Electric guitars were first sold in the 1930s. At first all they wanted was a louder guitar to compete with the big bands of the time (after having repeatedly m

Electric guitars were first sold in the 1930s. At first all they wanted was a louder guitar to compete with the big bands of the time (after having repeatedly made them physically larger. Larger guitars were louder, but harder to play for smaller folks). They really wanted to make them sound just like (what we now call) acoustic guitars but it was pretty obvious that between the early pickups and early amplifiers, electric guitars had their own distinctive sound. By the time this article picks up the story electric guitars were on their own evolutionary path. Cranking amps and adding effects were inevitable as guitarists sought to create new and interesting sounds.