Guitar Reference – serie

100th anniversary updated edition!Rich in beauty, sound, and history, Manuel Rodriguez and Sons' classical and flamenco guitars have been handcrafted in Madrid since 1909, and the company's creations are still acclaimed today. This book presents master luthier Manuel Rodriguez's thoughts on the history of the instrument he loved, including how the guitar attained its prominent position among musical instruments. Filled with fabulous historical photos, memorabilia, and more, this book is essential for all admirers of the guitar. A special new section on “Music with World Leaders ” sponsored by the King of Spain, promotes the importance of music for children and much more.

Inventing the American Guitar is the first book to describe the early history of American guitar design in detail. It tells the story of how a European instrument was transformed into one with all of the design and construction features that define the iconic American flat-top guitar. This transformation happened within a mere 20 years, a remarkably brief period.The person who dominates this history is C. F. Martin Sr., America's first major guitar maker and the founder of the Martin Guitar Company, which continues to produce outstanding flat-top guitars today. After emigrating from his native Saxony to New York in 1833, Martin quickly established a guitar making business, producing instruments modeled after those of his mentor, Johann Stauffer of Vienna. By the time he moved his family and business to rural Pennsylvania in 1839, Martin had absorbed and integrated the influence of Spanish guitars he had seen and heard in New York. In Pennsylvania, he evolved further, inventing a uniquely American guitar that was fully developed before the outbreak of the Civil War.Inventing the American Guitar traces Martin's evolution as a craftsman and entrepreneur and explores the influences and experiments that led to his creation of the American guitar that is recognized and played around the world today.To learn more about the history of the Martin guitar, click here to view the video and article from BBC, How Martin Guitars Became an 'American Stratavarius'.

Leo Fender''s company changed the course of popular music in 1954 when they introduced the Stratocaster. Since then, the Strat has been played by countless guitarists, from Jimi Hendrix to Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck. In this book, interviews with important Strat players from every decade illustrate the instrument''s versatility, playability, and continuing importance. This is the complete story of the Stratocaster and the Fender company, from the struggles of the 1950s to the new models, retro reissues, and luscious collectibles of the 21st century. The Stratocaster Guitar Book is a glorious compendium of beautiful pictures, a gripping history, and a detailed guide to all Strat models. A must for all guitar lovers!

Lavishly illustrated with color photos throughout

Inventing the American Guitar is the first book to describe the early history of American guitar design in detail. It tells the story of how a European instrument was transformed into one with all of the design and construction features that define the iconic American flat-top guitar. This transformation happened within a mere 20 years, a remarkably brief period.The person who dominates this history is C. F. Martin Sr., America''s first major guitar maker and the founder of the Martin Guitar Company, which continues to produce outstanding flat-top guitars today. After emigrating from his native Saxony to New York in 1833, Martin quickly established a guitar making business, producing instruments modeled after those of his mentor, Johann Stauffer of Vienna. By the time he moved his family and business to rural Pennsylvania in 1839, Martin had absorbed and integrated the influence of Spanish guitars he had seen and heard in New York. In Pennsylvania, he evolved further, inventing a uniquely American guitar that was fully developed before the outbreak of the Civil War.Inventing the American Guitar traces Martin''s evolution as a craftsman and entrepreneur and explores the influences and experiments that led to his creation of the American guitar that is recognized and played around the world today.To learn more about the history of the Martin guitar, click here to view the video and article from BBC, How Martin Guitars Became an ''American Stratavarius''.

Strings are the most important part of your guitar. They are the source of the sound and are what you are actually playing.In this Riff Notes series book you'll discover everything you need to know about strings, so you can immediately get off to the right start, whether you are playing an electric or acoustic guitar.The two main types of strings, steel and nylon, are fully explored. Steel is metal and nylon is a stretchy plastic. Strings are either plain or wound, and this is how they are referred to when we are talking about a single string. Any guitar you buy comes with strings already on it but knowing all about them, what kind are right for your guitar, and how to maintenance and replace your strings is essential. All of this and more will be explained in this Riff Notes book.