable for everyone. Therefore, you should not chase models from the world famous brands. Really appreciate your financial opportunities and settle for what you can afford.

Buying an electric guitar from a brick and mortar store Buying an electric guitar from a brick and mortar store

Most people prefer to buy electric guitars the old fashioned way. retail stores. However, many do not even suspect that it is quite difficult to find really interesting models in them. The assortment is updated very rarely, and when new electronic guitars appear on sale, they are already outdated both from a moral point of view and from a technical point of view. In addition, ordinary stores are forced to pay for the rent of large retail and warehouse space, as well as take on other expenses, so the cost of tools is very high.

Why buy an electric guitar in our online store? Why buy an electric guitar in our online store?

If you want to buy an electric guitar at a bargain price, then in Moscow you can do this in the Gitaraist online store. We work directly with manufacturers, so all new products appear on sale almost immediately after their release on the market. In addition, all goods are original and are accompanied by quality certificates, so you can be completely sure that you will receive a quality product. ordering electronic guitar in our online market, you get:

• a large assortment;
• one of the most low prices On the market;
• fast delivery to any region of Russia;
• case as a gift for each tool.

You can find out how much an electric guitar costs, as well as place an order on the official Gitaraist website. If you need help choosing a tool, our experts will be happy to provide you with professional advice.

In the early 20th century, blues, soul, or country musicians could get by with conventional acoustic guitars. But already in the 1930s, jazz guitarists felt the need to amplify the sound of their instruments.

A Californian inventor, Leo Fender owned his own radio workshop, where he created one of the first prototype solid oak guitars, which he rented out to musicians in 1943 in exchange for suggestions to improve the design. 1949 marked a turning point in electric guitar history when Leo Fender released what became one of the most successful solid body guitars. Esquire, later renamed Broadcaster, eventually becoming Telecaster - had all the advantages of a Les Paul guitar, no effect feedback, lack of unwanted harmonics, long sustain (string duration), but at the same time he found few fans among jazz guitarists.

Jazz players preferred the softer, rounder, more acoustic sound of the ES-150. Despite this, the Telecaster was wildly popular among country, blues, and later in the 1950s and 1960s, rock and roll musicians.

Seeing the success of Fender's solid body guitars, Gibson management revisited the model proposed by Les Paul, and in 1952 it was decided to create a guitar that later became the industry standard. Since the main ideological inspirer of this model was Les Paul, the new instrument was named after him. Much of the design of the new instrument came from the company's new president, Ted McCarty. The design used P-90 pickups, developed in 1946 and had a warm, soft sound. These original Les Pauls have become one of the best-selling models in the history of the guitar.

Around 1961, Ted McCarthy introduced the new ES-335, a semi-resonant body guitar. Created to unite best qualities both hollow and solid bodies, it quickly gained popularity and was used by such influential guitarists as