OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — “We’re always looking for things in our culture that can tell the story of human history in different ways, so picking a musical instrument to tell that story is just one way to do that,” said Jessica Brummer, Communications Director at the Durham Museum.
Whether you’re a metalhead, country fan or anything in between, the diversity of the guitar has made it one of the world’s most popular instruments for hundreds of years.
Brummer said the exhibit called "Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World" piques the interest of history buffs and musicians alike.
“There are instruments in this show that date all the way back to 3,000 B.C. when humans were first starting to make instruments and all the way up to what we know as the modern guitar today,” Brummer said.
The exhibit features over 70 guitars and lots of interactive features for children to learn more about music.
And one major highlight...
“In the center of the gallery is the Guinness Book of World Records’ largest playable guitar. It’s 43.5 ft long, so it’s hard to miss that when you come into the gallery and people love to take their turn strumming on that,” Brummer said.
Visitor Ken Leischner has had guitars since he was about 12 years old.
“I’ve always enjoyed it. My dad had a guitar then when I first had any awareness of it, he could pick out a few songs and that got me interested,” said Leischner.
He said the exhibit shows just how iconic and versatile the instrument is.
“You’ve got acoustic, you’ve got the different types of electric guitars, different shapes. Some that are pretty standard and others that are pretty wild,” said Leischner.
Guitar sales have grown 17% during the pandemic according to CNBC, proving that even in hard times, the love for music lives on.
“Whether you’re a novice or a complete professional like some of the people in this show, people get a lot of joy out of it,” said Brummer.
The exhibit is on display until April 25. The Durham museum prioritizes social distancing and has hand sanitizer across the building. Visit their website to purchase timed tickets.
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