There has been a long evolution of guitars over the course of history. Historical paintings, carvings, and other representations show that guitars have indeed been around far longer than most would imagine. Although the modern day guitar designs have changed over time, some components have remained the same, such as strings, holes in the base and a pear shaped style. The word guitar was actually derived from the Spanish term “guitarra”. From Antonio Torres’ early invention of the guitarra to today’s eclectic designs, the evolution of the guitar has changed in many forms and names, as provided below.
1. Oud - The Oud dates back to the period of 1600- 1150BC. It has a small oval or pear shaped body. The Oud is known as different names in different countires. For example, ut or ud (Turkey), laouta (Greece), udi (Africa) and barbat (Iran).
2. Lute - The Lute dates back to the 1500-1580 time period. It was the most common plucked instrument of its time period. The back of the Lute is round and it can have anywhere from six to thirteen sets of strings.
3. Theorbo - The Theorbo dates back to the period of the 16th century. It looks similar to the Lute but with an extended, long neck.
4. Arch-Lute- The Arch-Lute dates back to the 1600’s. Its size is between a Theorbo and the Lute. The Arch-Lute lacks the power in the tenor and the bass that the Theorbo's large body provides. The Arch-Lute typically has 14 courses.
5. Cittern- The Cittern dates back to the 19th century. It was created in a various number of shapes and sizes, depending on the demand. It typically is smaller than a modern day guitar and has a pear shape.
6. Guitarra Moresca-The Guitarra Moresca dates back to the 13th century. The body of the Guitarra Moresca was an oval shape, very much like an egg. It had a peg box that slanted back from the neck in a curve. It had four courses of strings.
7. Guitarra Latina- The Guitarra Latina dates back to the 13th century. It had a small body with two defined bouts and three or four courses of strings.
8. Guiterrn- The Guiterrn dates back to the 19th century and is most commonly heard in mariachi music. It had five courses of fitted strings and was played with either fingers or a pick. Its body was very similar to the modern day violin.
9. Cytole- The Cittern guitar is a descendant of the Cytole. The Cytole is similar in look and tuning to that of a ukulele.
10. Chittarra Battente- The Chittarra Battente dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries and originated from Italy. It has the shape of an elongated eight and is slimmer than normal guitars. The back of it is rounded. It is beat or strummed to play music.
11. Bandora- The Bandora dates back to the 15th century. It has a long neck and is similar to a bass cittern but with a flat back. It has six or seven courses of strings.
12. Vihuela De Mano- The Vihuela De Mano dates back to the 16th century in Spain. The Vihuela is similar to the Lute, but not in shape. It had six or seen courses of strings.
13. Four-Course Guitar-The four-course guitar dates back to the 15th century. It was a plucked string instrument that evolved into five or more courses over time. A five-course guitar meant a single high string and three pairs of other strings.
14. Five-Course Guitar- The five-course guitar was created before the 16th century. It was a plucked instrument that had nine strings, a single high string and four pairs of other strings. The addition of the five-course guitar gave the instrument more flexibility.
15. English Guitar- The English guitar dates back to 1750-1850. It was a stringed instrument similar to the Cittern. This type of guitar was a favorite among colonists. Benjamin Franklin played the instrument.
16. Baroque Guitar - The Baroque guitar dates back to the Baroque period where it was played in courts for princes and kings. It was smaller than the modern day guitar, was lighter in construction and had gut strings.
17. Six (Single) String Guitar- The Six (Single) String guitar dates back to the 18th century and was considered the most important factor in the development of the guitar. The six (single) string guitar had treble strings made of gut and bass strings made of metal wound on silk.
18. Parlor Guitar- The Parlor guitar dates back to the 18th century but was more popular in the 19th century. This type of guitar was smaller than a normal guitar and was played in parlors, which is where it got its name from.
19. Classical Guitar - The Classical guitar dates back to late 1700’s where the courses from earlier guitars were replaced with six strings. The interest in playing the classical guitar was high therefore there was a high production of them. There were many popular music composers in the 18th and 19th centuries who used the classical guitar.
20. Archtop Guitar- The Archtop guitar dates back to the late 1800’s. The Archtop guitar is a steel-string acoustic instrument with an arched top, hence where its name came from. The sound it makes is popular with blues and jazz musicians.
21. American Guitar- Although there were guitars played in America in the 16th century, they were most likely citterns or English guitars. The American guitar dates back to the early 1800’s.
22. Twelve-String Guitar- The Twelve-String guitar is thought to have originated in either Italy or Mexico, a fact that has yet to be proven. It is an electric guitar with 12 strings in six courses. It produces more of a ringing tone than the standard six string guitar, which makes it popular in rock and roll music.
