The identity of an instrument is its timbre. With the electric guitar (abbreviated to e-guitar for much of this book), this is typically referred to as tone, which is also indelibly tied to its player. Tone is made up of an amalgamation of physical characteristics such as body shape, wood, string, and pickups, but also amplification choice, equalization (EQ), and personal playing style. For players, oftentimes, their instrument of choice is inseparable from tone, and thus inseparable from style and genre.