According to Wikipedia: "The earliest extant six string guitar was built in 1779 by Gaetano Vinaccia (1759 - after 1831) in Naples, Italy. The Vinaccia family of luthiers is known for developing the mandolin. This guitar has been examined and does not show tell-tale signs of modifications from a double-course guitar. Modern dimensions of the classical instrument were established by Antonio Torres Jurado (1817-1892), working in Seville in the 1850's. Torres and Louise Panormo of London (active 1820s-1840s) were both responsible for demonstrating the superiority of fan strutting over transverse table bracing. The electric guitar was patented by George Beauchamp in 1936. Beauchamp co-founded Rickenbacher which used the horseshoe-magnet pickup. However, it was Danelectro that first produced electric guitars for the wider public. Danelectro also pioneered tube amp technology" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar But according to this site http://home.earthlink.net/~guitarandlute/gtrhstry.html "The guitar's roots are in Spain. Realistically, it cannot be traced back further than the 15th Century. It is thought to have been invented by the people of Malaga. This early instrument was a "four course" guitar, from which the ukulele is derived. The first guitars were very small, and were originally strung with four pair of strings."

the electric guitar was inventer by Adolph Rickenbacker the first electric guitars went into production in the 1930's other early electric guitar inventors were Les Paul and Leo Fender. Fender can be considered the Henry Ford of guitars. He made the "telecaster" in 1950, and then the "stratocaster" in 1954. both of which are still in production today. The Stratocaster is the most successful guitar design ever.

The modern guitar, or something similar to it, appeared sometime around the Renaissance. "Early guitar style instruments such as the Lute did not have metal frets, they were instead made of gut. The frets could be moved depending on what notes where needed."http://www.musicianshop.com/Guitar_history.htm It could be that the modern guitar can be traced back to the stringed instruments of the ancient Persian Ud, which developed into the lute. It is interesting linguistically to consider that the words: zither and sitar are closely related words to "guitar".

Robert Flemming Jr on march 3 1886

According to Wikipedia: "The earliest extant six string guitar was built in 1779 by Gaetano Vinaccia (1759 - after 1831) in Naples, Italy. The Vinaccia family of luthiers is known for developing the mandolin. This guitar has been examined and does not show tell-tale signs of modifications from a double-course guitar. Modern dimensions of the classical instrument were established by Antonio Torres Jurado (1817-1892), working in Seville in the 1850's. Torres and Louise Panormo of London (active 1820s-1840s) were both responsible for demonstrating the superiority of fan strutting over transverse table bracing. The electric guitar was patented by George Beauchamp in 1936. Beauchamp co-founded Rickenbacher which used the horseshoe-magnet pickup. However, it was Danelectro that first produced electric guitars for the wider public. Danelectro also pioneered tube amp technology" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar BTW this question has been asked before here on Answerbag in 2006: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/87612

Chuck Berry.

If the strings are perpendicular to the sound box it is a harp, whether plucked, hammered, or bowed. If the strings are parallel to the sound box and are bowed, it is a violin. If the strings are hammered, it is a dulcimer. If the strings are plucked, it is a zither, sitter, sitar, chitar, kitar, or guitar. All examples have existed for all recorded history.