Editing String instrument (section)

== Renaissance to modern ==
[[File:Viol, fidel and rebec.jpg|thumb|Viol, [[vielle|fidel]] and rebec (from left to right) on display at ''Amakusa Korejiyokan'' in Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan]]
String instrument design was refined during the [[Renaissance]] and into the [[Baroque period]] (1600–1750) of musical history. [[Violins]] and [[guitars]] became more consistent in design and were roughly similar to acoustic guitars of the 2000s. The violins of the [[Renaissance]] featured intricate woodwork and stringing, while more elaborate bass instruments such as the bandora were produced alongside quill-plucked [[cittern]]s, and Spanish body guitars.

In the 19th century, string instruments were made more widely available through mass production, with wood string instruments a key part of orchestras – cellos, violas, and upright basses, for example, were now standard instruments for chamber ensembles and smaller orchestras. At the same time, the 19th-century guitar became more typically associated with six-string models, rather than traditional five-string versions.

Major changes to string instruments in the 20th century primarily involved innovations in electronic [[instrument amplification]] and electronic music – electric violins were available by the 1920s and were an important part of emerging jazz music trends in the United States. The [[acoustic guitar]] was widely used in [[blues]] and [[jazz]], but as an acoustic instrument, it was not loud enough to be a solo instrument, so these genres mostly used it as an [[accompaniment]] [[rhythm section]] instrument. In [[big band]]s of the 1920s, the [[acoustic guitar]] played backing chords, but it was not loud enough to play solos like the [[saxophone]] and [[trumpet]]. The development of guitar amplifiers, which contained a [[power amplifier]] and a [[loudspeaker]] in a [[speaker enclosure|wooden cabinet]], let [[jazz guitar]]ists play solos and be heard over a big band. The development of the [[electric guitar]] provided guitarists with an instrument that was built to connect to guitar amplifiers. Electric guitars have [[magnetic pickup]]s, [[potentiometer|volume control knob]]s and an output jack.

In the 1960s, larger, more powerful guitar amplifiers were developed, called "stacks". These powerful amplifiers enabled guitarists to perform in rock bands that played in large venues such as stadiums and outdoor music festivals (e.g., [[Woodstock Music Festival]]). Along with the development of guitar amplifiers, a large range of electronic [[effects unit]]s, many in small [[stompbox]] pedals, were introduced in the 1960s and 1970s, such as [[fuzz pedal]]s, [[flanger]]s, and [[Phaser (effect)|phasers]], enabling performers to create unique new sounds during the [[psychedelic rock]] era. Breakthroughs in [[electric guitar]] and bass technologies and playing styles enabled major breakthroughs in pop and rock music in the 1960s and 1970s. The distinctive sound of the amplified electric guitar was the centerpiece of new genres of music such as [[blues rock]] and [[Jazz fusion|jazz-rock fusion]]. The sonic power of the loudly amplified, highly [[distortion (music)|distorted]] electric guitar was the key element of the early [[heavy metal music]], with the distorted guitar being used in [[lead guitar]] roles, and with [[power chord]]s as a [[rhythm guitar]].

The ongoing use of electronic amplification and effects units in string instruments, ranging from traditional instruments like the violin to the new electric guitar, added variety to [[contemporary classical music]] performances, and enabled experimentation in the dynamic and timbre (tone colour) range of orchestras, bands, and solo performances.<ref name="mp">{{cite book|author=Michael Chanan|title=Musica Practica: The Social Practice of Western Music from Gregorian Chant to Postmodernism|year=1994|publisher=Verso|isbn=978-1-85984-005-4|pages=170}}</ref>