by Janet Szczesny

In North America and western Europe, the guitar is arguably the single most recognized instrument in popular culture. From the innovations of Les Paul to the electric riffs of Jimi Hendrix, from bluesmaster B.B. King's "Lucille" to acoustic models, these portable, durable instruments have become an icon of folk, blues, jazz, country, mariachi, tejano, rock and a myriad of other contemporary genres. Not surprisingly, their history is complex.

Guitars are classified as members of the generic lute family, distinguished from European lutes because they have a flat (rather than vaulted) back and "incurved" sides. They existed in Europe since the 13th century; similar instruments with guitar-like names such as 'cittern' or 'gittern' are illuminated in medieval manuscripts. By the 15th century, the Spanish vihuela was described in contemporary texts, and during the mid 16th century, the 'guitarre' had been introduced to France from Spain. These instruments traveled with Spanish and Portuguese sailors to Africa and central America during that era.