The electric guitar may be the most important and popular instrument of the last half-century in American music. This online exhibition tells the story of how innovative makers and players created a new sound that profoundly changed popular music. Learn about the evolution of the electric guitar by browsing dozens of influential guitar models. Through diagrams and audio samples, discover how different types of electric guitars work and sound.
Presented by the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.