History Of The American Guitar

History of the American Guitar

The most widely played musical instrument in the world, the guitar is also the basis of American popular music. From the birth of a daring new musical style--the blues--to jazz, rock 'n' roll, and "techno rock," from Muddy Waters to Elvis to Eddie Van Halen, it has transcended the boundaries of mere instrument to become a true work of art and a cultural icon, its revolutionary transformations paralleling those of American society. Hundreds of close-up color photographs and expert text trace the development of the many types of guitar along with its musical and social legacy, since the early 1800s when C. F Martin first experimented with a radical new design--steel strings--through Gibson's hand-carved flat-tops, Fender's electric Stratocaster model, and today's high-tech marvels, including the 42-string Pikasso II. A fascinating excursion into guitar history, this is also an invaluable reference for the musician, collector, and music fan.From Library JournalThis colorful, large-format book by the author of Electric Guitars (Advantage, 2000) and The Ultimate Guitar Book (Vintage, 1997) doesn't add anything new with its capsule history of the American guitar. Indeed, several previous books do a better job on the details, including Tom Wheeler's American Guitars (HarperCollins, 1992) and more specific works by Jim Washburn and Richard Johnston (Martin Guitars, Rodale) and Walter Carter (Gibson Guitars, General Publishing, 1994). On the other hand, this is a fine, large-format photo book filled with color photos of hundreds of guitars, from the early 1800s to today, including many foldout pages. Detail in the photography is uniformly excellent, and the textual history is complete though somewhat brief in spots. If your library is short on guitar history, this would make an excellent start, and the price is quite reasonable for the quality of production. Eric C. Shoaf, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence, RICopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.