The guitar is one of the most famous instruments in the world. It has been used for almost all types of music. The guitar has had many cultural impacts on society. There have also been drastic changes throughout history. They changed their look, sounds and overall style. How have guitars evolved over time? Before the guitar was even thought of, there were instruments that showed some similarities. The first stringed instruments date back to around 4000 years ago. The first instruments were called tanburs and bowl harps. These tools are made by taking a turtle shell and attaching a stick, usually bent, to it. Next, some gut or silk strings were passed from the stick to the center of the shell. One of the oldest guitar-like instruments is around 3500 years old. This instrument belonged to an Egyptian singer named Har-Mose. He owned a tanbur, but his had three strings instead of just one or two. This was also made of rawhide and cedar (Guy). After years, the instruments began to look more and more like the guitar. The first instrument that began to resemble the guitar dates back to 1200-1300. It was found in Mediterranean Europe. Sources call it guitarra latina. Two of the oldest forms after the Latin guitar are the lute and the vihuela. The lute is a small instrument that is shaped like a pair. It had twelve strings and a very short neck. The vihuela is shaped most like a guitar. It is larger and also has twelve strings (Chapman). Evolution eventually progressed so much that the modern guitar we know arrived. The first was created from 1800 to 1850. It is called the Spanish court guitar. This was the first six-string guitar. The body was made of rosewood, the neck... the center was made of paper... they are the same as the guitars and they are also amplified (Wade-Matthews). Guitars are very different instruments than they used to be. They have undergone many changes in shape, sound, style and the way they are made. Starting as tortoise shells with a stick and some strings, they have now developed into acoustics, spreading from Europe to the rest of the world and turning out to be the crazy shaped and beautifully designed electric guitars of today. Works Cited Chabot, Paul. “A history of the guitar”. Site for guitar. 1999-2014. Network. May 5, 2014.Chapman, Richard. The new complete guitarist. London: DK Publishing, Inc., 1993. Print.Guy, Paul. “A brief history of the guitar”. Guyguitars. 2001-2007. Network. April 4, 2014.Wade-Matthews, Max; Thompson, Wendy. The Encyclopedia of Music. London: Hermes House, 2002. Print.Wendkos, Zach. “The evolution of the electric guitar”. May 21, 2010. Web. April 30. 2014.