Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World

On Monday, 2/27/17, I got in my car on a drab, rainy morning and ventured fifty-five miles due west to the Buffalo Museum of Science to see the National Touring Exhibit on Guitar of the National Guitar Museum called; “Take a Journey Through a Motley Crew of Legendary Guitars” in the must-see GUITAR: THE INSTRUMENT THAT ROCKED THE WORLD. This fully immersive exhibition on guitars explores all facets of the world’s most popular instrument, from its history to the science of creating sound with wood and steel.  It was worth my drive and lifted my spirits to be able to attend an exhibit on the world of guitars!

Upon arrival, I paid a mere $11.00 to not only have access to the Guitar Exhibit, but also to the entire museum, which was a great deal! I was surprised at how large the Guitar Exhibit actually was, and how many guitars were represented in the collection. I could clearly see the exhibitors really did their homework.  For any guitar enthusiast out there, I would suggest not letting the title of the exhibition scare you. I was VERY pleased to see all kinds of guitars represented, not just guitars from Rock and Roll. In fact, there were exhibits that would make musicians of all styles happy in the search for their instrument. I was also pleased to see alternative instrument displays represented.  Instruments such as balalaika, mandolin, sitar, banjo, pipa, vihuela, Lute, and oud were featured. Instruments in the classical and romantic eras as far back as the 1750s were also represented.

Within the exhibits, were numerous “interactive” displays for all ages, so don’t be afraid to bring your kids to the exhibit. Scientific learning displays on magnetism, strings, and other fields of theory were available. This is definitely an exhibit for the entire family. One of the exhibits worth mentioning is the world’s largest playable guitar, a Gibson Flying V, that weighs in at 2244 lbs. and is 44.5 feet long!  Another interesting display worth mentioning is a separate Guitar Exhibit that features guitars and music memorabilia from the Buffalo, NY area called 71 Picks.

If you are venturing out towards the Buffalo area and want to enhance your day in the history and world of guitar, I would highly recommend going to the Buffalo Science Museum for the day, to see guitars and much more.  The Exhibit ends on May 7, 2017, so you still have over a month to attend. I surely hope you can make it!

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~Jim Doyle  

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