Innovations are made every day, but few leave a lasting effect in their field. Whether it's the combustion engine in transportation, television in entertainment or the electric guitar in music. It's difficult to turn on the radio or any music player and avoid the ubiquity of the guitar. It has continuously dominated the music industry for the last century and is becoming even more popular with the addition of endless overdrive effects. The origin of this amazing instrument can be traced back hundreds of years and countless miles. Many new additions have been implemented along the way. Some of which are present in every guitar made today, including scoops, cutaways and sound holes. The soundhole is the hole in the center where the sound travels, the number and size can vary depending on the type of sound needed. Scoops are the flexed indentations on the sides where the guitar rests on the player's leg, and a cutaway is a portion of the base of the neck that appears to have been removed for easier access to the higher frets. To date, many variations of the electric guitar have been produced and each has had an effect on its progression and impact in the realm of musical instruments. The new era of plethral instruments began in Iberia, Spain, in the mid-15th century with the creation of the electric guitar. vihuela (mooing). The vihuela was basically a flat-bottomed lute with six paired strings, which were usually plucked simultaneously. Since there was no mechanical manufacturing at the time, many vihuelas were unique to whoever made them, the number of sound ports, shape, or neck varying. However, most of them had the same structure and concept as a modern guitar. These were the first instruments to appear...... middle of paper ......history of Jazz | Black History in America | Scholastic.com. Np, ndWeb. April 5, 2014. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/history_of_jazz.htm “Martin Guitar.” Chapter 2: From the beginning. Np, nd Web. 4 April 2014. http://www.martinguitar.com/about-martin/the-martin-story/dreadnought-story.html?id=183 “Red Alder.” The wood database. Np, nd Web. 3 April 2014. http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/red-alder/ Tianen, Dave. "Chasing the sound." PBS. PBS and Web. April 7, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/les-paul/chasing-sound/100/Yanow, Scott. "Charlie Cristiano." All the music. Np, nd Web. April 1, 2014. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/charlie-christian-mn0000805930/biographyYanow, Scott. "Eddie Durham." All the music. Np, nd Web. April 7, 2014. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eddie-durham-mn0000142845