Having opened on November 9 at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), The Electric Guitar: Inventing an American Icon exhibit shares the story of how the electric guitar was invented. The history shown throughout the exhibit dates back to the 1930s and ’40s, a period in which the beginnings of the electric guitar came about. There is also information on the impact this instrument has had on music and its culture, as well as its current status in the music world.
Some guitars to be featured at the exhibit are Alvino Rey’s Electro A-25 (1932), Audiovox model 336 Duo double-neck (c. 1936), Charlie christian’s Gibson ES-250 (1940), Paul Bigsby’s “Standard” guitar (1949), Pete Townshend’s Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (1976), and Bo Diddley’s “The Bad Dude” (1998).
“This will be a memorable exhibition, revealing the deep history of the electric guitar and its impact over the years,” states Richard Walter, PhD, MIM’s curator for the United States/Canada and Europe. “Some of these guitars launched entirely new genres of music!”
To learn all about the exhibit, visit the museum’s page here.
