Last Updated on April 2, 2023 by Guitarist Authority
Who invented the guitar? Origins of stringed instruments go back thousands of years. No one actually knows who invented the very first guitar. We have an idea of how the guitar has evolved through history but no definitive proof of the very first guitar or who invented it. We do however know who invented what we know today as modern guitars.
In this article I’ll provide some history regarding the origins of guitars and how they evolved. I’ll also talk about who invented the modern guitars that we know today.
What we know about the origins of the guitar:
Har-Mose, an Egyptian who performed for the likes of Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut, had a three-stringed lute around 3500 years ago.
There is a 3000+ year old stone carving from the Anatolian region (present day Turkey) that shows a person playing a stringed instrument.
The lute, which was a predecessor of the modern style of guitars, was found to be used in Europe between the 6th and 9th centuries.
Five-course guitars, also known as baroque guitars, began to replace the lute as the most popular guitar beginning in the mid-16th century.
Luthiers Jose Benedit, Juan and José Pages and Francisco Sanguino were integral in creating some of the first six course guitars in existence in the latter half of the 1700s.
Gaetano Vinaccia, whose family were violin and mandolin makers, produced one of the first six stringed guitars (known as the Vinaccia guitar) in 1779 in Italy.
Antonio Torres Jurado produced guitars in the 1800s using a larger body and fan bracing. Classical guitars that followed were highly influenced by his designs.
In 1934, Adolph Rickenbacker and George Beauchamp filed the first patent for an “electrical stringed musical instrument”. The patent was granted August 10th, 1937. This was the beginning of the electric guitar.
WHO INVENTED THE ELECTRIC GUITAR?
Adolph Rickenbacker (April 1, 1887 – March 21, 1976) and George Beauchamp (March 18, 1899 – March 30, 1941) filed the patent in 1934.
WHO INVENTED THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR?
We don’t know for sure who invented it, but it was likely invented in Spain in the early 16th century.
The modern acoustic we know today can be traced to Christian Frederick Martin (January 31, 1796 – February 16, 1873), among other German-American luthiers. They created the first X-bracing for acoustic guitars in the 1840s. This bracing was important because it provided the strength to be able to use steel guitar strings.
WHO INVENTED THE BASS GUITAR?
Paul Tutmarc (May 29, 1896 – September 25, 1972) is credited with inventing the first electric bass guitar in the 1930s.
WHO INVENTED THE 12 STRING GUITAR?
There is no definitive answer to who is responsible. 12 string guitars appeared around the end of the 19th century.
WHO INVENTED THE DOUBLE NECK GUITAR?
One of the first double neck guitars was created by Nicholas Alexandre Voboam II (1634/46–1692/1704) in 1690.
WHO INVENTED THE STEEL GUITAR? (Lap Steel & Pedal Steel)
Joseph Kekuku (1874–1932) is credited with inventing the steel guitar.
WHO INVENTED THE CLASSICAL GUITAR?
Antonio Torres Jurado (1817–1892) (Modern dimensions)
WHO INVENTED THE FENDER GUITAR?
Clarence Leonidas Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991), known as Leo, invented the Fender Telecaster in 1950 and the Fender Stratocaster in 1954.
WHO INVENTED THE 7 STRING GUITAR?
The 7 string guitar’s history goes back over hundreds of years. No one person can be attributed to being the definitive inventor.
The first modern, solid-body, 7 string electric guitar was built by Kirk Sand in 1982.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON WHO INVENTED THE GUITAR?
As you can see, guitars and more specifically fretted, stringed instruments date back thousands of years. It’s interesting to see how these guitars evolved over time.
Previous build techniques have led the way for the modern guitar designs we see today. It’s fascinating to think about what guitar designs will look like in the future. Thank you for reading.
