To fully appreciate the magnificent tonal range and aesthetic appeal of the guitar, it is essential to trace its roots to the sitar - a magnificent instrument that is the heart and soul of Indian music.
The sitar has existed - in one form or another - for thousands of years. The modern sitar first appeared in the 1700's - at the end of the Mogul Empire. Its ancient incarnation served as the basis for the evolution of the guitar.
A Hittite bard is shown playing an instrument with essential features of a guitar in its earliest iconographic representation - over 3,300 years ago. The "tar" in guitar is derived from the Persian word for string.
Other early expressions of the instrument include the ancient Roman cathara around 40 AD), the Moorish oud (8th century) and the Scandinavian lut (6 strings/very popular by 800 AD). By 1200, instruments essentially resembling the modern guitar have been designed. Another quantum leap came with the Spanish "vihuela" of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Renaissance and Baroque guitars serve as ancestors to the modern classical guitar, with the Baroque design being the more ornate of the pair. The flamenco guitar is a close relative to the classical.
The Martin - designed by C. F. Martin - established in 1835 and beloved to the present - represented the next vital stage of evolution that established the Martin guitar as it is now known - the flat-top steel-string guitar. The steel strings produce a brighter tone and louder sound, and the instrument is usually significantly larger than a classical. Martin's Dreadnaught - named in honor and recognition of the British Royal Navy battleship - introduced a larger and deeper body style than most guitars -was a major innovation, a sensation at the time it was introduced and among a number of Martin's perennial best-selling models.
The electric guitar - played through amplifiers ("amps") - was first seen in the 1930's. The flowering of the electric guitar took place in the era after World War II, when pioneers Les Paul (working with Gibson) and Lew Fender (Fender of his own company) designed unique styles of solid body electrics. Many other shapes and styles of electric guitars have been designed over the years.
Today, the world is filled with a universe of acoustic and electric guitars that fill the air - and people's lives - with the beauty and joy of music.