9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
PLENTY of Information Here, March 27, 2000
This review is from: The Gibson Super 400: Art of the Fine Guitar (Paperback)
Anyone who picks up this book will immediately recognize that Dr. Van Hoose honestly loves guitars. He also picked one of the most finely crafted guitars as his instrument of choice. In page after page, in sometimes excruciating detail, he labors over the most miniscule differences in these guitars, as they evolved from year to year. Just when you think you've seen enough, there's a photo section on the guitar restoration process (of course, the guitar happens to be a Super 400, but believe it or not, the process would be pretty much the same for a more pedestrian arch top guitar). The reader is treated to plenty of fine color photographs, as well as loads of black and white photos and catalog page reproductions. Also included is a bounteous appendix, with shipping totals and the like, as well as Dr. Van Hoose's own analytical contributions (including his ingenious rarity index, derived from comparing an individual model's production to the entire production for every year of Super 400 production) and opinions regarding the "vintage" guitar market.
In short, this book gives the reader the best and worst faces of modern stringed instrument (banjo and guitar) collecting. On one hand, you have an educated and articulate individual who has an obvious appreciation for finely crafted instruments. To Dr. Van Hoose's credit, he did his homework and clearly wrote the information that he had gathered (unlike some other collector/writers). On the other hand, this book, to some degree, reinforces the popular opinion that acquisition equals expertise. Collectors such as Akiro Tsumura (with his "1001 Banjos" book) or Scott Chinery (who had the brainstorm and funds to commission a fleet of blue guitars from the world's top builders, to add to his already huge collection) are regarded as experts, whether they can play a note, dress a fret, conduct research, or do anything else that would be considered expertise when writing about musical instruments. Coincidentally, this view seems to be held in high regard by top instrument dealers (such as George Gruhn, who wrote the forword for this book). It turns out to be a mutually beneficial arrangement, to be sure.
If you obsess over guitars, this is a good book for you. Believe me, a lot of work went into it. The book is loaded with plenty of information and a good helping of pictures, and it IS the be-all-end-all for this particular subject. If you don't obsess over guitars, this book will get old pretty fast. I really DO appreciate the effort that was put into this work, but I think it just ends up being a little too much for anybody but the most die-hard fans.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
even if you can't own it, dream about it, July 5, 2010
This review is from: The Gibson Super 400: Art of the Fine Guitar (Paperback)
Great picture book of black & white photos, color photos, advertising literature, and even a repair section on a guitar with the most beautiful body shape of all - the Gibson Super 400! So even if you can't afford to own it (or keep it), you can dream about it with these pages! My only complaint is that I wish there were less about the Gibson L5 (it's own chapter?) and more details about the Super 400's plain-jane sister, the Gibson Super 300 - and why the Super 300 almost always seems to have a superior acoustic tone to the ornate Super 400 (?). And over the years since this was printed in 1991, the guys have often discussed their differences with the author over measurements and other specifications on this model over the decades. Some of the differences may be due to the highly individual and hand-made nature of these guitars. It may also be due to the common practice at Gibson to use whatever parts were handy and in-stock at the time. But, if you love the Gibson Super 400 like I do, ya' gotta' have this book!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books on archtops of any kind, May 12, 2009
This review is from: The Gibson Super 400: Art of the Fine Guitar (Paperback)
The 'Super Four' was Gibson's flagship archtop . Ton Van Hoose dovetails this guitar into not only Gibson's history and lineup but also how it fits in the grand scheme of the classic archtop era. The book has great color photos and shows excellent detail even down to the various cases used by Gibson during this guitar's production life. This book is a must have for any archtop fan, collector or player.
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