The variations are in a part of the guitar which might otherwise be considered as definite and absolute - the body. For an electric guitar the body itself may be hollow, as in the style of a classical or acoustic guitar. However, it could also be only partially hollow, and in many cases is entirely solid.
This is largely because of the fact that, unlike classical or acoustic guitars which rely on the hollow body of the guitar to reverberate and resonate the sound made from the string, an electric guitar relies on an electric amplifier to achieve this same resonance and sound, and the construction of the body is largely, though not entirely, irrelevant in terms of sound quality and resonance. Without the electronic amplifier and equipment connected to the electric guitar, the instrument makes very little sound on its own, and unlike an acoustic or classic guitar, cannot be played without electric amplification.
Fitted to the electric guitar are electromagnets which pick up the vibrations of the strings as movement, and this vibration or resonance is transmitted to the amplifier as an electrical signal. It is therefore the physical resonance or vibration of the string which is used to transfer a signal, and not the sound of the string being struck at all which generates the sound, or at least, not in a direct way.
In many cases the electrical signal from the electromagnetic pickup is transmitted through a cable directly to the amplifier, but in some cases this is done through radio waves, allowing the guitar to be played without any trailing cables - particularly useful for those who tend to move about a lot while playing their music. The fact that the guitar is being played without any direct cable connection to an amplifier or sound equipment should not be confused with an acoustic or classic guitar in any way - the amplifier is still necessary as the guitar on its own would make virtually no sound at all, and certainly nothing even remotely approaching that of an acoustic guitar.
Because of the fact that the signal from the electric guitar is fed electronically to the amplifier, it is often the case that other means are used to convert or modify the signal, providing extra tones, or effects that create unique voices for the guitar. Although often we tend to think of the guitar as being solely a part of rock music or pop music, in fact it has a very healthy heritage borne through the jazz and blues scene, and has managed to hold on to its status throughout these three main genres of jazz, blues and rock.
The commercialization of the electric guitar occurred in two places at pretty much the same time, with Gibson working alongside Les Paul, at the same time as the extremely well known Leo Fender was developing the commercial model of the Fender. The physical structure of the body of an electric guitar is what is most striking as it is very different from the design of an acoustic guitar. But the fret board is also quite different too, because of the height of the strings from the body of the guitar itself. In an acoustic guitar, the strings are very close to the body, so that they run very close to the edge of the hole in the center of the body, but in an electric guitar this proximity is not required for the simple reason that the body of the guitar is not used to amplify or resonate the sound produced at all.
Because the strings are further away from the body, this allows the musician to play an electric guitar in different ways from that of an acoustic or classic guitar, with techniques such as tapping or legato pull-offs being used extensively, and slurs - otherwise known as hammer-ons as well as pitch harmonics, swells of the volume and in many cases an arm which creates a tremolo effect. It is not unusual to see foot pedals being incorporated into the performance too.
Electric guitars are noted for having a striking appearance, but there are several little known twists that can be applied to these guitars to create a variety of effects and sounds quite beyond the standard sounds and voices. One of these twists is the introduction of a third bridge. A bridge is a raised section along the fret board - one at each end, over which the strings run. This bridge helps to keep the strings taught, and raised above the frets at exactly the right height.
A third bridge is, as the name would suggest, an extra bridge inserted part way along the fret board causing the strings to effectively be shortened - and the pitch correspondingly raised. In many cases this third bridge is no more technical than a spare pencil or screwdriver wedged in at some point along the fret board. The strings being as tight as they are, such an object will easily be held in place. This allows the player to position it wherever he or she chooses, creating a temporary and flexible alteration to the sound of the guitar. However, it can also be a more professional bridge, inserted in a way which does not detract from the overall appearance, performs as soundly as the standard two bridges, and is usually removable or moveable providing great flexibility.
Another very striking, and fairly obvious way of changing the standard guitar is to have two frets, or necks. The neck of the guitar is the long straight section leading up out of the body, and along which the strings run. Having two of these means that you clearly require two sets of strings, and a body adapted to support not only these two sets of strings, but the tremendous strain that the steel strings place on the instrument.
These twin neck or duel neck guitars allow performers to play two guitars at the same time, effectively. Sometimes this is a standard six string guitar and a bass, or in some cases, a six and a twelve string guitar. Perhaps the most famous occasion of a twin neck guitar is Jimmy page's performance of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven', and many believe it was this performance which brought the idea into the public domain. Clearly a very difficult instrument to play, this is for the real experts!
Another way in which twin neck guitars can be used is through having two separate pickups, calibrated in totally different ways. The electric guitar is noted for its flexibility, with the amplifier being able to adapt and enhance the sound to create quite different voices for the guitar. By having two separate pickups - one for each neck, if each is set up a different way the performer effectively has instant access to two quite contrasting sounding guitars.
Believe it or not, a five neck guitar has been created and was used by the rock band Genesis. The strap was attached to the body in such a way that the entire guitar could be rotated so that whichever neck the performer wanted to play could be swung quickly into position. Needless to say, this is not recommended for the beginner!
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