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The Songwriter's Store |
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Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Articles:
The Guitar is arguably the songwriter's favorite writing tool. A musical instrument of the lute or the plucked chordophone family, a typical guitar will have a flat, waisted body with a round sound hole and a fretted neck along which run six strings. (Notice, this is a typical guitar. There are, of course, 12 string guitars, and I've even known performing songwriters who use nine!) The strings are fastened at the top of the neck to tuning screws, and at the other end to a bridge glued to the instrument's sound board, or belly. There are many different kinds of guitars, used to play all kinds of music from folk to classical. Guitars can be played with the fingers or a pick. Finger picks can also be used, as well as a bottle neck for sliding effects. Knowing how your guitar is constructed will go a long way towards helping you find the right guitar for you (width of neck, height of bridge, etc.).
You can find some programs and packages to help improve your guitar playing (and songwriting!) at these locations (click the links to check them out):
Find Schools Online - Music Degrees | Guitar Scales & Theory For Songwriters | Berkleemusic.com | SongU.com
And below is some further information on the history of the guitar, along with suggested links to get the best deals on brand name guitars such as Taylor, Fender, Dean, Ibanez , Takamine, Ovation , Martin , Peavey, Jackson, Hamer and more.
Musician's Friend has a fantastic selection of both electric and acoustic guitars:
Or your could use find whatever you happen to be looking for through this handy search function:
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And in addition to that, they have Limited Edition Gibson Guitars available every week:
No more than 400 of these guitars will be made, so if you're the the sort that collects, it would be a good idea to check out these guitars now - before they're gone!
The Musician’s Friend: Clearance center is also a great place to check for deals (including far more than just guitars!). And you can shop by brand by clicking here: Musician’s Friend: Shop by Brand
Besides that, they offer Free Shipping on Most Orders Over $99! What have you got to lose?
History of the Guitar
Instruments similiar in design and function to the guitar have been around for at least 5,000 years. With roots in the ancient east, Persian and early European civilizations, the guitar is one of the oldest musical instruments. The first modern form of the guitar appears to have orignated in Spain, where, by the 16th century, it was a poor man's version of the aristocracy's vihuela. By the middle of the 18th century, the guitar attained its modern form when the double courses were made single and a sixth string was added above the lower five. Guitar manufacturers in the 19th century broadened the body, increased the curve of the waist, thinned the belly, and changed the internal bracing. The old wooden tuning pegs were replaced by a modern machine head.
Acoustic Guitars
Unlike the electric guitar, the traditional guitar is not dependent on any external device for amplification. The shape and resonance of the guitar itself creates acoustic amplification. The non-electric guitar, however, is not a loud instrument. Because of this, it can't compete with other instruments commonly found in bands and orchestras, in terms of sheer audible volume. Many acoustic guitars are available today with built-in electronics to enable amplification.
Electric Guitars
Electric guitars can have solid, semi-hollow or hollow bodies, and produce little or very low sound without amplification. The first solid body electric guitar was a Stratocaster, made by the Fender company. Unlike acoustic guitars, the electric versions create sound by converting the vibrations from the strings into electronic impulses. The Stratocaster was first made in the mid-1950s and has changed little since then. It is very popular with rock musicians.
If you have a store that sells guitars or musical instruments and you'd like to promote it here, feel free to contact me so that we can talk about it.
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