American Ax-Men: The Met Celebrates Luthiers

The Takeaway

A new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art features about 65 guitars handcrafted by masters living in New York City in the early part of the 20th Century. The show, called “Guitar Heroes,”   embodies America’s nascent fascination, and ultimate adoption, of the European acoustic instrument. Jayson Kerr Dobney, associate curator of the Met’s Department of Musical Instruments discusses the show. Of course, our nation’s love of the instrument is still going strong. Just yesterday, guitars from Eric Clapton’s personal collection sold for price tags up to 100 times the expected sale price. To tell us why we just can’t seem to let go of our love affair with the guitar is  Vernon Reid  founder of the seminal funk metal band Living Colour.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.