Guitar
John Preston
English, late 18th century
Maple (back and ribs) and spruce (table) with ivory, ebony, and hardwood inlays
The guitar became enormously popular with leisured women in the late-eighteenth century. As a more portable alternative to the keyboard, and as an attractive accompaniment to singing, it was especially appropriate for outdoor use. The guitar was also inexpensive, with near-disastrous results for keyboard manufacturers: in the mid-1760s, the craze for the guitar reached such a height that the harpsichord maker Jacob Kirkman gave guitars to shop girls and street singers, thereby diminishing the instrument’s attraction for wealthier ladies.
This ten-stringed instrument has a tuning mechanism patented by its maker, John Preston, consisting of enclosed threaded rods turned by a separate watchkey.
LENT BY THE YALE UNIVERSITY COLLECTION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
GIFT OF JACQUES FRANÇAIS
4584.1984