The guitar is a magical instrument. Her parts can be heard in any style of music - from classical to modern rock compositions. The history of this plucked string instrument is rooted in ancient times. After all, for more than 4000 years, mankind has been using the kifar, zither, and lute related to it. Often in our homes you can find this wonderful instrument, but not everyone asks what the guitar consists of.
History of occurrence
Translated from the Persian "chartra" - four-stringed. It was instruments with four strings that came to the countries of the Middle East and Europe from Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Then a fifth string was added to the guitar. It happened in Italy during the Renaissance. At this time, the number of frets on the fretboard increased from eight to twelve. The six-strings familiar to us appeared in the middle of the 17th century, and since then the arrangement of classical guitars has practically remained unchanged. In the 30s of the last century, a kind of guitar revolution began, and electronic components, amplifiers were added to musical instruments, and in the next decades - various sound effects.
The device and features of classic guitars
The predecessors of classical instruments were "Spanish women." They had five double strings and a shape not quite familiar to the guitar. Then, in the 18-19 centuries, the sixth string was added to the Spanish one, musical masters experimented with forms, the length of the scale, invented new ring mechanisms. The result is a classic that has reached us.
So what does a classical guitar consist of? The main parts of the instrument are the head, neck and body. Strings are attached and pulled on the head of the neck using pegs, and it is equipped with frets and frets to change the length of the vibrating string and thereby the frequency of sound. The instrument body is a top deck, a rear deck with a shell, a resonator hole and a stand - the place where nylon strings are connected to the body. Next, consider what an acoustic guitar consists of.
The device and features of acoustics
What does a guitar of this kind consist of? The acoustics of the device are almost no different from classical instruments. The difference is in the size of the body and the strings - in an acoustic guitar they are metal. Depending on the size, such instruments are divided into dreadnought, jumbo and folk guitars. Widely used in such musical styles as blues, rock, bard song, and many other song genres.
For the production of tools used a variety of wood species. Despite the fact that guitars from exotic tree species are not uncommon, acoustics are made from certain species. After all, the sound is influenced by every wooden element from its design.
The device and features of the electric guitar
Electric guitars differ from acoustic and classical ones by the presence of pickups and an electric circuit with adjustment knobs and switches. Such guitars require sound amplification equipment. For playing at home, tube and transistor combo amplifiers with a power of 4-35 watts are most popular.
Magnetic pickups appeared in the mid-1920s at Gibson. And the guitar revolution happened a decade later, when jazz musicians discovered a wide range of possible electric guitar sounds.
If we talk about the appearance of the tools, then the most distinctive and popular forms are:
- Fender telecaster;
- Fender stratocaster;
- Gibson SG;
- Gibson Explorer;
- Gibson Firebird;
- Gibson Les Paul;
- Gibson Flying V;
Other models of guitars of various manufacturers in one way or another borrowed the features of these instruments.
Materials for the manufacture
It was discussed above what parts a guitar consists of. And what are they made of? The top deck has the most significant effect on the sound.
Classical and acoustic guitars traditionally use spruce for her. High-level instruments have a deck made of red spruce. For models it is easier to use cheaper varieties. Used to produce the upper deck and cedar. Instruments made of cedar and spruce sound differently, but in their own way perfectly: the former have a brighter sound, while the latter have a softer and enveloping sound.
Mahogany is the most popular material for the rear deck and shell. The same material is used to produce these guitar parts. In addition to mahogany, you can find tools made of rosewood, maple, walnut, bubing tree and koa.
The neck of an acoustic guitar is most often made of mahogany. The second most popular are maple vultures. The most common fingerboard is rosewood. In higher-class acoustic and electric guitars of ebony - ebony.
Electric guitars, like acoustic and classical instruments, are made of wood, although there are metal guitars and models made of artificial materials. The "classic" scheme for Gibson: deck and mahogany neck, maple top deck, mahogany neck pad.
Fender tools: alder deck, maple neck, maple or rosewood fingerboard.
Further we will consider what the bass guitar consists of and what are its features.
The device and features of bass guitars
Bass guitars differ from other types of instruments by the thickness of the strings, the increased scale and, as a result, the large dimensions.
Such a guitar is a relative of the double bass. The strings are usually four or five, although six or more stringed instruments are found. They play with fingers using a specific technique, or with a pick.