The solid body electric guitar…
It started out as a means of increasing a guitar’s volume to compete with other instruments in popular music at the time like trumpets and saxophones in the pop and swing band horn sections. The electric guitar was born with early players like Charlie Christian adding a microphonic pickup to his hollow body archtop guitars. This worked reasonably well until the vol
ume needed to be louder and the guitar’s inherent design created a feedback issue with the more-powerful amplifiers needed for larger venues. This was in the 1920’s and 30’s when guitars were still considered a “dignified” instrument whose sound should be clean and clear of distortion. The quest for more volume led to the creation of designs made from solid pieces of wood, lacking traditional acoustic qualities and dependent solely on amplification for projection. The electric solid body guitar, however humble its origins in the late 1940‘s, whether it was the Rickenbacker “Frying Pan”, Les Paul’s “Log” or Leo Fender’s “Esquire” or “Broadcaster”, has become a staple in music of all types. Since its inception, guitarists worldwide have been pushing the musical boundaries, each seeking to express his (or her) personal impression of what great guitar tone should be. From Clapton’s soulful blues technique, to Hendrix’s psychedelic-fueled sonic landscapes to Eddie’s fingerboard and whammy bar pyrotechnics, and beyond, the guitar has proven to have a value and capability far beyond what any of its forefathers imagined in their wildest dreams. And you would like to add to that storied history…
Today, there are so many choices in guitars, amplifiers, effects and associated hardware that knowing what’s right for you and your situation is tough to sort out. Enter Crucible Guitar Works:
The seed for Crucible Guitar Works was planted in the early 1990’s when Eric Eikenberry and Dave Sears were fresh out of college, working our first “real” jobs and dreaming of hitting it big in the music business. Fast forward about 20 years and Eric is now a photographer and writer on the left coast and Dave is a number cruncher for insurance firm in America’s heartland. But the dream still lives…
Inspired by the spirits of the great guitarists of the past and present, and driven by the passion for chasing the ultimate in guitar tones for themselves, Eric and Dave both survived the 80’s and 90’s, and have individually sampled a vast assortment of quality guitars, amps and effects. We’ve “been there, tried that” through the rock, grunge, and heavy metal eras, Though we each have taken very different paths to where we are today, we may not always agree on one singular solution, and our hair isn‘t as long as it once was, we love guitars and want to help you find a tone you love. Face it, if you don’t love the way your guitar sounds, you WON’T play it. Here at Crucible Guitar Works, we will use our combined forty years of experience to gladly answer any and all of your guitar-related questions that we can, free of charge. From guitars and amps to pickups and effects, we have seen a lot and we want to share our experiences to help you get the best sound for what you want to accomplish musically. If you want us to help you build a guitar to your specifications, we can do that, too. Just send us message here on Facebook and we will contact you with the details. With all of that said, let’s throw the doors open and get the party started! Legalese:
All opinions expressed here are based on our experiences and are non-binding suggestions. YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).
