The Guitar: Its History and Construction

The guitar is one of the most familiar andrather than sound quality.
common instruments the world over. It isElectric guitars are solid, though they are rarely
descended from other stringed instruments thatmade of a single solid piece of wood. Instead,
were common in Greece, in India, in Mexico and inmost are created of many layers of different
Africa - in fact, throughout the known world. It'skinds of wood laminated together.
descended from such instruments as the sitar,This gives the guitar both strength and sound
said to be sacred to the Hindo goddess Saraswati,quality that wouldn't be possible in a single piece of
and the lute, which Greek mythology claims waswood. Often, the electric guitar is made of a 'good
invented by the god Apollo himself.sounding' wood like ash or poplar, with a laminated
It's no wonder that the guitar has a history oftop of a more attractive wood for appearance.
association with the divine. The range and stylesIt's hard to believe that the same instrument is
of music that can be played on the classiccapable of creating such wide and varied styles of
stringed instrument is incredible.music. It's even harder to believe that only a few
From the intricate fire and beauty of classicalhundred years ago, the guitar was considered the
Spanish and flamenco guitar to the down-homeinstrument of peasants, lesser than the noble
country sounds of good finger-pickin', the guitar isviolin and organ. It was considered so much lesser
a versatile and beautiful instrument.that across the United States, older generations
Modern-day guitars have a hollow or solid body, aboycotted Catholic churches that used guitars to
neck with frets, and a tuning mechanism that iscelebrate faith in folk Masses.
called the machine head. They may be acoustic,Nowhere else will you find the variety of guitars
or electric, and are one of the most popularthat you find in a typical Mexican mariachi band. A
instruments in the world.typical mariachi band will include at least three
Guitar bodies for acoustic guitars are made ofkinds of guitar - a classical guitar, a vihuela and a
wood, often spruce, red cedar or maple. The faceguitarron, a large guitar that is nearly the size of a
of the guitar, or top, is one of the mostcello.
important factors in its sound quality.Mastering the guitar, however, takes years of
It is carefully engineered to a precise thickness,practice. The difference between a three-chord
and braced by a variety of materials.strummed song and the intricate finger picking
The most important piece of the guitar is theand speed of a flamenco guitarist is unmistakable.
face, or top.From divine beginnings, though its history as the
Its composition, shape and engineering willmusic of peasants to its elevation again as the
determine the final sound of the guitar. The backking of instruments, the guitar has been a beloved
and sides also make a difference, but not soinstrument of people the world over. If you
much, and often, luthiers will choose the wood forchoose to learn only one instrument, the guitar is
the sides and back with an eye to appearancethe perfect choice.