What is an electric guitar? (the basics)

This is a simple definition and an explanation of what an electric guitar is and how it works.

Electric guitars rely on magnetic pickups/humbuckers and electric guitar amps to produce a sound that's a lot different than a traditional acoustic guitar. On this page, we'll cover the following aspects of the electric guitar:

• Construction/components
• Functionality/how it works

The Basics

An electric guitar is simply a stringed instrument that utilizes magnets and wiring to pick up the string's vibrations, instead of the natural resonance of its body.

Through magnetic pickups and wiring, these vibrations are sent to a guitar amp, where they are amplified and projected through speakers into open air. This ability to amplify and shape the guitar's sound with a lot of flexibility is what sets electric guitars apart from acoustic instruments and makes them incredibly versatile.

The tone and sound of an electric guitar can be adjusted by any of the following:

• The guitar itself (volume knob/tone knob/pickup selector)
• The amp (EQ, distortion, volume)
• Pedals and effects processors (gain, modulation, ambience, etc.)

Moreover, electric guitars consist of several key components that work together to create these unique sounds. They include the following:

• Body of the guitar/tonewood
• Body design
• Neck
• Strings
• Pickups

The Body

The body of an electric guitar is typically solid or semi-hollow, though always made of wood. The body's design and construction play a significant role in shaping the guitar's tone characteristics.

It's worthwhile to note that nicer electric guitars typically have a separate, solid top piece that goes over the body, with binding separating the two.

Common types of body tonewood include the following:

• Mahogany
• Alder
• Pine (usually in cheaper guitars)
• Maple (usually used in the top piece, if an electric guitar has a top piece)

With electric guitars, Mahogany is most often used for the body, especially in solid body models.

The Neck

The neck of an electric guitar is the backbone of the fretboard, which is where the player presses down on the strings to produce different notes.

Pretty simple.

Electric guitar necks can vary in shape, thickness, and length, catering to different playing styles and preferences. The number of frets on the neck determines the range of notes that can be played.

On electric guitars, these are the specs you'll typically see:

• Curved or "C shaped" neck
• Maple/Rosewood tonewood
• 22 to 24 frets

The Strings

The strings on an electric guitar are made of metal and are typically thinner than those on an acoustic guitar. They are attached to the guitar's body at the tuning pegs on the headstock and pass over the pickups before being secured at the bridge (of which there are multiple kinds).

When the strings are plucked or strummed, they vibrate, creating changes in the magnetic field around the pickups.

The Pickups

The pickups are sort of the core of what makes an electric guitar work. The magnets inside the pickups are wrapped in coils of wire that capture the vibrations of the strings and convert them into electrical signals, as we mentioned previously.

There are two main types of pickups: Single-coil and humbucker.

Single-coil pickups have a bright and clear tone, while humbuckers offer a thicker and warmer sound with reduced hum and noise.

In the above photo, you're looking at humbuckers and not single coil pickups.

Read more: Best pickups for electric guitar

The Signal

Once the electrical signals are generated by the pickups, they are sent through the instrument and out to an amplifier.

The amplifier takes the otherwise weak electrical signal and boosts or "amplifies" it to a level that can be heard through the speakers. This amplification process adds richness, volume, and various tone qualities to the guitar's sound.

Guitarists can then tweak the sound on the amplifier, or add effects between the guitar and the amp with more instrument cables. Effects pedals are a fairly extensive topic in and of themselves.

Read more: Guitar Pedal Setup Guide

Summary

So to wrap up: 

Electric guitars are usually solid body instruments with pickups that use magnets to turn vibrations into electrical signals, that can then be heard through an amplifier.

Pretty simple, but it makes for a very versatile instrument that's a lot of fun to play.

If you have questions about electric guitars, you can hit us up in the comments section below, or you can browse around the rest of the site. We have tons of resources on electric guitars, acoustics, and lots more.

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