| It is very difficult to trace a line back
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| | chords and songs. However, the guitar was
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| to the exact birth of the instrument we
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| | not accepted well with the 'serious'
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| know as the guitar today, as there is a
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| | musical community, hence the reason there
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| lot of myth and uncertainty surrounding
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| | is very few concertos written for the
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| its origins.
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| | instrument - and is still dismissed by
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| This is mainly due to the fact there have
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| | many classically trained musicians today.
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| been a number of similar instruments
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| | In the early 19th century, Fernando Sor
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| throughout the ages. Many historians
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| | became one of the most prolific composers
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| claim the guitar originated at various
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| | for, and promoters of, the guitar as a
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| points in time. Some believe the guitar
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| | 'concert' instrument. It was him, and
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| in its earliest form dates back some 4000
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| | others like him, which paved the way for
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| years, however no-one really knows for
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| | Andrés Segovia to emerge and help bring
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| sure. This is due to a number of artworks
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| | the guitar to the immense popularity it
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| that depict guitar-like instruments being
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| | enjoys today.
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| used at various times throughout history.
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| | The 20th century has seen the majority of
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| Many ancient Egyptian paintings portray
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| | the instrument's improvements. Firstly
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| musical instruments that could be
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| | the strings used, which were cat gut
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| mistaken for the guitar.
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| | until that time, were replaced by metal
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| A popular theory is that the guitar could
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| | and nylon ones. The classical guitar was
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| have been invented by the classical-era
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| | then modified to make the steel string
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| Greeks. This is due to confusion,
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| | acoustic guitar we know today. This
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| however, mainly with the similarity of
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| | required additional bracing to strengthen
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| its name with the Kithara. The Kithara
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| | the body, and the introduction of the
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| was in fact a type of harp or lyra, which
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| | truss rod to give support to the neck.
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| bares little resemblance with the guitar
| |
| | Again this resulted in an even louder
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| other than in name.
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| | instrument.
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| The guitar as we know today appears to be
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| | Many tried to amplify the sound further
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| an ancestor of the lute. The lute had
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| | by electrifying the guitar. Many of the
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| four strings which would be plucked, not
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| | first attempts were made by the Martin
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| strummed as with a guitar. The body was
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| | Company in the 1930's. It was here the
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| oval in shape and had a rounded back. The
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| | invention of the magnetic pick-up
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| downside of this construction was that
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| | occurred. The first amplifiers came about
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| the lute was not a very loud instrument,
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| | around the same time and were pioneered
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| meaning it could not be played along side
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| | by Leo Fender.
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| other instruments. Although missing many
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| | The first 'electric' guitars were nothing
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| of the elements of today's guitar, it is
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| | more then existing acoustic guitars that
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| an important step in the guitars
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| | had been modified to include a magnetic
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| evolution.
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| | pick-up. This caused many problems due to
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| The first written mention of the guitar
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| | the fact that they had hollow bodies,
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| as a distinct instrument is from the 14th
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| | which would resonate the sound produced
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| century. In this very early form the
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| | by the amp as well as the strings of the
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| instrument had three double courses (or
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| | guitar - which creates 'feedback'.
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| pairs) of strings plus a single string
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| | It was Les Paul that developed the first
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| (tuned the highest in pitch), similar in
| |
| | 'solid' bodied guitar which he named 'The
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| comparison to the lute, as mentioned
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| | Log' - due to it being little more then a
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| earlier.
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| | plank of wood with a neck and two double
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| The next step was in the vihuela, which
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| | coil pick-ups attached. To make his
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| originated in Spain sometime in the 15th
| |
| | invention more appealing he stuck two
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| century. The vihuela had a slightly
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| | halves of an acoustic guitar on either
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| 'pinched' waist - less pronounced than
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| | side, giving it a more traditional look.
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| today's guitar and a smaller body then
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| | He went on to sell the idea to Gibson who
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| the lute. It also had added treble
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| | still produce the 'Les Paul' model that
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| strings, again arranged in pairs and was
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| | you see today.
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| made to be strummed rather than plucked
| |
| | It was Leo Fender however, that really
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| as the lute was.
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| | brought the electric guitar into mass
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| It wasn't until the 16th century that the
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| | production and made it available at far
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| two instruments were 'combined', in a
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| | less a cost then all previous attempts
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| manner of speaking, when an instrument
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| | (more on the Fender story can be seen on
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| was made with a body like that of the
| |
| | our 'History of Fender' section). The
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| vihuela but closer in size to the lute.
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| | first mass production guitar was the
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| The guitar became popular throughout
| |
| | Broadcaster, which we now know as the
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| Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries
| |
| | Telecaster, which was released in 1948.
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| and by the late 17th century a fifth
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| | He later went on to design and produce
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| course of strings had been added below
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| | the Stratocaster, in 1954, probably the
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| the other four. By the mid-18th century
| |
| | most well known electric guitar to date.
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| the guitar began to take its modern form.
| |
| | Leo Fender was also the innovator of the
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| The double courses were changed to single
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| | electric bass guitar which he invented
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| strings, and a sixth string was added
| |
| | for live use along side the guitar, as a
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| above the existing five. It is very
| |
| | normal contrabass could not compete in
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| unclear whether this took place in France
| |
| | terms of volume - The first model being
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| or in Italy, but the resulting instrument
| |
| | the Fender Precision Bass.
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| was very similar to that of which we know
| |
| | Since then various forms of the guitar
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| today.
| |
| | have come and gone but the main form of
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| The late 18th-19th century, guitar makers
| |
| | the instrument has rarely differed far
|
| changed many aspects of the instruments
| |
| | from what we have seen from the 1950's
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| design. These included broadening the
| |
| | onwards. The main differences have been
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| width and thinning the depth of the body,
| |
| | in the choice of materials used in the
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| increasing the curve of the waist, and
| |
| | manufacture of the guitar. This has
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| adding internal bracing - all in effort
| |
| | mainly been in the attempt of producing
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| to amplify the sound. The end result
| |
| | increased sustain or simply due to the
|
| meant the guitar could now be played
| |
| | scarcity of certain woods. Nowadays a
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| along side other instruments without
| |
| | complete range of guitars are available,
|
| struggling to compete in terms of volume.
| |
| | from the lower priced entry level models
|
| The guitar became very popular with
| |
| | to the premium custom shop models for all
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| people because it was a very easy
| |
| | of us to enjoy, what ever our level of
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| instrument to learn at least a few basic
| |
| | ability.
|
