Why are electric guitars shaped the way they are? While there is no exact answer to that question, there are a number of factors that converged to produce the current form. The first and most obvious is the interface between the human body and stringed instruments. Ever since the prehistoric man picked up a stringed instrument, musicians have found it challenging to play instruments that didn’t have ergonomic designs.

What’s Behind The Shape?

First, let’s discuss the origins of the electric guitar. The first electric guitars were actually acoustic guitars with pickups attached. Electric pickup manufacturers soon realized that by altering the shape of an acoustic guitar, they could make better use of the available space. Therefore, Electric Guitar's types and shapes were altered with the objective of incorporating the pickups in a way that was ergonomically sound. The popular hollow body electric guitar was one of the first instruments to be altered to accommodate pickups.

The first electric guitars were usually carved out of a block of wood. The block was carved into the shape of the guitar, which can be seen in photos from the 1950s. Some early electric guitars were simply an empty wooden box without any carving at all.

Guitar Control Change and Origins of Modified Fenders

Electric guitars also changed the way musicians control the sound of the instrument. Before electric guitars, musicians played their instruments using f-f-f-finger system. This method involved the guitarist playing the strings with four fingers. This was how almost all acoustic guitarists approached their instruments. The first electric guitars were designed for the guitarist who wanted to play with two hands. This meant that the guitarist had to find a new way to control the sound of the instrument. The solution for the guitarist with two hands was to create a neck-mounted volume control. This gave the guitarist the flexibility to change the volume levels of the instrument without having to move their hand off the neck.

Acoustic And Electric Guitar Neck

Now let’s move on to the neck of the guitar. Most guitars have a round or rectangular neck. The reason for this is that it’s easier to make a guitar with a round or rectangular neck. However, not all guitars have these types of necks. There are acoustic guitars that have a flat-top, or ‘S’-shaped neck. These are mostly used in folk music. A guitar with a flat-top neck is typically easier for folk guitarists to hold and play because it doesn’t have the same curvature as a normal guitar neck. Electric guitarists, on the other hand, wanted a neck that was flat like an acoustic guitar neck. This was because electric guitars are typically played with two hands, which makes it difficult to pick with the fingers. The first electric guitars had a round or rectangular neck like acoustic guitars. They then altered them to have a flat-top neck.