History of Guitar

By 18renniel
  • 2500 BCE

    The Bowl Harp and The Tanbur

    The Bowl Harp and The Tanbur
    The earliest stringed instruments were made using tortoise shells and a bent stick for a neck.
  • 700

    The Oud

    The Oud
    The Oud was popular in the Arabs and Western Europe during the 8th century. It has a pear shaped body and did not have frets.
  • 1140

    The Lute

    The Lute
    Evidence of the Lute was found in Sicily, Italy. By the 1700s, it was the most popular instrument in Europe.
  • 1400

    The Vihuela

    The Vihuela
    The Vihuela was popular in Spain, Italy, and Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries. The vihuela is essentially a flat-backed lute.
  • 1550

    The Renaissance and Baroque Period

    The Renaissance and Baroque Period
    Renaissance and Baroque guitars are very alike though Baroque guitars have more features. The guitar at this point was mainly a supporting instrument.

  • The Classical Guitar

    The Classical Guitar
    The 19th century brought the classical guitar which is still used in modern times. The classical guitar has nylon strings which are plucked with the player's fingers.

  • The Steel Strings

    The Steel Strings
    Christian Friedrich Martin developed the X Brace system which allows guitars to withstand greater tension from steel strings.

  • The Electric Guitar

    The Electric Guitar
    Through technical advances of builders like Adolph Rickenbacker, Les Paul, and Leo Fender, they each developed their own versions of solid body guitars with pickups that could amplify the sound of the guitar.