The Ultimate Guitar Book [Paperback]

Tony Bacon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1997

The First Paperback Edition of The Definitive Reference Work On The Guitar, And The Most Beautiful Book On The Subject Ever Produced

"When you get right down to it, these guitars represent something uniquely American . . . You're transported to a place where it's always Saturday night in the summertime, a place where cars are fast and girls are pretty. And when you pull into the parking lot and cut the engine, you can hear the music and know that everybody's inside, twisting the night away."

-- David Nicholson, Washington Post Book World

A stunning visual guide to the history and development of this instrument -featuring specially commissioned photographs of famous, rare, and vintage guitars, from the earliest acoustics to the latest electrics. Packed with construction and design information, and with detailed, informative profiles on everything from the legendary (Martin, Gibson, Fender) to the weird, the exotic, and the oddball (Burns, Hagstrom, Danelectro, to name a few), The Ultimate Guitar Book brings each instrument to life and makes immensely pleasurable browsing for players and collectors alike, from beginner to professional.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The guitar is the most popular and versatile of all musical instruments, lending its humble presence to musical forms and genres from rock, country, and bluegrass to classical, jazz, and blues. In The Ultimate Guitar Book, the guitars on display show an almost infinite range of variations and refinements on one basic theme "a box with a neck," as the editors put it in the introduction to the acoustic guitar. From 17th century Stradivari to the latest guitar-synthesizer hybrids, it's all here: instruments famous and rare, antique and novel, including guitars owned or used by notable musical figures from Les Paul to Paul McCartney. The text includes helpful notes on the instruments' construction, as well as information about legendary designers like Martin, Gibson, and Fender. Whether you are a guitarist, collector, or simply an admirer of exquisite musical craftsmanship, this lovely book is a testament to human ingenuity in search of the perfect sound.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A multitude of full-color photos, with accompanying description of the parts, types, and spin-offs, enhance this chronological history of the guitar, beginning with an example from 1552 and continuing through current times. Covering acoustic, electrical, and bass guitars, including all the big-name manufacturers such as, Fender, Gibson, Martin, and Stratocaster, this informative and beautifully illustrated work will have wide appeal.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf; 1st American Pbk. ed edition (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375700900
• ISBN-13: 978-0375700903
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.5 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to read and look at., April 4, 2002

By 

Francois Leblanc (Laval, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Guitar Book (Paperback)

I bought this book because I liked the first part of "The Complete Guitarist" book where the history and dissection of the guitar is shown.

This book is full of pictures and descriptions of a lot of guitars. The book is divided by guitar type, from acoustic, archtop, solid-body electics, semi-solid electrics and basses. The descrptions are short and give way to the pictures, but the guitars that demand, by respect, more description are given more pages.

The guitars shown are from all over the world and thus aren't limited to a specific market. Its cool to see how a russian guitar is made.

The only thing I would have liked is a timeline, but the book isn't formatted this way and its fine.

All in all a very fun book to have. No theory, nothing to tell you "practice damn it!", just enjoy.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!!! It's the ultimate guitar book, March 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Guitar Book (Paperback)

I've read and reread this book countless times. The details in construction techniques of the various classes of guitars from the Archtops to the Solid Bodies, are very well ilistrated and the text is unambiguous, without being patronizing. I would highly recomend it as an addition to auy music lovers library. -Jose' Torres Jr.-

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The pictures make the book., June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Guitar Book (Paperback)

If you were to never read one word of the text of Mr. Bacon's fine book, it would still be worth the cost. Encased between the two covers are some of the finest photos of guitars you'll ever lay your eyes on. Not only are there pictures of your "standard" American-made guitars (Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker), but also "axes" from around the world. Bacon has also included some interesting and unusual guitars as well. This is a book that you will go back to over-and-over; it's that interesting.