“GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World” To Launch In Orlando In June 2011

Traveling Exhibit explores the sound, science, history, and cultural importance of the world’s most popular instrument.

• NEW YORK, August 17, 2010 -- The National GUITAR Museum today announced that its touring exhibition, entitled “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World,” will launch on June 11, 2011 at the Orlando Science Center in Orlando, Florida.

The 5,000 square foot Touring Exhibition will explore the history and evolution of the guitar—from lutes and lyres to modern high-tech instruments—and show how the instrument became the cultural symbol it is today. The exhibition will feature engaging, entertaining, and educational displays specific to the guitar, including historical artifacts, models, posters, video screens, interactives, and kiosks. Educational displays will feature everything from how vibrating strings create sound on to the electromagnetic properties of an electric guitar—and even address environmental concerns about how the wood used to make guitars has disappeared through the destruction of rain forests.

“The guitar is the most enduring icon in American history,” says HP Newquist, the executive director and founder of The National GUITAR Museum (NGM). It has been around longer than baseball, basketball, soft drinks, and sports cars. It’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t been affected by the guitar, whether as players or just fans of all types of music. And while this may be apocryphal,” Newquist adds, “it’s a widely held belief that the two most recognizable man-made shapes on the planet are those of the Coca-Cola bottle and the electric guitar.”

The Touring Exhibition will run in Orlando from June through September 2011. Additional venues are currently being scheduled.

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About The National GUITAR Museum

The National GUITAR Museum, LLC (NGM) is the first museum in the United States dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Its Touring Exhibition, “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World” will travel to 15 cities over the next five years before becoming the basis of The National GUITAR Museum in its permanent home.

The NGM’s board is comprised of individuals drawn from the music, technology, event, and museum communities. Current advisors include guitar greats Steve Vai, Johnny Winter, Steve Howe, Liona Boyd, and Ritchie Blackmore. The Executive Director of the Museum is HP Newquist.

National partners who will be promoting and supporting the Museum and the Touring Exhibition include Channel One, Guitar Center, Guitar Player Magazine, and TrueFire Media.

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"Louder Than Love" Presents History of Detroit's Legendary Rock Venue

(Detroit: July 10, 2010)

"Louder Than Love" is a new film that chronicles the history of Detroit's legendary Grande Ballroom, and it also contains interviews with some of the greatest guitarists anywhere: B.B. King, Ted Nugent, Tom Morello, Slash, Mark Farner of Grand Funk, Wayne Kramer of the MC5, and more. A benefit for the film will be held on July 23rd at the Magic Bag Theater in Ferndale, Michigan. The NGM is supporting this film--by director Tony D'Annunzio--which chronicles the importance of the venue for early rock bands, so if you're in the area, head over to this great event. Check it out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=200201171955

National GUITAR Museum Exhibits At Crossroads, Clapton Promises To Do "Maybe One More."

(Chicago: June 26, 2010)

The National GUITAR Museum unveiled plans for the coming year at the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. In addition to exhibiting in the Crossroads Festival, hosting a Chicago River Blues Cruise, and hosting the giveaway of a new Fender Stratocaster, the Museum promoted its upcoming tour and met with many of its online fans in person.

The show featured dozens of guitar greats--including Jeff Beck, Hubert Sumlin, B.B. King, Steve Winwood, Billy Gibbons, Vince Gill, Bert jansch, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes, Butch Trucks, Joe Bonamass, Johnny Winter, Ron Wood, and many more--and Eric Clapton enjoyed the event so much that he stated that there might yet be another festival, even though conventional wisdom has predicted this year to be the final in the Crossroads' series. We'll see.

PureSolo Offers One-On-One Lesson with Mark Knopfler

(London: June 15, 2010)

PureSolo.com, the online music recording community, has teamed up with Mark Knopfler to launch an online guitar competition, in which guitarists are given the chance to win a master class with Mark himself at his private studios in London.

The competition's unique method of entry offers guitarists the opportunity to essentially 'take the place' of Mark on his ORIGINAL recordings. Three tracks have been specially remastered with the lead guitar part removed and entrants are invited to re-record this part in their own style.

Guitarists without access to recording equipment need not worry as all the tools needed to create their competition entry are provided at PureSolo.com. The site boasts an online recording facility that makes it easy for anyone to record music using just a microphone and computer.

Once submitted for entry, songs can be played and rated by other members of the PureSolo community, eventually creating a shortlist from which the winning recording will be chosen by an expert panel of judges including Mark himself. The National GUITAR Museum will be supporting PureSolo in both the judging and prize stages.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to take the place of Mark himself so get to PureSolo right now and give it your best shot: www.puresolo.com/mk or www.facebook.com/PureSolo

The National GUITAR Museum To Exhibit At Crossroads Festival

(Chicago: June 1, 2010)

As part of the third Crossroads Guitar Festival, The National GUITAR Museum will join the day-long event on June 26th, 2010 as an exhibitor. The show will feature performances by Albert Lee, Allman Brothers Band, BB King, Bert Jansch, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Hubert Sumlin, James Burton, Jeff Beck, Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer, Johnny Winter, Jonny Lang, Keb' Mo', Robert Cray, Sonny Landreth, Steve Winwood, Vince Gill, and ZZ Top.

Historic Chicago Blues Cruise to be hosted by The National GUITAR Museum.

(Date: June 1, 2010)

Join the National GUITAR Museum for a cruise through the history of Chicago Blues. Timed to coincide with the 2010 Crossroads Festival, Eric Clapton's tribute to the blues, the NGM's Chicago Blues Cruise will be a night of blues - and skyline views - that you'll never forget. The two-hour tour of Chicago's skyline includes breathtaking views, great music, and the chance to feel the city that gave birth to electric blues. And you'll see Chicago's architecture, regarded as the best in the world.

A commentary on the history of Chicago's blues starts the journey, accompanied by the music that defined electric blues, from Muddy Waters to Buddy Guy. Chicago was the home of blues labels Chess Records and Vee-Jay Records, along with the clubs that fueled the growth of American blues . . . a legacy that continues to this day.

Drinks, food, and music are included in the tickets, and all passengers are immediately entered in our onboard raffle to win an electric guitar. Partners on the cruise include The Chicago Reader, WXRT-FM, Fender Musical Instruments, Yajima String Works, DGN Custom Guitars, TrueFire Media, New Moon Design, GUITAR PLAYER Magazine, and Chicago Line Cruises. The NGM is giving away a limited number of tickets to this exclusive eventand winners will be announced on June 10, 2010.

First Award Presented by NGM In Advance of Exhibition Tour

(Chicago: May 2010)

In preparation for its national touring exhibition of "GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World," The National GUITAR Museum presented blues legend David "Honeyboy" Edwards with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Edwards accepted the award at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City.

The NGM will hold similar events in each city where the Touring Exhibition is installed. The Tour is scheduled to launch in 2011.