Wow! Frank Koonce is holding the world’s oldest surviving full-sized guitar. It is over 400 years old. The guitar has gone through a lot of restoration work but all the work has been done to a high standard of originality. More pictures after the jump.

The guitar has been attributed to Belchior Diaz, a Portugese builder who probably made the instrument around 1590. This is a ten-string, five course instrument with a fine ornate peghead. Instead of regular metal frets, it has tied ligatures like those on a lute.

[via Neatorama | FRETS]