A Reverse Salient In Electric Guitar Technology

Noise and Jimi Hendrix Woodstock concert in a field near Bethel, New York, August 1969. Jimi Hendrix was the last performer, playing from 8am to 10am on Monday August 18th. After being introduced as the "Jimi Hendrix Experience", Hendrix corrected the new group's name to "Gypsy Sun and Rainbows." “Purple Haze and the Star-Spangled Banner” were almost the last songs on the set. The audience was already leaving.

What’s the goal of technological innovation? Improve the product or service To improve the service there needed to be an understanding of what was needed. For guitars in the 1920s the need was greater volume. The electrical revolution gave guitarists the potential to compete for dominance with an orchestra in personal appearance just as they could in studio recordings. The first recording with an electric guitar was recorded February 22, 1933, Noelani's Hawaiian Orchestra with the guitarist playing a Rickenbacker. Here’s Dick Spotswood explaining. But the greater volume came at a price.

What is feedback?

The acoustic issue

The Hawaiian Moment In 1935 Gibson created their version of the electric Hawaiian guitar.

Early semi-solutions

Charlie Christian’s sound, clean and cuts Charlie Christian’s break on Honeysuckle rose - 1939 Charlie Christian with the Benny Goodman Sextet “Shivers” Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (Christian-Goodman-Mundy) Solo Flight (1941)

T-bone Walker – Blues innovator T-bone Walker - T-bone Shuffle T-bone Walker- Come Back To Me, Baby (1945)

Rickenbacker In 1953 Adolph Rickenbacker sold Electro Strings to F. C. Hall. Hall would carry the Rickenbacker guitars into the Post War period

Technology to the fore – George Fender

Stratocaster

Sound becomes denser and more ragged Big Brother and the Holding Company, Cheap Thrills and “Take another piece of my heart” 1968 “Politician” from Goodbye Cream (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Baker) 1969