Pint of View Lecture Over Drinks: A Brief History of the Electric Guitar

You do remember the first time you heard an electric guitar, don't you?

**About the Lecture**

Perhaps no other instrument has changed popular music quite like the electric guitar. But its story began with a struggle: simply to be heard.

As musical ensembles grew and instruments competed for attention, musicians needed a way to make the guitar louder. The solution required more than a clever instrument design. Electricity, amplifiers and speakers had to come together to make the electric guitar possible.

What followed was a remarkable story of technological innovation, social change and musical experimentation. The instrument's portability and versatility encouraged an intense cross-pollination of styles. Two World Wars, the counterculture movement and changing musical tastes all played their part in shaping its journey.

From the iconic Les Paul 'Log' to Mark Knopfler's million-dollar Strats, the electric guitar has continually reinvented itself. But how much did history shape the instrument? And did the electric guitar, in turn, help shape history?

At this Pint of View lecture, we'll trace the instrument's evolution, explore the innovations that transformed its sound, and examine the cultural forces that made it an enduring icon.

Expect fascinating stories, some fine examples of the instruments themselves, and a few questions you've probably been carrying around since you first fell in love with a guitar riff.

**About the Speaker**

Bruce Lee Mani is a founder, guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the frontman of Thermal And A Quarter (TAAQ).

A die-hard Bangalorean, Bruce has stayed attached to the city through its many transformations. His musical journey has taken him across an eclectic range of genres and ensembles, from hotel-contract bands, progressive and metal bands, and college competitions to choral ensembles, traditional jazz and Indian fusion.

This diversity of performance experience, and the opportunity to learn from an equally diverse community of musicians, has shaped his distinctive approach to the guitar.

His influences span the breadth of popular music, from Cat Stevens to King Crimson, Steely Dan to the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Wes Montgomery to Nirvana. His compositions, lyrics and guitar playing have earned critical acclaim, and he is a two-time winner of Rolling Stone magazine's 'Guitar Player of the Year' award.

A musician and music educator with a lifelong curiosity about the instrument, Bruce brings the perfect combination of technical knowledge, historical perspective and first-hand experience to this journey.

And as anyone who's heard him talk about music will tell you, he's as much a generalised geek as he is a guitarist.

**About Pint of View**

Pint of View is India's Largest Lecture Community. We brought the lecture in bar format to India and are now expanding across the globe with chapters in 16 cities worldwide. Here, big ideas meet intimate spaces, and you walk in curious and walk out with a sharper lens on the world.

Book now and develop your own pint of view. 🍻