December 27, 2003 Origins of the Electric Guitar: Five
Noteworthy Instruments from 1931-1947 by Tom Watson With less
than a week away from 2004, guitar enthusiasts around the world
eagerly look ahead to the 50th Anniversary of the Fender
Stratocaster. But since we have several weeks to wait until
Fender unveils its 2004 anniversary models at the mid-January
NAMM Show, perhaps this is a good time to take a look behind at
some of the instruments that influenced the evolution of the
electric solidbody guitar. That history is neither simple nor
direct. It's actually a twisting four lane highway that includes
the stories of three types of guitars - the lap-steel, the
electric hollow-body, and, the electric solidbody; and, of
course, the amplifiers that powered all three guitar designs.
Presented below is a brief look at five instruments created
between 1931 and 1947 that are significant in the evolution of
the electric solidbody. George Beauchamp, Harry Watson, and
Alfred Rickenbacker The Frying Pan Although Lloyd