GUITAR

GUITAR (c. 1850) The American guitar is an instrument different from its Spanish forebears. Its history has been shaped by a combination of technological advances and new musical styles. The common Spanish or classical guitar features a wide fingerboard, gut strings, a slotted peg head, and, most important, a fan-shaped bracing system under the instrument's wooden top, giving it a sweet sound; it dates back to the early nineteenth century. The American guitar has its roots in a group of…