Customer Reviews

The Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers (Guitar Reference)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I really hoped they would publish a more professional edition after this awful mistake, but the bits I've read indicate the same problems exist in newer editions.

This was a much-anticipated book. Nothing like it existed. Unfortunately, for many readers it's almost useless. The largest single problem is apparent lack of a qualified editor. The grammar is absolutely abysmal and makes it very difficult to read. Avoiding simple things like redundant statements, complete sentences with partially completed phrases tacked on the end, subject/verb agreement errors, participles dangling by the truckload - if I sound overly picky take your chances and buy it, but be forewarned you'll likely be scratching your head trying to figure out what the writer/editor is trying to say. It literally appears as if English is his second language - any 10 random pages would fail lower-level high school English - the writing is that awful. Either it's simply a family project where they thought they were on the right track (but had no clue) or they were just too cheap to hire an editor. No qualified, professional book editor would have let this thing be published.

The second problem is one of a misleading title/description. What claims to be a "reference" guide is a mix of information directly taken from manufacturer's catalogs, descriptions (often incorrect) pulled out of thin air, and the worst part - personal opinions mixed with data. If you are publishing an amp "review" book, say so - but a reference guide is no place for personal comments and opinions - and it's LOADED with them. Personal opinions about the sound or quality of certain products, anecdotes and other "look at me" comments are plentiful. Plus, as another reviewer noted a tremendous number of well-known boutique (and not so boutique) manufacturers are completely missing, which makes one wonder what kind of qualifications the author actually has - other than being the son of the publisher!

I keep copies of every reference guide I buy, and usually keep old editions to compare updates, see what might have been missing from an old volume, compare pricing trends etc. Pricing guidelines in this book are seemingly random. They don't line up with other publications or historical sales data and the condition/grading system is...well, I guess they just made one up, because it's unlike anything else I've ever seen.

This is the one reference guide I did NOT keep - I donated it to a library book drive. It was useless and annoying. The really bothersome part is it's the single amps-only price guide on the market; so I *may* take a chance on the newest edition, with the hopes that Alfred Publishing will have assigned a real editor and not the son of the publisher to clean it up so it makes sense. If I buy it I will review it either way.

But I strongly suggest not wasting even $5 on this thing. Even when current it was absolutely useless as a price guide. But if you have any writing or editing experience you may find it useful as kindling...

This is one reference guide that (no matter what edition you buy) try to find a copy and take a look at it *before* you read it.

This book is a companion to the Fjestad's Blue Books of electric and acoutic guitars. Hundreds of different amplifier models, their wattages, tube complement, features and prices are discussed. The entrys are simple to understand and also contain a short history of each amplifier brand. While Marshall and Fender are the two most famous brands of amplifiers that come to mind, this book also covers lesser known brands and rare brands such as Carr and Dumble.

This book is a must for the Guitarist and amp collector. This book has given me amny insights into my amp collection which consists of a 1965 Fender Bandmaster, a 1969 Fender Twin Reverb, a 1980's Fender Vibro Champ, a Marshall Mercury, a Marshall JCM 900 combo and a tweed Fender Pro Junior. This book includes interviews with Paul Reed Smith and Mike Soldano.

Oddly enough, before this new 1st Edition, no such manual ever existed for the vintage amp market. Over the years, buyers and sellers alike have had to possess either a gurulike knowledge of the market, or, as is more frequently the case, rely on conjecture and guesswork to determine what different amplifiers are worth.
So it's with a great sigh of relief that we welcome the Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers - this guide boasts more than 300 pages and features interviews with experts, a glossary of amp-related terms, a full color photo gallery, concise manufacturer histories, and most importantly, current real market values of innumerable amps, from Acoustic (remember them?) to Zapp (no, I've never heard of them either). Of course, this 1st Edition provides the going price for virtually every mode of Fender, Hiwatt, Marshall, Supro, and Vox, and boasts a section devoted to speaker cabinets. Pretending you know what you're talking about has never been easier!

They said it couldn't be done. They said compiling a comprehensive book of guitar amplifier descriptions and values would be too daunting a task, given the huge number of variables to be considered. There must be a jillion amps out there!

Undaunted, Blue Book Publications has made a striking first edition of just such a book. In the traditional Blue Book Publications style, this book offers interesting interviews with industry insiders and celebrities, beautiful color photography of some fine amps, and TONS of information about guitar amps from almost every known maker. (No, not EVERY amp is in the book. Nor is EVERY word in the DICTIONARY. My guess is that susequent editions will be even richer.)

If you haunt the pawn shops looking for guitar amps, you need this book!

I would have to say that I will definatley be looking foward to the 2nd edition of this book. It was well written, easy to read, and to understand for those out there who do not possess a great deal of knowladge about amps. Zach Fjestad, a new and upcoming author, definatly shows that he has what it takes to put out a sucessfull book. Watch for other things by him in the future.

A very disappointing first edition of a book I hoped would be a definitive amp-price rererence. Many omissions, partcularly in the area of boutique amp manufactuers (among the missing, and this is just from a cursory go-through of the book: Clark Amplification, Tone King), very little to no pricing information on others such as Bogner, Alessandro, among others, incomplete information on many other amp lines (particularly vintage Gretsch, Watkins/WEM). I didn't have a lot of confindence in this pricing either, again this comes from my own experience as a buyer (and very occasionally a seller), and research done in various books and on quite a few websites. Has the very half-baked feel of something rushed into print, and thus serves no one's purpose very well. You'll be far better off doing your own research on such websites as Harmony Central, Guitar Base, Ebay, enthusiast discussion boards (example: Plexi Palace, but there are many others that pertain to specific amp manufacturers). Caveat emptor.