Since I first picked up an electric guitar at age thirteen, I have been smitten with the instrument in ways that I can't explain to anyone but fellow devotees without sounding seriously, unhealthily obsessive. I love everything about the electric guitar--the solidity; the feel of wood, lacquer, metal, and plastic; its smooth curves; its balance in my arms; the incredible range of sounds that can be coaxed and wrenched from the instrument. One of the things that makes the electric guitar so interesting to me is the nearly limitless range of shapes in which it can be made. An acoustic guitar needs to follow certain design parameters because its shape directly determines its ability to amplify the sound of the strings. But an electric guitar relies on magnetic pickups and amplifiers for this, so it is freed to take on any shape you can imagine. There are too many examples to mention, but some models of note are the Gibson Explorer and Flying V; the Ibanez Destroyer, Iceman, Xiphos, and JEM; the Peavey Mantis and Vandenberg; the B.C. Rich Mockingbird and Eagle; and of course custom guitars made for Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick (some with up to five necks on one instrument) and Billy Gibbons of Z.Z. Top (have you seen the white furry guitar?). It's safe to bet this will not be my last post on the electric guitar--it's a lifetime love affair.
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