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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