by Carolyn Bednarski

History was being made in America as two distinct guitar styles were developed by European immigrants--the most significant figures in guitar history: Christian Frederick Martin (1796-1873), who designed the “flat-top” guitar, guitars with traditional flat sound boards, and Orville Gibson (1856-1918) who designed the “arch-top” models with curved fronts in the tradition of violin-making. These key changes in the way the instrument was designed, led to its use again in the non-classical music traditions of country, country-western and later in jazz, blues, rock and pop.

After C.F. Martin’s death in 1873, the company continued to flourish under several generations of the family. It wasn’t until 1916, however, that one of the most significant products was developed under the presidency of Martin’s grandson, Frank Henry Martin. Frank Henry and a New York music store worker, Harry Hunt, developed the Ditson Dreadnought guitar style, a large-bodied guitar with a wide waist and narrow sloped shoulders. The instrument was capable of producing a much greater volume and bass sound, making it ideal accompaniment for vocalists. The most famous Dreadnought style guitar model is the legendary Martin D-45, the first of which was made exclusively for “singing cowboy” Gene Autry in 1933. Although production of the D-45 was discontinued in 1942, the instrument’s reputation among country and country artists remained, and in 1968, after a renaissance of the acoustic guitar, production of the D-45 resumed.

From the late 19th century onwards, the guitar was at the heart of most new American country music forms. European settlers had brought oral storytelling to America. During the 1920s, early record companies began to take an interest in this new sound that was primarily a part of the lives of rural Southern whites, and the first time, more affluent and sophisticated city dwellers were able to hear this new form of music. Due to its origins, country music was at that time often referred to as “hillbilly” music.

The first country guitarist to reach a large audience was Jimmie Rodgers, who died young in 1933, but left a legacy that influenced a new generation of popular guitarists. The Carter Family, who introduced many traditional gospel- country songs that are now known as standards, was also significant in the development of country music and further popularizing the guitar. During the 1930s the popularity of the guitar spread widely as stars like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers glamorized the instrument among young moviegoers.

During the same decade, several forms of music related to country began to form such as western swing and honky-tonk, which made a star out of Hank Williams. Bluegrass picking styles emerged from the Appalachian Mountain regions and Cajun music came from the French speaking settlers in Louisiana. With the widespread availability of television and the phonograph in the ‘50s, country music further increased in popularity. The Grand Ole Opry’s regional radio show, which began in 1926, splashed onto national television and firmly placed Nashville, Tennessee on the map as the home of country music. Star singers like Jim Reeves and players like Merle Travis and country music’s greatest virtuoso guitarist, Chet Atkins were introduced to America, and paved the way for country-western music’s worldwide spread in popularity that came since the ‘60s.