See more than 60 guitars and other instruments at “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World,” through Jan. 10 at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.National Guitar Museum Submitted photo

Get ready to rock at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s new exhibit in Portland. “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World” gives music lovers of all ages a backstage pass to the history and science behind the instrument that revolutionized music in the 20th century and brought us rock ‘n’ roll.

“GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World” is a touring exhibit of the National Guitar Museum that has already been seen by over 1 million people at previous stops around the U.S. It offers a hands-on experience encompassing three main elements: the science of sound; the evolution, engineering and design of the guitar; and the guitar’s cultural impact.

Among the more than 60 instruments on display, you can’t possibly miss the world’s largest playable guitar (certified by the Guinness Book of Records), at almost 44 feet long. You can even try playing it (no “Stairway to Heaven,” please). See instruments ranging from guitar ancestors such as a historic Mesopotamian oud, a host of transitional stringed instruments that show the evolution of the guitar’s shape and sound, up to a modern guitar created by a 3-D printer. Iconic electric guitars such as the Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul are also on display, along with over-the-top models such as the Jackson Randy Rhoads. With its exaggerated triangular points, the Rhoads looks as though it could impale a careless bandmate who wanders too close.

Interactive exhibits allow you to see through a 6-foot amplifier stack and experience what gives modern music so much volume, while learning about the physics of the amplification process. Test your memory by playing riffs on a virtual fretboard that challenges your ability to remember complex patterns. Feel how strings resonate on wood and discover how the acoustic guitar’s soundbox increases and changes its sound. Make your own music by breaking the beams of a laser harp, try out different DJ personas at touchscreen kiosks and explore how to “see” sound with an LED piano.

There is also a daily live stage show Thursday through Sunday that looks at the science of sound using musical Tesla coils, water goblets and more.

“GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World” continues through Jan. 10, 2016. General admission to OMSI includes entry to this exhibit. Cost: $13.50 for adults; $9.50 for youth three to 13 and seniors 63 and over; children under 3 are free. Admission is free for OMSI members.

Contact: www.omsi.edu or 800-955-6674.

— Reporter: 541-383-0350, khimstreet@bendbulletin.com