Acoustic vs Electric Guitar: Where the Sound Comes From

In 1931, a guitar nicknamed the Frying Pan changed how its strings could be heard. The Frying Pan was electric, but its big difference from an acoustic guitar was hidden beneath the strings. An acoustic guitar makes its own sound: pluck a string and it makes the wooden body vibrate, pushing the sound into the air. An electric guitar works differently. Its metal strings move above small magnets called pickups, which send a signal to an amplifier. Without that amplifier, an electric guitar can sound very quiet. With one, its sound can be clean, loud or fuzzy. Picture two guitarists at a campfire: the acoustic player needs no power, while the electric player needs an amplifier to be heard clearly. Remember: acoustic uses a body; electric uses pickups. That was the Frying Pan’s secret: its pickups sent the strings’ vibrations to an amplifier.