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For almost as long as anyone can remember, electric guitars have been synonymous with the concept of design - and it has almost seemed to be the case that in order to sound good, an electric guitar must look fabulous. Whilst this isn’t necessarily the case, it has taken a long time for the electric bass guitar to catch up with the standard electric guitar in terms of design and appearance - but that has been experiencing significant changes over recent years, with electric bass guitars packing a punch as far as aesthetics are concerned, and taking a firm stand centre stage.

The body of electric bass guitars has typically been made from wood - usually very hard wood, but in some cases graphite has also been used to create a strong, but very lightweight guitar. Where wood has been used there has always been much scope for variation, but the most typical woods used include alder for the body, maple for the strong neck, and rosewood for the fret board. Each of these woods is lacquered to within an inch of its life, and the natural gloss of the wood with the grain enhanced adds a striking effect to the instrument. However, where graphite has been used, a wide range of colours and paint effects has been used to create guitars in all manner of visual styles.

Graphite can help in reducing the weight of a bass guitar, but an alternative is to create a hollow bodies electric bass guitar. Normally the idea of a hollow bodied guitar is restricted to that of the acoustic guitar, but the hollow chamber achieves two things - firstly it lowers the overall weight, and secondly it can be used to help add a certain resonance to the notes, providing the guitar with a distinct voice.

The electric bass guitar is a large instrument, and is usually significantly longer than the standard electric guitar. For this reason the fret board or neck is under considerable strain, and so the design has to take this into account. There is little surprise that even today, with the most amazing fabrics and materials available, often it is still premium hardwoods that are chosen for the essential parts of a guitar, and for an electric bass guitar the fret board is nearly always rosewood or maple. However, there have been graphite fret boards, and even ebony.

In some cases the design of an electric bass guitar has relied partly on the wood for the appearance and strength, but also partly on its very exotic nature, with companies like Alembic notorious for using exotic and unusual woods in the production of its guitars. Cocobolo is used very often by them to create the bodies of the guitar - not for any inherent quality that adds to the music, but because it has a wonderful grain that can be brought out and creates a wonderful visual effect.

Electric bass guitars were often the dark and rather bland instrument hidden at the back, alongside the drum kit, but today the electric bass guitar is a work of art, both musically and visually, with much of the work the credit of the trees which grow the grain in such a way that these instruments have a strikingly visual appeal that makes them stand out, and perhaps it is this fact that has contributed so greatly to the massive interest which they command.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric guitars, hardwood guitars, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

Many people assume that all electric guitars have solid bodies, and in fact this is not the case. It would be true to say that most electric guitars have solid bodies, since generally there is no need for a hollow resonating chamber - the sound being created entirely by the electrical amplifier. However, there are some electric guitars which do have a hollow resonating chamber, and it is believed that this does add an extra natural amplification which is picked up separately from the electrical signal.

Electric guitars’ bodies are generally made from hard wood - since the instrument is under tremendous strain at all times. The strings on an acoustic guitar may be made of nylon, but an electric guitar’s strings are made from steel, and this has to be stretched so tightly that the neck and body of the guitar are under constant strain. The hardwood body is generally lacquered with several thick coats - giving it the famous sheen and striking appearance. The hardwood used has to be of the very best quality, and the usual practice is to dry the wood first for up to six months before it is cut to shape. The cutting and shaping is a precision task - often managed by computer to ensure the shape is perfect.

Because of the fact that the guitar bodies are made from a natural material - wood, this has to be taken into account. Wood has a natural tendency to warp, shrink, absorb moisture and expand, and any change in shape could be disastrous not only for the quality of sound, but in the very strength of a guitar under enormous pressure already. It is for this reason that the wood is dried for six months to ensure that no internal moisture is still inside, and then when the wood is cut to shape, it is lacquered not just to make it look good, but to ensure that the wood is protected from humidity and any moisture risk. This helps to ensure that the guitar retains its shape, and therefore tone, and also remains strong under the pressure from the strings.

The typical solid body electric guitar is said to have been first developed by renowned guitar manufacturer Les Paul, whose design was produced by the company Gibson. However, the first mass production of a solid body electric guitar was actually the Broadcaster produced by Fender. This name was later changed due to trademark infringement laws to Telecaster. The first Telecasters were produced in 1948, and was later joined in the market by Gibson’s Les Paul.

Although hollow body guitars are less common, they do exist. Whereas normally an electric guitar uses a pickup to detect the physical movement of the strings, which is translated into an electrical signal, in hollow body electric guitars the pickup captures a combination of the physical movement of the strings, which it converts to an electrical signal, and the natural resonance of the air in the body of the guitar caused by the string’s vibration. This creates a natural amplification which helps to soften the often harsh sound of a purely electric guitar.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric guitar, hollow body guitars, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

Although the concept of a bass guitar was first developed in the 1930s, it wasn’t until the 1950s that mass production met with popularity and the concept of an electric bass guitar became mainstream. Once the idea of an electric bass guitar took hold, and was used widely in groups and bands performing across the world, many companies began developing new styles and methods to create some fantastic ideas for the instrument, and help its popularity grow. Today the electric bass guitar has stepped forwards from the dark shadows of the back of the stage to take a much more prominent position at the front - and has become known as a very popular and stylish instrument to play. Not forgetting, of course, that the quality of sound and versatility have come a long way too.

Since it took about twenty years for the idea of an electric bass guitar to become a mainstream popular idea, it is unsurprising perhaps that it took another twenty years for the next big jump in design and innovation. It was in the 1970s that the company known as Music Man was founded by Leo Fender. It was this company that designed and created the StingRay, which was the first bass guitar to include active electronics. Although these active electronics can sound quite complex, the simple effect was to increase the range of high and low notes, and enhance the crispness of each.

In the early seventies a company called Alembic created the basic design for the high end bass guitars, known as boutique guitars. These were crafted using the highest degree of expertise, with the most highly skilled craftsmen using the finest quality materials. With unique, custom designs, the most premium woods available and some of the most innovative electronic gadgetry included, these boutique bass guitars became well known as the top guitar to have - and brought bass guitars from the back of the stage to the very front - an equal to the standard electric guitar.

Over the next thirty years the designs of electric bass guitars have varied, with new innovations, odd and unusual features and designs, including a headless bass by Ned Steinberger, who also introduced the Trans-Trem tremolo bar. A few years later the Guild Guitar Corporation introduced the astonishing fretless bass, known as the Ashbory. Quite how a guitar would work without frets would challenge any sane thinker - but the Ashbory used silicone rubber strings, with a piezoelectric pickup. The result of this was a sound more like a double bass than an electric guitar.

It was in the nineties that five string basses became popular, and prices began to reduce quite significantly, seeing pre-amplifiers built in to most bass guitars - previously something reserved for the higher end guitar. Today we see electric bass guitars include digital modelling circuits actually built in to the guitar - almost like having a computer built in to the body of the guitar, and able to enhance, distort, amplify and altar the voice of the guitar in such a way that it is possible to program the guitar to sound like any of the well known types of guitar available previously.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric bass guitar, bass guitar, Fender, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

Acoustic guitars may have strings made from various materials, including most commonly nylon. It is believed that nylon provides a good, crisp sound, as is kind on the fingers - especially important for beginners. However, strings made from steel provide an unmistakably crisp sound, which is very lovely to hear. However, the downside of using steel strings is that they can be very tough on fingers - and beginners may find the experience deeply off-putting. However, with time and effort, and a hardening of the fingertips, the sound is well worth the effort in most people’s opinions.

Acoustic guitars can sometimes be amplified, for the benefit of larger audiences, by the use of a microphone situated near to the opening of the body. In the case of steel strung acoustic guitars it is possible to combine this microphone pickup with the natural frequency of the steel strings and include an electromagnetic pickup such as is seen in the electric guitar.

These are sometimes referred to as piezo-electric pickups, often positioned under the bridge of the guitar, or even inside the body itself. Purely electro-magnetic pickups used in this way will simply convert the vibration of the steel string into an electrical signal sent to an external amplifier, but more commonly used are those pickups which combine the electrical signal generated purely through the movement of the strings with the natural resonance and amplification of sound created by the natural cavity of the body.

Electric acoustic guitars are still regarded by most people as being acoustic guitars at heart, despite having electrical amplification which works more like a standard electric guitar. One significant difference in many instances is that the magnetic pickups used in these hybrid acoustic electrical guitars generate the signal not from the physical movement of the strings, but of the actual body of the guitar itself. Effectively, once a string is struck, it vibrates the air around it. This movement of air is then captured and amplified naturally by the shape of the body of the guitar, and the air inside vibrates to the same frequency - creating the note we hear.

Because of the fairly thin and flexible walls of the guitar body, this air movement creates very slight vibrations in the guitar body, and it is this movement that can be detected by the pickup. Not surprisingly this movement, and subsequent sound, has to be very much amplified to be able to be heard. However, the advantage of this is that the resulting sound is still more faithful to that of the acoustic guitar than a purely electrical one.

The advantage of having an electric acoustic guitar is that it can of course be played to larger audiences, and provides the performer with far greater flexibility and versatility - being able to play purely acoustic music, or switch to a hybrid guitar which can combine electrical effects with the natural acoustic sound, or even play music one would more typically associate with purely electric guitars. Perhaps not suitable for the beginner, but for the more seasoned performer, a fascinating mix of styles and opportunities.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric acoustic guitars, beginner guitars, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

There are thousands upon thousands of bands and artists out there, but who are the best? One of the solutions for breaking down musical artists into groups is to categorise them by genre. Another may be by era. This article takes the opportunity to list them in a simpler way - by recommending bands to listen to beginning with the letter C.

This article is nothing more than a brief list of suggestions, often acting as a quick guide for music lovers to tread the waters of particular musical genres. Accordingly, there may be some obscure, popular and frankly absurd suggestions!

The Clash: Undoubtedly one of the greatest bands of all time, The Clash can boast a legacy that looks set to be preserved for decades to come. As one of the primary exponents of politicising lyrics and hugely influential UK punk movement, The Clash boast an incredible number of hits that are ingrained on the psyche of modern musicians the world over. Narrowing down any particular songs and albums to check out is impossible - do all you can to hear everything!

The Cure: Another British band that has inspired countless imitators and left its legacy on modern music, the entire back catalogue of The Cure deserves a place in all collections. The darkly beautiful and sombre music and lyrics may sometimes seem kitsch, but the creative genius of Robert Smith is unique in its ability to create moving soundscapes that leave an indelible impression on the listener.

Coheed and Cambria: If progressive concept albums, big hair and bigger guitar solos are you thing, then Coheed and Cambria are the perfect band for you. Led by guitarist/vocalist Claudio Sanchez, the New York band have released four studio to date, with Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star VI… arguably their best work and spawning the hit singles Welcome Home, The Suffering and Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial).

Johnny Cash: Yes, I know it has become almost unbearably cool to be a fan of Johnny Cash, but he is worth adding to the list solely for the great, Rick Rubin produced album, American IV: The Man Comes Around. Featuring guest performances and stirring cover versions of contemporary and classic songs, the sheer emotion of the album is enough to reduce anyone to tears, not least his versions of Nine Inch Nail’s Hurt and Ewan MacColl’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

Creed: Only kidding…

Max Clarke is a copywriter for holiday services company, Holiday Extras, currently writing about Gatwick airport parking,Manchester airport hotels, Heathrow airport parking and UK music.