After the roaring feedback, throbbing bass and big fuzz-toned power chording of the past several decades' worth of rock 'n' roll, it's difficult to believe that guitars were once quiet instruments.

Guitar Gallery: The Quest for Volume presents the history of guitar amplification, beginning with a 1770s Italian guitar and moving through the development of the instrument as it became larger, went electric, and finally came to dominate the stage as the signature instrument of rock 'n' roll.

Guitar Gallery: The Quest for Volume celebrates the work of such innovators as Orville Gibson, Leo Fender and Les Paul. Each of the vintage, world-changing guitars in the exhibition has been selected for its unique role in music history.