Customer Reviews

Hand Made, Hand Played: The Art & Craft of Contemporary Guitars

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an extraordinary book! More than 300 handcrafted guitars are discussed. Each guitar profile is at least a full page in length with museum quality photographs. The detail is fabulous! The building components for each and every guitar are listed. There is a bio on each craftsperson, including their building philosophy and desired outcome.

This book has been done with exquisite taste. High gloss pages, great typography and a full list of contributing luthier's websites. Guitars reviewed include acoustic, archtops, bass, electric, harp, electric bass, double necks, classical, flamenco, and some that honestly can't be categorized.

If you are a luthier, a want-to-be luthier or a player who is curious about the art and craft of guitar building, this fascinating testament of contemporary guitars will delight you for hours on end.

The first thing you notice is the elegant, artistic layout and spectacular photographs. Then you start to read a little here and there, soon finding that there is great research and writing to support the guitars. Although it is the sort of book that you usually flip through and read casually, I was so fascinated by the history and the philosophies of the guitar makers, I started reading every page from the beginning! It gives you a taste and makes you want to visit the shops and talk to the luthiers. I started fantasizing a road trip going from shop to shop, talking, playing, wishing I could buy... This is not a simple coffee table picture book - it is a beautiful celebration of guitars and their makers.

I don't usually give my "the best" rating to any book, because another will come along and knock it out of its top berth. But HAND MADE, HAND PLAYED is simply TOPS! Great glossy color photos, big page sizes, thick quality paper, and most important - a great selection of material. It makes this a guitar dream book to leave on the coffee table for years to come. Now, there are other great glossy guitar picture books, and some are on custom guitar - but this is simply my favorite (and I've got a bunch)!

As an aspiring luthier this book encourages the explration of traditional as well as new and non traditional design..Nice to see what others are doing.

Absolutely beautiful pictures of the best of custom guitars. Fine but concise descriptions of each luthier and the guitar specs. If you love guitars, you must BUY THIS BOOK.

P.S. I am not related to either the author or the publisher, or Amazon. It's just that good.

Great coloured Pictures of a wide variety and styles of hand made Guitars with references, specifications and stories from the worlds best Luthiers. I recommend this book as a great reference to styles and designs for any maker of stringed instruments and any person who has a natural interest in this Art and Craft.

If you are looking for a compendium on guitars, this it! The scope is vast and the photography and information are first-rate. You shouldn't hesitate on buying this one, especially if you collect. I was pleasantly surprised.

The book was excellent and the delivery service superb. It came exactly at the time described. I knew about the book in advance of ordering and it met my full expectations.

If you dig high-end guitars, this is a great book. Nice photos, and all contact info. Well worth it for the price. Surprised there wasn't a hard cover copy, but recommended.

I received this book in late December, and I was quite disappointed to see that they had sent me a copy with a partially crushed spine. The outside box was intact, so the damage was there even before they packed it up. Other than the damage to the spine, the book was fine. It's full of great photographs and interesting information concerning luthiers around the world and their creations. With all those wonderful photos, it's a real pity they couldn't have made sure the copy they sent me was in better condition. I expect a undamaged copy when I order a new book. Amazon should at least be able to meet that standard.