Customer Reviews

Inside The Gretsch Guitar Factory 1957/1970

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4 star:		(3)
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Dan Duffy was the guy that tuned, played, inspected and finally signed-off on every guitar that left the Gretsch factory from the late '50s until 1970. He tells what it was like to be there during the boom caused by George Harrison's very public use of Gretsch guitars and he tells of the fallout when that boom passed and ended up with the comapny being sold to a piano manufacturer that ultimately presided over its demise.

If you a are a Gretsch afficianado you'll enjoy this book a lot.

I loved this book and wish I could meet it's author. Dan Duffy gave a great account of what it was like to actually be a part of the creation of so many fabulous guitars. Interesting stories! If you want to be an authority on Gretsch guitars you have to put this in your collection after you read it! I love this book! I liked the info you would not normally find in other books on Gretsch guitars such as the info on "The Monkees Model" Gretsch. Thanks Dan for writing this book!

This book is obviously aimed at people who play Gretsch guitars, many of whom are fanatically loyal (as am I), but it's really good reading on a number of levels. Mr. Duffy writes as he undoubtedly speaks, and the book is self-published so there are some grammatical or spelling errors, but he writes earnestly about his life and the product he helped manufacture. He shifts off periodically to some of his own musical and personal experiences, he writes about friends in and out of Gretsch and he offers some unique insight into the music business and related trends.

I really enjoy talking to people I've never met before and asking questions that will get them to talk about themselves, and that's what this book is. It's a conversation with a really interesting guy. I read it in a couple of days and finished with the feeling that I had a friend. Mr. Duffy's style is personal and enthusiastically open. I'd love to meet him in person.

Finally, this appears to be a second issue. After what appears to be the original book, he has included 30 pages of guitar chord changes and exercises (great for any aspiring player, but undoubtedly useful for virtually anyone who doesn't know everything about chording) followed by another text that appears to be a response to the many questions people sent him after reading the first printing of the book. He didn't leave out anything in the initial story, but people who read it obviously wanted more of his anecdotes and wisdom. That's probably the best review of the book-other people who read it wanted more.

Dan Duffy is an average guy with a sharp memory and the ability to tell a story. It's said that there is a book inside of each of us, and Mr. Duffy is one of the very unique people who took the time and patience to share his.

As if you met the author in a bar and had a casual conversation. Dan Duffy has offered us facts that only an employee of the Gretsch company during it`s golden years could know. If you are a fan of Gretsch guitars, a must have book.

If you like Gretsch guitars, you need this book. Lots of info on general Gretsch history and behind-the-scenes events. Dan Duffy is an interesting figure, and he was there at what were arguably the critical years for the company.

I have two negative points on this book: it's not very well organized, and it's written in all caps. The first is relatively minor, but the second makes it very difficult to read, at least for me. The revised version of the book may have fixed this. I have the first version (101 pages), as opposed to the later 167 page version. It's still worth having.