Why Does It Have To Be So Loud? A Social History Of The Electric Guitar

In this thesis , I will examine the history of the electric guitar from it\u27s earliest incarnations in the twentieth century up to the present day. I will argue that more than any other instrument, the electric guitar has achieved a special place in American society, and indeed has become an iconic symbol of American culture. I will further argue that the greatest electric guitarists playing in the genre of rock \u27n\u27 roll also achieved special place in American society that their peers playing in other genres did not attain. These rock guitarists were not just considered great musicians; they took on a mythic quality akin to fictional superheroes. Indeed, they came to be called not just great players, but guitar heroes or gods. I will explore why this was so