The first electric guitar used a bar magnet pickup

The 1931 Rickenbacker 'Frying Pan' was the first electric guitar, featuring a groundbreaking bar magnet pickup. Inventors George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker created this lap steel to amplify guitars, which struggled to be heard over other instruments. The pickup used a horseshoe-shaped magnet with coils to convert string vibrations into electrical signals. This innovation birthed the electric guitar era, enabling the loud, expressive sounds that defined jazz, blues, and rock 'n' roll. The Frying Pan quickly gained popularity, proving simple magnetism could electrify music forever.