In a world of digital electronics where music and sound are limited purely by the boundaries of your own imagination, why is the electric guitar so popular still?

Amongst many things, I personally think it’s because it crosses over so well between the ancient and modern. Being electric, the electric guitar can now benefit from the world of digital electronics in exactly the same way as a keyboard can. Should you wish, there are many digital devices out there that can use the signal from a guitar to control midi, or a synthesiser unit, or simply take the signal and apply any type of effect you want.

This enables you to play a huge range of styles, from classic or classical music with little to no effect, (maybe a touch of reverb), to full on electronica with as mad and spacey effects as you can think up. My technique for the latter is to turn them all on, and twiddly all the knobs randomly, which can be quite fun!

The electric guitar is also portable. OK, you need to bring an amp too, but practice amps these days come in so many different sizes and forms, from tiny ones that you can clip to your belt, up to larger 30w affairs, which are plenty loud enough, although even these are usually fairly portable. If you play through something much bigger like a twin stack, then chances are you also have the transport and some mates to help you move it…

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Related to this, you can also move around while you play. It’s no wonder wannabe rockstars look to the guitar for hooning about on stage. Nobody really wants to be stuck behind a keyboard at the side of the stage, and I’ve never seen anyone pick one up and play it with their teeth like Jimi Hendrix.

The electric guitar is real in your hands. When you play a guitar, you can feel the vibrations through your fingers, which also take an active part in creating the sound in the first place. Unlike electronic devices, there’s a direct physical connection between you and the sound. It also gives you an incredibly fine degree of control over the sound and tone, from a touch of vibrato to big wailing bends.

The sound of a cranked up electric guitar is something to behold. Standing there in front of your amp, windmilling your arm about like Pete Townsend, and revelling in the crunchy riffs emanating from your fingers is a big thrill. There’s a visceral connection there which you just don’t get with many other instruments, even when they are amplified too, although I bet drummers know what I’m talking about – it’s the same sort of thunder!

All in all, I think the reason the electric guitar has survived in the age of modern digital music, is simply it’s a lot of fun.