Since the beginning of high school most of us wanted to jam out with guitars playing alongside the great musicians of rock and roll.
Now the Haggin Museum brings back the spirit of the inner rebel back with the Medieval to Metal guitar exhibition.
This exhibition shows many guitars from different eras and genres of rock focusing on the evolution of art manifesting as guitars.
Organizing the touring exhibition is the National Guitar Museum (NGM).
The number of Guitars reaches past 30 all with a unique style and history behind it.
This touring exhibit started on October 6, 2016 till January 8, 2017 with another exhibit touring in the mid-west of the United States.
Showing off the many photographs of Rock and Roll legends like “Slash” from Guns and Roses by noted photographer artist Gerard Huerta accompany the astoundingly well-made guitars.
Organizing the touring exhibition is the National Guitar Museum (NGM).
The expo has some of the beginnings of stringed instruments like the Arabic Oud and European Lute.
One of the most notable item in the exhibition is the “Crossroads” guitar depicting one of the most knows ways to achieve fame and fortune.
The guitar shows scenes of the way some believe to achieve stardom through rock and roll is selling one’s soul at a crossroads trading after life with countless memories of fame during their time as musicians.
Another great example of a unique guitar is the Air Guitar displayed with nothing more than a plaque and a hook to hang this imaginary instrument.
The explanation of this “guitar” is reminiscent of that rocker in all of us lacking the rocking guitar in our hands.
Accompanied by the amazingly stunning guitars was a corner devoted to open use of the some guitars provided by a local music store.
Anybody who was visiting the Museum could play any of the acoustic and electric guitar accompanied by an amp.
“There are 40 guitars in this exhibition and just under 200 in our total collection” said H. P. Newquist executive director of the National Guitar Museum (NGM) “If the building was on fire and all the guitars were inside I would stay in the building.”
- P. Newquist was a writer for a number of years during the 90s and was Editor and Chief of Guitar Magazine which allowed him to observe and admire the instrument for a long time.
“We don’t have a permanent home for the museum but hopefully while we tour the country we find a perfect home for the Guitars after 8 to 10 years” he said in regards to the whole collection and its possible future.
The museum and this exhibition was centered with the ancestors of the guitar and the way the guitar’s art has changed throughout the recent years.
“To do all instruments in one museum is too broad” said Newquist “it’s like writing all the history of every culture on earth all in one book.”
The Exhibition has multiple weekend shows using various genres of music using multiple guitars by different artist and musicians.
