George Breed was an American navy officer and inventor. In 1890 he designed probably the first steel string electrified guitar. It was not an electric guitar (you did not plug it into an amplifier) but its acoustic steel strings were vibrated by an electromagnet, so you could play it with your left hand only.

Breed left the navy, presumably to market his instruments. In 1896 he applied for another patent on an electrical keyboard instument. It appears his instrument designs were not a commercial sucess and he rejoined the navy in 1898.

Link: George Breed's electrical guitar patent

Link: Matthew Hill's research on George Breed