The Electric Guitar - Model By Model Look At The Famous Instrument And Its Players

Popular music went through something of a revolution

when the electric guitar came upon the scene. As Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones puts it in the foreword to the book, the electric guitar kind of took over the music playing of the horn section players of the big bands. This had the effect of replacing the big bands with bands of 5 or 6 players. Music and the bands who played the music would never be the same again. Using a lot of large, color photos, and interesting narrative, this book will explain to you how this guitar revolution took place. What were the pioneering and original electric guitar makes and models to come on the scene and change the makeup of popular music forever? Who were the pioneering electric guitar players and musicians who embraced these new instruments, and demonstrated to the world what could be done with them? This book takes an interesting look at the electric guitar and its major players through the years.

The contents of the book are for the most part arranged by guitar model. In a typical section of a guitar model the book includes: a history of the guitar model. Some close up photos of the guitar, especially ones that show any special or stand apart features of the guitar model. Photos and quotes of famous guitar players who love this guitar model. In depth descriptions of any of the guitar model features that are distinct to that model. Photos of the factory or assembly line where the guitar model was originally produced. Pictures of bands playing live with the guitar. Here's a look at some of the famous models that are covered:

Gibson ES150
Fender Telecaster: This was introduced in 1950, and sported a bolt on neck and distinctive bridge design which is said to be responsible for much of this guitar's distinct sound.
Gibson ES175
Fender Precision Bass
Fender Stratocaster
Rickenbacker 360-12
Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120
Gibson Flying V
Gibson Les Paul
PRS Custom
Ibanez Steve Vai

Mixed in among the chapters on the different models of electric guitars are a series of special chapters on each of the decades during the rise of the electric guitar heyday. The decades covered include the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s, and the 1980s. Towards the rear of the book, after all the famous models of electric guitars have been covered is a section on the general anatomy of electric guitars called design anatomy. Here you'll find a look at the basic different parts that come together to make up an electric guitar, such as the body, the guitar neck, the pickups, frets, fingerboard, headstock, etc. All this parts are discussed at length, giving details of how the nature of these items varies from guitar to guitar. Close up color photos help to explaining the guitar anatomy information presented in this section of the book.