The American Guitar

A celebration of the instrument that helped define twentieth-century music and culture

For most of the twentieth century, the history of American music—and of much American culture—was inseparable from the history of the guitar. This volume features 150 guitars that trace the evolution of the design and sound of the instrument made popular by musicians including Charlie Christian, Mother Maybelle Carter, Merle Travis, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimi Hendrix, and Keith Richards. The astounding selection of electric and acoustic guitars features pristine examples of classic instruments that shaped blues, country, jazz, and rock music. They detail the aesthetic and functional development of acoustic guitars, the invention and rise of the electric guitar, and the remarkable legacy of this uniquely influential and versatile instrument. The American Guitar also traces the underappreciated influence of Hawaiian music and reaffirms the central role of Black musicians, while emphasizing the guitar’s pivotal place in American culture and society. This fascinating exploration of a nation’s soundtrack through its most popular and iconic instrument will delight any music lover.

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

Exhibition Schedule:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(March 21, 2027–Ongoing)