Mark Henderson answered
Who created the guitar?
The creation of the guitar cannot be attributed to one person. Instead the instrument evolved from ancient Indian and Asian instruments which were brought to Spain during the Moorish invasion of the peninsula.
The first modern guitar.
The design of the modern classical guitar can be attributed to Antonio de Torres, a Spanish guitarist and luthier in the 19th century.
The creation of the guitar cannot be attributed to one person. Instead the instrument evolved from ancient Indian and Asian instruments which were brought to Spain during the Moorish invasion of the peninsula.
The first modern guitar.
The design of the modern classical guitar can be attributed to Antonio de Torres, a Spanish guitarist and luthier in the 19th century.
The first reference in literature to a guitar was by 13th century Spanish poet Juan Ruiz. In this poem he mentions both a Moorish and Spanish guitar, and eventually these two instruments were incorporated to produce what we now recognise as the modern guitar.
Where did the instrument come from?
- The guitar first appeared in 13th century literature.
- The instrument was brought to Spain by the Moors.
Where did the instrument come from?
The guitars brought to Spain were heavily influenced by Indian stringed instruments such as the tanbur, setar and sitar - and all modern guitars are descended from those ancient Indian instruments.
When was the modern guitar developed?
During the European Renaissance (14th-17th centuries) the guitar began to evolve from its Asian, Indian and Moorish origins.
The first Renaissance guitars had 8 or 12 strings arranged in pairs. By the early 19th century the guitar had evolved into a purely 6 stringed instrument, and the pairs were phased out and replaced by single strings. Antonio de Torres's classical guitar designs have since become the instrument's standard.
- Moorish guitars were improved upon in Europe.
- Antonio de Torres's six stringed guitar was the first modern guitar.
