Guitar History Timeline

By Aidan Foland

  • Joseph Kekuku invents the Hawaiian slide guitar

  • Andres Segovia's first performance

  • Carl T. Sprague become Hollywood's first singing cowboy.

  • lonnie johnson and Eddie Lang record popular interracial duets

  • Ro-Pat-In creates the "frying pan"

    which is the first electric guitar.

  • Martin develops modern "flat-top" acoustic guitar

  • gibson debuts its guitar/amp package.

    Charlie Christian uses it to legitimize and popularize electric guitar.

  • The "cutaway" for the guitar is invented.

  • Django Reinhardt records "Nuages." Gypsy jazz is born

  • The blues goes electric with T-Bone Walker "mean Old World"

  • Les Paul's "Lover" released.

    It features delay, echo, reverb, phasing, flanging, sped-up recording, muted picking, and layered overdubbed recording for the first time.

  • The First Whammy bar is invented by Bisby

  • Muddy Waters goes electric.

    The first single sells out, so blues leaves the country and goes modern.

  • Leo Fender's Broadcaster (later Telecaster) debuts

  • Gibson to compete with Fender, introduces the "Les Pual" guitar

  • Elvis records with guitarist Scotty Moore

  • Fender debuts the Stratocaster

  • Seth Lover patents humbucker pickups.

    Guitarists can crank up the volume without annoying hum and buzz.

  • Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" opens the teenage gang movie "Blackboard Jungle"

  • Chuck Berry releases "Maybellene"

  • Buddy Holly gives America a "strat" attack pn the Ed Sullivan Show

  • Bo Diddley releases his self-titlesd first album.

  • Ricky Nelson plays rock guitar regularly on the popular family TV show

  • Duane Eddy releases "rebel Rouser"

  • Link Wray unleashes "rumble."

  • Vox introduces AC15

    It becomes the amp of choice for British Invasion rockers, taking loud to new levels.

  • Chuck Berry releases 'Johnny B. Goode.'

    It is one of the most influential and recognizable guitar songs ever.

  • 'The incredible Jazz of Wes Montgomery' is released

    He becomes the acknowledged successor to charlie christian.

  • Robert Johnson rediscovered when "king of the Delta Blues" is released

  • Dick Dale invents surf rock with "surfer's choice"

  • The Yardbirds form

    This band launches the careers of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck.

  • Maestro FZ-1 debuts

    This is the first distortion pedal and the first important effects pedal of any kind.

  • Beatlemania lauched by the Fab Four's apperance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

  • Pete townshend "auto-destructs' or violently smashes his guitar on stage.

  • Rolling Stones can't no satisfaction.

  • Bob Dylan goes electric.

    Folk music's political protest messages married to rock music.

  • Jimmy Nolen invents funk guitar on James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag."

  • B.B. King releases "Live at the regal."

    It is considered the greatest live blues recording ever.

  • Marshall debuts 100-watt amp

  • The byrds release "Eight Miles High."

  • John Mayall releases 'Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton.'

  • Jimi Hendrix plays the Monterey Pop Festival

  • Jimi Hendrix releases 'Are You Experienced.'

  • Vox introduces the wah-wah pedal.

  • Kustom introduces 'solid-state' amplifiers

  • Mason Williams's 'Classical Gas' reaches #1 on the charts

  • ElectroHarmonix debuts the LPB-1

  • Woodstock celebrates peace, love, and guitars.

  • John McLaughlin records with Miles Davis.

    Fusion is born.

  • Led Zeppelin debuts

  • Santana realeased

  • First Black Sabbath album released, givinf birst to heavy metal and its satanic mythos.

  • Ovation introduces piezzo acoustic/electric pick-ups.

  • Allam Brothers release 'At Fillmore East.'

  • Deep Purplr releases 'Smoke on the Water.'

  • Robert Fripp pioneers the use of loop effects to produce massice walls of sound 'frippertronics'

  • Jeff Beck releases 'blow by Blow.'

  • KISS releases 'Alive!' and it sells millions.

  • The Ramones invade England.

  • 'Frampton Come Alive' released

  • Unearthly speed runs displayed on Al Di Meola's 'Land of the Midnight Sun.'

  • First Van Halen album released.

  • Randy Rhoads auditions for Ozzy Osbourne.

  • Paul Reed Smith builds the 'Golden Eagle' guitar.

  • John Lennon assassinated

  • U2 takes guitar effects and production values to new heights on 'Boy'

  • MTV debuts.

  • Randy Rhoads dies in a plane crash

  • Stevie Ray Vaughan's blues style takes guitarists by storm.

  • Yngwie Malmsteen takes neo-classical technique to a whole new place on 'Rising Force.'

  • Satriani releases 'Surfing with the Alien.'

  • The Internet is born.

  • Nervana kills hair metal

  • Stevie Ray Vaughan dies in a copter crash

  • Jennifer Batten rock Super Bowl XXVII

  • White Stripes release 'White Blood Cells.'

  • Guitar Hero video game debuts.