National Electric Guitar Day Date in the current year: November 27, 2024

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses external electric sound amplification. It has pickups that convert the vibration of the strings into electrical signals, which are then reproduced as sound through speakers. Sometimes musicians use effect pedals to alter the sound of the electric guitar by adding effects such as distortion, overdrive, and reverb.

Instrument makers began experimenting with electrically amplifying the vibrations of stringed instruments in the early 20th century. The first commercially successful electric guitar was the Rickenbaker Electro A-22, known as the “Frying Pan”. It was a lap steel guitar designed by George Beauchamp in 1931. Beauchamp teamed up with Adolph Rickenbacher to form the Ro-Pat-In Corporation, which would eventually become Rickenbacker, and began commercial production of his electric guitar in 1932.

The electric guitar was adopted by jazz guitarists, including George Barnes, Eddie Durham, Lonnie Johnson, Les Paul and others. During the 1950s and 1960s, it became the most important instrument in popular music. Today, the electric guitar is used in many genres and styles of music: pop, rock, folk and country music, jazz, and others.

National Electric Guitar Day was created to celebrate this iconic instrument. The origins of the holiday are somewhat obscure, but the holiday has been around since at least 2009, and the choice of date makes perfect sense: November 27 is the birthday of Jimi Hendrix, who is widely regarded as the greatest guitarist in the history of popular music.

Born on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. His first guitar was acoustic; in 1959, Hendrix’s father bought him his first electric guitar, a white Supro Ozark 1560 S.

Despite his relatively short career (Hendrix died of barbiturate-induced asphyxia at the age of 27), Hendrix had a huge influence on the development of rock music. According to his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame biography, “Hendrix expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar into areas no musician had ever ventured before.” He developed the technique of amplified feedback, once considered undesirable, and made extensive use of effects units such as the wah-wah pedal.

There are many ways to celebrate National Electric Guitar Day. You can learn more about Jimi Hendrix, his technique, and his contribution to modern music; watch concert films and documentaries featuring the greatest guitarists (such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, and many others); go see a live rock band; sign up for electric guitar lessons; or even buy an electric guitar if it has been your dream for a while. And don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media using the hashtags #NationalElectricGuitarDay and #ElectricGuitarDay.