Making a Gibson | National Geographic

on the Gibson guitar factory floor

on the Gibson guitar factory floor workers have sawed and sanded wood into

workers have sawed and sanded wood into

workers have sawed and sanded wood into the iconic shape of the Les Paul guitar

the iconic shape of the Les Paul guitar

the iconic shape of the Les Paul guitar but here the electronics department it’s

but here the electronics department it’s

but here the electronics department it’s time to get in think about an acoustic

time to get in think about an acoustic

time to get in think about an acoustic guitar when you pluck a string it causes

guitar when you pluck a string it causes

guitar when you pluck a string it causes the entire front of the guitar to

the entire front of the guitar to

the entire front of the guitar to vibrate and we hear those vibrations but

vibrate and we hear those vibrations but

vibrate and we hear those vibrations but what if you want to amplify that sound

what if you want to amplify that sound

what if you want to amplify that sound so that it could fill an entire stadium

so that it could fill an entire stadium

so that it could fill an entire stadium for example you’d use this a pickup each

for example you’d use this a pickup each

for example you’d use this a pickup each pickup consists of a solid magnet with

pickup consists of a solid magnet with

pickup consists of a solid magnet with the coil of wire wrapped around it over

the coil of wire wrapped around it over

the coil of wire wrapped around it over a thousand times when someone plucks a

a thousand times when someone plucks a

a thousand times when someone plucks a string its vibrations caused a change in

string its vibrations caused a change in

string its vibrations caused a change in the magnetic field which produces an

the magnetic field which produces an

the magnetic field which produces an electric current this current runs

electric current this current runs

electric current this current runs through the coil and into a wire that’s

through the coil and into a wire that’s

through the coil and into a wire that’s plugged into the guitar when the current

plugged into the guitar when the current

plugged into the guitar when the current is amplified and sent to a speaker we

is amplified and sent to a speaker we

is amplified and sent to a speaker we have the sound of rock and roll

workers installed the pickups on the

workers installed the pickups on the guitars body so that the strings will

guitars body so that the strings will

guitars body so that the strings will pass directly over them once they mount

pass directly over them once they mount

pass directly over them once they mount the pickups they then install the

the pickups they then install the

the pickups they then install the control knobs these allow the guitar

control knobs these allow the guitar

control knobs these allow the guitar player to interact with the electric

player to interact with the electric

player to interact with the electric current as it exits the guitar one knob

current as it exits the guitar one knob

current as it exits the guitar one knob controls the signals volume and the

controls the signals volume and the

controls the signals volume and the other the tone

other the tone

other the tone now that the guitar is wired up for

now that the guitar is wired up for

now that the guitar is wired up for electricity workers can add the strings

first they screw in the bridge this is

first they screw in the bridge this is what holds the strings in place on the

what holds the strings in place on the

what holds the strings in place on the guitars body these strings are made of

guitars body these strings are made of

guitars body these strings are made of steel that’s because steel can create

steel that’s because steel can create

steel that’s because steel can create vibrations that will register in the

vibrations that will register in the

vibrations that will register in the pickups magnetic field finally with the

pickups magnetic field finally with the

pickups magnetic field finally with the strings in place the Les Paul electric

strings in place the Les Paul electric

strings in place the Les Paul electric guitar is complete