Electric guitars. The most beautiful and unusual

What forms of guitars exist and what are their features?

In this article I will talk about the most famous and common forms various kinds guitars.

1. Stratocaster

The most common and most copied form of the electric guitar. Under what names and in what countries is this guitar not produced. The original Fender Stratocaster is made in the USA. This is a three-pickup single-coil guitar with strings attached to a Vintage Tremolo bridge. The guitar has its own unique "glassy" sound. This instrument can be found in many pop-rock, indie rock, hard rock artists.

2. Telecaster

Another well-known form-legend from Fender. This is an earlier model of the company's guitar than the Stratocaster. The guitar, one might say, was carved from one piece of wood - such is the technology for making the soundboard, and the very design of the first series of the guitar was rather clumsy. The guitar has two single-coil pickups, which, together with an alder or ash body, also gives a pleasant acoustic and “glassy” sound when overdriven. It is more versatile than the Stratocaster; There are also versions with humbucking pickups.

3. Les Paul

The equally famous Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, which also gave impetus to the development of the guitar industry as a whole. This guitar is distinguished by its classic shape, reminiscent of the waist of a girl, the design of the pickups, and, of course, high quality assemblies from valuable breeds of mahogany. No wonder Les Paul is considered the most versatile guitar, many studios use it when recording. Also, this guitar is often copied by other manufacturers, both under license and without it (hello China!).

4. superstrat
Paul Reed Smith Custom 24

Superstrats are a huge array of different guitars from many manufacturers. Outwardly, they are structurally similar to Stratocaster guitars, but in many respects they have their own design features, such as pickups, headstock, material of the soundboard, neck and fingerboard, and tailpiece design.

Ibanez RG320-FM

Many guitar factories were able to build their image on the release of such guitars, such as Ibanez, Cort, Kramer. Jackson guitars, which pioneered the Superstrat design, deserve special attention. Initially, these were copies of Stratocaster guitars, but with more expensive woods and sophisticated fittings.

5. SG

The Gibson SG is the same horned guitar played by the lead guitarist from AC/DC. It differs from Les Paul also in that the soundboard is made of a single piece of mahogany, and the strap, due to the design of the guitar, is attached to the highest point on the back of the soundboard. The abbreviation SG stands for solid guitar.

6. Mockingbird

Guitar B.C. Rich Mockingbird has a really unique shape, although not the most playable. However, many of B.C. Rich became known for their unusual shapes. A well-known owner of this guitar is guitarist Slash from Guns N`Roses.

7. Warlock

B.C. The Rich Warlock is an electric guitar with a demonic design, loved by many heavy metal players. Its horned neck and pointed body are indistinguishable from any other guitar.

8. explorer

Gibson Explorer has a distinctive star profile. Despite the angularity, this is a fairly comfortable electric guitar with a light neck. A special feature is also the pickup switch placed on the edge of the deck.

9. Flying V
The Gibson Flying V is an icon of true rockers of all time. The very name of the guitar speaks for itself - a flying arrowhead. This guitar helped many famous musicians to find their new stage image, including Jimi Hendrix whose guitar is pictured.

10. firebird
The Gibson Firebird is another Gibson solid-body electric guitar that looks like another guitar, the Explorer. But this model is unique in its own way: the neck, reminiscent of a bird's beak, rounded shapes, and its logo in the form of a bird. Equipped with one, two or three humbucker-mini, humbucker or P-90 pickups.

11. Jazzmaster

The Fender Jazzmaster was made specifically for jazz guitarists. The shape of the guitar made it possible to play comfortably in a sitting position. It is noteworthy that at that time (the end of the 1950s) the guitar had rather rich and cunning electronics, including a rhythm-solo play mode switch.

12. bass guitars

Fender Precision Bass

Bass guitars basically repeat the design of electric guitars, with the only difference being that the scale, thickness of the body and neck are much larger. But still, it is worth highlighting some guitars that laid the foundation for entire types of bass guitars and are already called a household name. These include the Fender Precision Bass and the Fender Jazz Bass.

Fender Jazz Bass

Also exists special kind bass guitars - fretless bass guitars. According to the principle of action, they are similar to double basses. These instruments expand the scope of possibilities when playing, but at the same time, the musician must have the so-called. perfect pitch, because there is no division of the fretboard into semitones.

13. Semi acoustic guitars

Semi-acoustic guitars are a hybrid of an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar. From the acoustics there is a hollow body, which is called the hollow-body, and from the electric guitar - pickups and related electronics. These guitars are very favored by blues players for their warmth, comfort, vintage look and the ability to warm up the sound a bit.

So I briefly introduced you to the main forms and types of guitars. The rest of the forms not listed here, as a rule, come from those already mentioned.

Everyone is used to the classics, but what are unusual guitars?

Baritone guitar and its unusual

The baritone guitar assumes something that is in the middle between the bass guitar and the ordinary six-string. Directly, the difference in external structure there is no special between them, and the beginner will not notice it either. But in terms of sound, they are completely different, and as soon as the instrument sounds, the difference will be noticeable to any person.

The baritone guitar differs from the usual "six-string" in a lower sound. The instrument is said to be in between the acoustic and bass guitars. Her tone is just between the tone value of these two options. So if you lower the key by one octave, you will get a sound identical to.

The baritone effect is achieved due to the presence of such an element as a "beaker". This element of the instrument is increased, which is why we observe a deeper and lower sound than acoustics. Standard classical model the beaker is 23 to 26 inches. For a baritone guitar, this value will vary between 27 and 30 inches. For comparison, the bass beaker is 34 inches (for reference to those who are not strong in playing and building elements on an unusual guitar).

Differing acoustic instrument options

Many would like to play an unusual instrument. However, this is enough rare view, not too famous in our country. Our musicians prefer conventional classical instruments.

Unusual acoustic guitars require special skills to play and musical ear. That is why not everyone takes the risk of using them. Due to their rarity, they are quite expensive. In Russia, they can only be found in Moscow or St. Petersburg, in the largest cities. Even there they are not very popular and they are classified as unusual acoustic guitars, although you can say that this is an unusual bass guitar.

If you need just such a tool, it is much easier to buy it online. You can order it from abroad. For example, they often come to us from America, where they are more popular than ours. Of course, they are very expensive - from 20,000 rubles and more. The cost depends on the model and brand.

What is the advantage of playing such an instrument as a baritone guitar? The fact is that it is something between acoustics and bass, which means it is universal, that is, it replaces both types of instruments.

Warr guitar and Stick Champer guitar

One of the most unusual options It's a warr guitar. What is its peculiarity and what does it represent? Have you heard of such an instrument, which can be played just as easily as a regular piano. Such an idea came to the musician Stick Champer, who improved the most ordinary instrument so that playing it resembled playing a keyboard instrument. By right, the instrument can be considered one of the most unusual guitars in the world.

The Warr guitar is derived from the Stick. But she also has a significant difference from the "big brother". The instrument that Stick created (now called shortly by his name) has nine main strings, of which some are bass and some are acoustic. The number of strings and the shape of the guitar depends on the model.

Immediately after its creation, sticks became very popular. They suited both bassists and those who played the acoustic instrument. This unusual tool can be considered universal, and in many ways it is attractive precisely for this. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to buy such a guitar in our country. They are made only in the United States. Even in Europe it is impossible to buy them - the subsidiaries of American firms also do not manufacture sticks.

The stick has an unusual shape of guitars. For example, characteristic feature is the lack of a body. Because of this, its sound is somewhat different from the sound of other guitars.

Despite the many advantages of such a tool - convenience, simplicity, versatility, it is worth considering whether you really want to have such a tool. Considering that it is very, very difficult to get it, buying an unusual guitar does not always justify itself. Yes, and the game on it is very specific. There are few people in Russia who can play such a guitar and could teach you. Well, it may even take several years to hone your skills.

A warr guitar differs from a stick in that it has a body. Such a guitar also has many options, like a stick, but the principle of operation is exactly the same.

Many note the uselessness of the warr guitar (as well as the stick). This instrument is quite expensive, its playing is specific and not everyone quickly gets used to playing such a guitar masterfully. If you play in a band or in an ensemble, then such a guitar is all the more useless. Its specificity cannot help you dilute the music with high-quality sound. And for a solo performance, you need to have certain skills that are achieved over the years of rehearsals. And not every song can be played on a warr guitar. Of course, if a musician masters the instrument, then the sound of the guitar will cause surprise and admiration, but such masters are quite rare.

So this thing is certainly very interesting, but it is only suitable for fans who have extra money for an expensive and unusual instrument.

Jolana Disco Bass

The guitar belongs to the "most unusual bass guitar" type. This is an instrument that has one of the most unusual forms. This model is not very common, so few have heard of it. It can be said about this guitar that its “highlight” is the tucked body. It is thanks to this unusual shape that this guitar is considered a symbol of disco music. There is also an original model of this Czechoslovak design, invented in America. There she became more popular than with us, although she didn’t really take root anywhere. This is one of the first unusual Soviet bass guitars.

What other most unusual guitars in the world exist?

There are many other unusual guitars that differ in shape. The most unusual forms of guitars can become business cards some famous musicians. Unusually shaped guitars can be made to order to impress an audience.

The design feature of the electric guitar gave a lot of room for the imagination of designers to fly. Many of them did not limit themselves to simple wood painting and began to experiment with form. The internet is full of photos of guitars with skulls, skeletons, multiple necks, etc. A significant contribution to the ranks of the original designer electric guitars was made by the notorious Japanese company ESP, which is famous for its instruments for heavy metal performers.

Beautiful electric guitars by Jens Ritter

On the other hand, there are masters who do not chase catchy appearance and create electric guitars that are considered the most refined and beautiful in the whole world. One of these guitar "artists" can be called Jens Ritter.

His guitars are limited edition works of art. For example, the Princess Isabella electric guitar was made in the amount of 50 pieces. It features a very light swamp ash body with a mahogany neck and maple fingerboards. Jens made a special selection for the bridge and decorated the guitar with fittings made for him by a jeweler. The instrument has an amazing sound similar to acoustic jazz guitars. The network has a photo shoot in which Princess Isabella flaunts on the shores of Botany Bay Beach.

The main specialization of Jens Ritter is bass guitars. One of his latest instruments was Cora, which took part in the NAMM Show 2010. The Roya Concept ONE PIECE FLAMED MAPLE looks no less impressive. This electric guitar is made from a single piece of corrugated maple and has a minimalist style. A feature of the instrument can be called the absence of the usual tuning pegs and tremolo. The guitar has a natural pattern that shows all the beauty of wood fibers.

famous electric guitars

Among the unusual guitars are many instruments that were used on stage legendary musicians. You can find not only incredible shaped electric guitars, but also double instruments, guitars with multiple necks and even two guitars with one neck.

Famous rockers sometimes like to stand out and make exclusive bookings. guitar firms. For more than 35 years, the AX BASS guitar, made famous by Gene Simmons of KISS, has flaunted on world stages. The bass guitar was made by Kramer and copied several times. In 2010, thanks to Cort Guitars, it became available for purchase to all fans. Copies of the AX BASS are designed by Cort in collaboration with Simmons and feature an autographed headstock and chromed bridge cover.

Other famous guitars were two "girlfriends" dressed in furs. The famous Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill from ZZ Top once lit on such guitars. Bearded blues rockers had several types of these electric guitars, including curved and fully rectangular bodies.

small electric guitars

The smallest guitar in the world can be considered a nano-instrument created by scientists at Cornell University. This small electric guitar vaguely resembles the famous Fender Stratocaster and is 20 times smaller than a human hair. You can even play such a miracle instrument with a laser or an atomic microscope.

More practical instruments that are smaller than conventional guitars are made by many companies. These are mainly electric guitars designed for children and are a smaller version of any famous instrument. Among the most famous are ESP LTD Kirk Hammet Junior, Ibanez Mikro GRM21, Squier Mini Strat or Epiphone Les Paul Express. Most of these guitars are made of inexpensive woods and cost between $100-200.

electric guitar ESP LTD Kirk Hammet Junior

The most expensive electric guitars in the world

It is difficult, when talking about outstanding guitars, not to mention the most expensive ones. Unlike most expensive items, the value of such instruments is not related to the gold case or the number of diamonds on the fingerboard (although there are certainly some). Connoisseurs here pay money for the history of the guitar, and the price largely depends on the name of the person who played it.

For example, Bob Marley's Washburn 22 series Hawk electric guitar was sold charitable foundation Different Journeys for $2 million. Earlier, Bob gave this guitar to his friend Gary Carls, who organized this fund.

Another electric guitar sold for the same price belonged to the legendary Jimi Hendrix. He played this Stratocaster at the famous Woodstock festival. The guitar has been resold several times at auctions, and last time was seen in 1990. Then it was acquired by one of the co-founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen.

The most expensive guitar in the world is Bryan Adams' Fender Stratocaster. Nothing outstanding in design, however, it was sold at the auction of the "Reach out to Asia" fund for a record amount of 2 million 700 thousand dollars. This guitar features autographs the greatest musicians, which adorned her white body. Among them are such celebrities as Paul McCartney (Paul McCartney), Eric Clapton (Eric Clapton), Jimmy Page ( Jimmy Page), Tony Iommi (Tony Iommi), Mick Jagger (Mick Jagger), Sting (Sting), Def Leppard (Def Leppard), Ritchie Blackmore ( Ritchie Blackmore) and many others. A truly amazing compilation provided an opportunity to help victims of the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Moreover, the guitar was sold twice during the auction: the first time it was bought by the royal family, who immediately donated it again to the foundation. The name of the second owner seems to have remained unknown to us.

In the framework of this article, we are unlikely to be able to talk about other unusual instruments that gave us a rich rock - culture. As a pleasant conclusion, we offer you to look at the selection of incredible beautiful guitars ESP, which are custom-made for buyers.

Sophisticated musicians come up with everything to make their favorite instrument special, unlike those used by their colleagues in the shop.

We offer you a selection of the most strange guitars, many of which are now in museums, but it is still not clear how they are played.

1. In the 70s of the last century, the legendary virtuoso guitarist who stood at the origins of the Led Zeppelin group Jimmy Page popularized guitars with two necks. Twenty years later, guitarist Steve Vai took it a step further with his three-neck Ibanez model. One of its most interesting features is the holographic "magic eye" that looks at the player when the guitar moves into playing position. In any case, the guitar is so expensive and fragile that so far only Vai manages to play it.

2. The "Chapman Stick" was invented in the early 1970s by Emmett Chapman. This instrument allows the guitarist to play more notes at once than on a conventional guitar. The neck works more like a keyboard. It will be difficult to play this guitar without getting a pompous expression.

3. Erroneously called "BC Rich Bitch", this pornographic-looking custom guitar was designed by Jon Crist and the metal band Danzig in 1995. He named it "Rich Bich" - yes, without the "t" - and continues to play it to this day.

4. Selling for $2,400 at www.guitarcenter.com, this "gunshot" bass actually comes with a laser sight.

5. The "Abstract Rockingbat" is a luxurious handmade guitar that sells for nearly £3,500. If Batman were a metalhead, he would play on it.

6. One of the fastest guitarists in the world, Michael Angelo Batio was famous in the 80s playing with the hairy metalheads of Nitro. He was also the teacher of the young Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine. Although the oddly cutaway "Quad guitar" he helped design is perhaps his best gift to the world.

7. Designed by Abstract, these fluffy guitars are named "Dean Powder Puff Zee". Each of them will cost you a hefty £7,000.

8. Thanks to a very low seventh string, this obviously ugly model is the "Damien Death Cross" - a gothic cross, fretboard inlays and an arrow on the headstock. Wow, sharp.

9. The "Angel Sword" guitar became a minor Internet discovery in 2007 when this model was found on eBay and sold for $4500 at the time, which caused a flurry of comments. Perfect gift for fans Iron Maiden or World of Warcraft.

10. Most likely, this guitar was made with an ironic intent. In any case, recently her name "Wangcaster" was listed in the dictionary of slang and obscene words.

11. This headache-inducing instrument was named "The Picasso" for its stylistic resemblance to the work of Pablo Picasso. It is unique in that it has 7 necks and 42 strings. One musician did manage to master the guitar. It turned out to be jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, who even managed to record the song "Into The Dream" with her help. Reason to brag.

12. When american singer Prince in 1992 changed his name to a symbol, he ordered a guitar made in the shape of this symbol. The original tool, made by master Jerry Auerswald, was covered with gold. The purple version you see here was produced by Schecter and even hit the shelves. True, at a great price.

13. What will you get if you combine a guitar with a harp? Harp guitar, of course. Popular among 19th-century Italian troubadours, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin learned to play this instrument. It is strange that he never used the harp guitar in any of the band's recordings.

14. And this is the height of bad taste among guitars of the 80s. While Steve Way was using his three neck Ibanez, David Lee Roth's band member was playing this "heart": you can see it in action in the "Just Like Paradise" video.

15. Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has many guitars, but the most famous is his "Jack Daniels" model. Being a good entrepreneur, Michael also produces his own line of hot sauce.

There are many factors that influence the sound of a guitar and its characteristics. One of the main factors is the size of the case and guitar shapes. Let's take a closer look at how types of guitar bodies are.

Acoustic guitar shapes

Traditionally, there are five main forms of acoustic guitar. Classic form, dreadnought, jumbo, folk and grand auditorium.

It is worth noting that almost all of the above forms have their counterparts in reduced sizes (3/4, 1/2). Moreover, the design features of the reduced samples do not undergo any significant changes.

A short video on acoustic guitars with sound examples:

Electric guitar shapes

Solid-body electric guitars, unlike their acoustic counterparts, have a greater variety in body shapes. Among them you can find guitars of an unusual shape. So, let's list the main forms of electric guitars and their names.

• Stratocaster. The most recognizable and copied instrument is the Fender Stratocaster. The rounded base of the body, the upper part of the body is crowned with two horns. Narrow neck with 21-22 frets, the headstock is C-neck shaped, and the pegs are oriented to one side. It is completed with three sensors of "single" type. It has a characteristic "glassy" sound.
• Telecaster. Another brainchild of Leo Fender, which gained popularity at the dawn of the company; one of the earliest solid body instruments. It has a rather rough outline. The original neck of the Telecaster is made from a single piece of wood, most often maple. The string fastening deserves special attention; on rare vintage models, you can find a B-Bender system for adjusting the tension of the second string.
• superstrat- an extensive group of guitars from various manufacturers. The shape resembles the Fender Stratocaster, but they also have their own design differences. For example, varieties with longer and sharper horns are often found, which contributes to a more comfortable playing on the last frets.
• Les Paul. The design of the guitar shape belongs to the notorious Lester Polfuss. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is often copied, especially in the Asian sector. It has a classic shape, rounded outlines, the top of the case has a characteristic cutout under left hand. Neck with 22 frets, symmetrical headstock with 3x3 pegs. The original models are made of mahogany, equipped with two humbuckers.
• SG- the most horned guitar from Gibson. Technically similar to Les Paul models. It has rounded outlines, the upper part of the neck with two short sharp "horns", which greatly facilitates playing on the last frets.
• Warlock manufactured by B. C. Rich - an electric guitar with an unusual asymmetrical shape with a pointed soundboard and a horned neck. In general, the body of the guitar resembles the Russian letter "X".
• explorer. Another easily recognizable Gibson legend. The case resembles a four-pointed asymmetrical star. A comfortable solid-body electric guitar with a light neck and a pickup switch moved from the deck surface to the edge.
• Flying V. Gibson's legendary arrowhead-shaped guitar. By technical specifications close to Explorer and SG guitars. The pegs are arranged in a 3x3 pattern.
• Randy Rhoads from Jackson is very similar in shape to the samples of the Flying V series. It has sharper endings. The pegs are located on one side, which emphasizes the asymmetry of the case.