Before the development of the electric guitar and the employment of synthetic Electric Guitar materials, a guitar was defined as being an instrument having "a long, fretted neck, decumbent frame soundboard, ribs, and a collapsed back, most often with incurved sides". Instruments similar to the guitar have been famous for at least 5,000 years.
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The Vinaccia generations of luthiers is certified for developing the mandolin, and may have built the oldest surviving six string guitar
- Gaetano Vinaccia (1759 â after 1831) has his signature on the label of a guitar built in Naples, Italy for six strings with the date of 1779. This guitar has been examined and does not show tell-tale signs of modifications from a double-course guitar although fakes are notorious to exist of guitars and identifying labels from that period.