Spanish guitars were introduced into the Hawaiian Islands as early as the 1830s. The Hawaiians did not … See more

There are three categories of lap steel guitars:
• Acoustic lap steel guitars: These are traditional acoustic steel-string acoustic guitars modified to be played on the performer'… See more

Over centuries in Western countries, the traditional Spanish guitar developed a near-universal tuning of ascending fourths (and one major third) consisting of E–A–D–G–B–E; however, no such standard e… See more

In the U.S. Mainland in the early 20th century, after the 1898 annexation of Hawaii, the Hawaiian "craze" was in full force, as evidenced by radio broadcasts, stage shows, and motion pictures featuring Hawaiian … See more

In the development of lap steel guitar in the early twentieth century, many innovators contributed; among the most prominent were:
Sol Ho'opi'i (pronounced Ho-OH-pee-EE) was perhap… See more

In the early 1930s, the newly electrified lap steel guitar took a prominent position in a type of dance music known as "Western swing", a form of jazz swing that combined elements of country music and Hawaiian music. Pion… See more