Perhaps the most highly developed musical instrument is the human voice. It requires no special apparatus to use and can be carried anywhere. But beyond the voice, other musical instruments have been developed over the millennia because of a desire to extend the range of sounds that are possible for the listener to hear. Musical instruments are probably as old as the human race. Drums, flutes, and all manner of stringed instruments can be found among the artifacts of virtually every civilization that has ever existed. People have always used whatever materials and technology were available at the time to design and construct musical instruments. Therefore, it is only natural that as the use of electricity became increasingly widespread in the late nineteenth century, it was quickly applied to musical instruments.

One of the first successful instruments featuring an all-electric design was produced in...