Spyke wrote
... the only contributing factor to the sound are the strings and pickups, thus leaving the electronics to do all the work and leaving the electric sound true.
Let's be a little more provocative.
The electric guitar sound currently is a mix of mechanical and electronic effects.
If we wanted to move as much as possible away from mechanical to the electronic, why stop with making the body dead?
(why have a body at all? Can have any kind)
First to go - tremolo.
That only exists for pitch bending --> replace it with an electronic button that will simulate the same effect
Next to go - different kind of pickups.
A pickup only exists to capture sound.
Have a single standard kind of pickup and rely on electronics to model any other desired effect.
Next to go - strings.
These are only used to generate the sound.
Bit mechanical aren't they?
etc etc ...
Continuation along this perilous little path heads you ominously towards a midi keyboard synthesising any guitar effect ...
Which is just silly.
But ... which of the little steps along the route were the 'critical' ones in moving from mechanical to electronic?
Was it replacement of the hollow body for a solid body?
Using pickups instead of transducers or microphones?
And besides ... I like the look of wood ?
