Electric Guitar Basics

Knowing a few electric guitar basics can help both as you learn to play the electric guitar as well as when you shop for a new or used instrument. While the electric and acoustic guitar have many things in common, there are some notable differences that are worth knowing.

Seymour Duncan
Humbucking Pickup

Pickups

Perhaps the most notable difference (which is what makes an electric guitar electric) is the pickups, which is the part of an electric guitar that translates the vibrations of the strings and turns it into a signal that is picked up by the amplifier and comes across (hopefully) as music. There are a wide variety of pickups, all of which affect the sound of the instrument. Some pickups are geared for specific kinds of music such as blues, rock, or country. There are pickups famed for their thin yet cutting sound (single coils) and others renowned for a thick, powerful sound (humbuckers). Although some acoustic guitars (known as acoustic electrics) have pickups, for electric guitars, the pickups are an integral and even essential part of the sound.

Playability

Electric guitars typically also have much lower action than do acoustic guitars. "Action" simply refers to how far the strings are off of the fretboard or fingerboard. Guitars with lower action are easier to play (though some players, like Stevie Ray Vaughan, preferred the tone of higher action). Generally, electric guitars are a lot easier to adjust regarding the action, as well as the intonation (how well the guitar stays in tune up and down the neck). With electric guitars, you can usually adjust individual string heights. With acoustic guitars, such adjustments are not possible due to the instrument's construction.

Floyd Rose Vibrato Bridge

Bridges

As opposed to acoustic instruments, electric guitars also have more flexibility with respect to the bridge (the area where the strings are attached to the guitar's body). Many electric guitars are outfitted with a vibrato bar (also called a "whammy" or, erroneously, a tremolo) that allows the players to lower (and sometimes raise) the pitch of the strings. Players such as Eddie Van Halen and Brad Gillis have made the vibrato a significant part of their individual styles. Popular vibrato bars include Fender (both vintage and modern), Floyd Rose, and Bisby

Electric Guitar Basics - Final Words

These are just a few electric guitar basics to help you understand the instrument a bit better. If you have any questions about understanding or buying an electric guitar, please don't hesitate to let me know!