Who Invented the Guitar?

The earliest stringed instrument known may have been the bowl harp from nearly 4000 years ago. With a tortoise shell for the body and a curved stick for the neck, adding a few strings allowed the making of music.
The tanbur might have been next. A straight neck allowed pressing the strings down to produce a wider range of tones. A tanbur, dating from about 3500 years ago may be seen at the Archaeological Museum in Cairo.