Amped at IU: The Jim Irsay Guitar Collection

Amped at IU features unique guitars and other instruments from The Jim Irsay Collection, IU Jacobs School of Music, and Traditional Arts Indiana.

Amped at IU highlights the history of the modern guitar and allows patrons to survey some of the most important and iconic instruments of the last 70 years. It reflects on how guitars and similar stringed instruments have impacted popular music genres including jazz, country, folk, and especially rock and roll.

The year-long exhibition will feature guitars not normally seen on The Jim Irsay Collection tour, including an 1850s CF Martin guitar, 1910 Gibson Model U Harp Guitar, 1939 Rickenbacker Silver Hawaiian Lap Steel, 1950 Epiphone Electar Lap Steel, 1954 Gibson #B-1 electric bass, 1959 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst, 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, 1964 Firebird V, and 1971 Fender Telecaster Rosewood. It also highlights instruments held by the IU Jacobs School of Music and IU’s Traditional Arts Indiana, including an armadillo guitar, banjo, cavaquinho guitar, cuarto, dulcimer, guitarron, kora, lute, and oud.