Guitar books (history/reference/collecting – not tab/music)

barnstorm · July 2023

These are looking for a shelf in someone else’s house because I’m running out of space in mine! Some are quite hard to get hold of. All in great condition unless noted. To avoid making this post overly long, pics are here, arranged in the same order as the list below.

All prices include UK postage. Open to an offer for the whole lot if someone wants to make life easy for me and meet up in mid-Beds-ish to collect a heavy box.

Will mark things as sold when/if they go.

The Strat in the Attic: Thrilling Stories of Guitar Archaeology (hardback) by Deke Dickerson – £20

Deke’s recollections of hunting down interesting guitars. The rare character who is both knowledgeable and entertaining. Good player, too. Recommended even if you don't want my copy!

Nick on long edge of front cover that can be stuck down neatly if you’re minded to do it.

The Strat in the Attic 2: More Thrilling Stories of Guitar Archaeology (hardback) by Deke Dickerson – £20

Jimi Hendrix Gear: the Guitars, Amps and Effects that Revolutionized Rock 'n' Roll (hardback) by Michael Heatley; foreword by Roger Mayer – £30

Not as vast as the similar books on the Beatles and the Stones, but comprehensive.

Small dent mid-way down spine.

The Dream Factory: the Fender Custom Shop (hardback) – £30

Detailed history of the FCS and its guitars.

No slipcover.

The Stratocaster Chronicles (hardback) plus The Stratocaster Continues (softback) – £30 for the pair

Both by Tom Wheeler; forewords by Eric Clapton and Eric Johnson.

First volume covers the first 50 years; ‘Continues’ covers the next ten. Wheeler died a few years ago, so there won't be any more updates, sadly.

Guitar Aficionado: the Collections (hardback), foreword by Rick Nielsen – £40

Large-format (35cm tall), gilt-edged book put together by the publisher of the now-defunct GA magazine. Interviewees include Lindsey Buckingham, Rick Nielsen, Brian Setzer, James Hetfield, Rich Robinson, Steve Earle, Robbie Robertson.

History of Japanese Electric Guitars (softback) by Frank Meyers – £15

Very useful resource for anyone into old Japanese instruments.

A Perfectly Good Guitar: Musicians on their Favorite Instruments (hardback) by Chuck Holley – £20

Interviewees include Rosanne Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Bill Frisell, Sonny Landreth, GE Smith, Marty Stuart, Waddy Wachtel.

Star Guitars: 101 Guitars That Rocked the World (hardback) by Dave Hunter; foreword by Billy Gibbons – £20

If it looks weird on the pic, it’s because of the design of the cover: it has an SG-shaped cutout, and the image of the Fool is on the page underneath, lining up with the cutout.

Talking Guitar: Conversations with Musicians Who Shaped 20th-Century Music (hardback) by Jas Obrecht – £15

By occasional forumite Jas. Interviews include Ry Cooder, SRV, Jerry Garcia, Santana, Neil Young, EVH, Petty.

Audio CD is present and unplayed. Edges of dust cover have some wear.

Guitar Man (hardback) by Michael Indelicato – £8

Tales from vintage guitar dealer Michael Indelicato, perhaps best known as the guy who bought the Chinery Collection. Some of the stories about the trade are quite eye-opening. From a chapter that takes place in 1996: ‘I know where there is an original 1958 Explorer,’ Mark told me […] ‘The owner is going to sell it to me for $20,000 and I’m going to ask $75,000 for it.’

Guitar (hardback) by David Schiller – £10

Brief look at a couple of hundred instruments – old and new, acoustic and electric, traditional and innovative/plain odd.

No slipcover.

Brian May’s Red Special (hardback) by Brian May with Simon Bradley – £8

Updated edition.

Play It Loud: an Epic History of the Electric Guitar (hardback) by Brad Tolinksi and Alan di Perna; foreword by Carlos Santana – £8

My First Guitar: Tales of True Love and Lost Chords from 70 Legendary Musicians (softback) by Julia Crowe; foreword by Andy Summers – £5

Interviewees include: Jimmy Page, Scotty Moore, Alex Lifeson, Lee Renaldo, Albert Lee, Steve Vai, Tom Morello.

The Mandolin in America: the Full Story from Orchestras to Bluegrass to the Modern Revival (softback) by Walter Carter – £15

He of Carter Vintage.

Banjo: an Illustrated History (hardback) by Bob Carlin; foreword by Tony Trischka – £20

Equal measures of info and pretty pics.

Banjo Roots and Branches (softback) – £5

A collection of essays – more academic in approach. If you want it, you’ll probably want it for one or two bits in particular (I was interested in the info on a Caribbean instrument I’d seen in a museum), so I’ve taken pics of the contents pages.

That Half-Barbaric Twang: the Banjo in American Popular Culture (softback) by Karen Linn – £5

More accessible than Roots and Branches, but still rigorous, and obviously with a different focus.

The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan – £15

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Guitar books (history/reference/collecting – not tab/music)