Texas designated the guitar as the official state musical instrument in 1997. Excerpt from Texas legislation:

"....WHEREAS, Originally from Spain, the guitar has through the years transcended its national origin and is now forever entwined in popular culture with the songs of the cowboys, sharecroppers, railroad workers, and migrant laborers who built Texas and opened the American West; since the popularization of the electric guitar in the 1940s and 1950s, the instrument has also become a mainstay of jazz performance and a crucial element in the development of rock and roll, and the state's vital contributions to these two uniquely American art forms have been well documented; ..."

Source:

Links:

Texas Music Pioneers: Texas Music Office
Popular Texas Songs: Lone Star Junction
Children's Music Web: resource for kids-families-teachers
Music: Great Sites for Kids - American Library Association
Cultural Symbols - 50 states