American Guitars, An Illustrated History. Foreword by Les Paul.

New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, (1982). Quarto, black cloth (hardcover), gilt letters, xiv, 370 pp. Fine in a Fine dust jacket. From dust jacket: American Guitars is the first comprehensive volume devoted to the guitar’s post-Civil War era revolution. It details the year-to-year development of scores of individual models and covers the stories of all major U.S. manufacturers and many minor ones --from Ditson and Dobro to Martin and Mosrite, from Guild and Gretsch to Regal and Rickenbacker. Encyclopedic in form, this book is filled with text, tables, interviews, and pictures. In the 825 black-and-white photos, you’ll discover the people who shaped guitar history; the inner workings of the Fender, Gibson, Martin, Guild, Dobro, and other factories; and, of course, the instruments themselves, including dozens of prototypes, experimental models, legendary one-of-a-kinds, and other rare guitars. Additional features include many side-by-side comparison photos and reproductions of ads, brochures, patents, and personal memorabilia. The story of American guitars brims with tales of long company traditions, accidental discoveries, star-crossed invetnors, moments of genius and folly, and corporate wars, partnerships, rivalries, and feuds. Every bit as colorful as its subject matter, American Guitars provides revealing first-person accounts of nearly mythical personalities such as Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, as well as the stories behind the famous brand names -- straight from Leo Fender, Les Paul, Fred Gretsch, Adolph Rickenbacker, Semie Moseley (Mosrite), John Dopyera (National & Debro), B.C. Rich, Hartley Peavey, Travis Bean, and many more. An invaluable reference for guitarists, teachers, retailers, manufacturers, collectors, and other enthusiasts, American Guitars has been researched and documented to an unprecedented depth (some of the entries are minibooks in themselves). In addition to the fact-packed text and fascinating illustrations, there are Gibson production tools; extensive information on Guild, Fender, Gibson, and Martin serial numbers; specifications of hundreds of models and other statistics. It’s both extensively cross-referenced and extremely readable, an integrated volume detailing not just the separate stories of various companies and people but also their interactions and crossed paths. Tom Wheeler sorts it all out, concisely and colorfully, dispelling dozens of rumors in the process and shedding light on a musical phenomenon of unprecedented popularity -- the American guitar. (Inventory #: 51705bd)