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The English Guittar was neither English, nor was it a guitar. (Pick a
spelling for guitar and it was used in the 18th century.) The adjective
English seems to have been attached during the early 19th century, just
as the instrument was passing from fashion. During its heyday, it was simply
referred to as the guittar.
Some authorities place its development in early eighteenth century Italy, others suggest that it came to Britain and hence America from Germany with the ascention of the Hanoverians to the throne of the United Kingdom. Most agree, however that it was a development of the earlier Renaissance cittern, and the precursor of the modern Greek bouzouki, octave mandolin, and the Irish cittern. By the 1750s through about the end of the second decade of the 19th century, the Guittar enjoyed immense popularity as a parlour instrument in both Great Britain, and America. These were even found hanging on the walls of barber shops for the entertainment of patrons. The Guittar had ten strings of wire, which were tuned to an open C major chord, thus, c,e,g,c',e',g'. The two bass strings were single, the four treble strings were double and tuned in unison. Some instruments, like the one pictured, utilized wooden friction tuning pegs. Others used mechanical worm and gear tuners operated with a sort of watch key type wrench. Further, the strings were by this time plucked with the fingers. Provision was made for a capo by drilling holes through the fingerboard through which a bolt passed and a wing nut was screwed and tightened on the backside of the neck. The instrument pictured is patterned after one built around 1776 by John Preston of London, and constructed by Lyn Elder of Petaluma, CA. |
