In addition to the Internet based resources out there, there is always good, old-fashioned, tried-and-trusted paper-based technology. These are strange physical objects that we used to know as… books. Here are a few that might be of interest to guitar lovers. Some of these are currently published, others are long since out of print, some are regularly updated, while others are pretty much one-offs.
This list is a bit of fun and is not intended to be comprehensive. The odd error may also have crept in, so I wouldn’t rely on it as a robust source of research material. Apologies too if I’ve missed anything crucial. For info, I have NO affiliation with any of the authors or publishers listed…
Notes:
- To order the table by a specific column, click on the arrows in the table header (ascending and descending).
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| Title | Author(s) | Publisher | Date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Concise History of the Classic Guitar | Graham Wade | Mel Bay Publications Inc. | 2001 | 978-078-664-978-5 |
| 2 | A Concise History of the Classic Electric Guitar | Adrian Ingram | Mel Bay Publications Inc. | 2001 | 978-078-669-228-6 |
| 3 | Acoustic Guitars: The Illustrated Encyclopedia | Dave Hunter | Merchant Book Company Ltd. | 2003 | 1-904779-15-8 |
| 4 | An Illustrated History and Directory of Acoustic Guitars | Dr James Westbrook | Anness Publishing Ltd. | 2015 | 978-1-78019-374-8 |
| 5 | An Illustrated History and Directory of Electric Guitars | Terry Burrows | Anness Publishing Ltd. | 2015 | 978-1-78019-420-2 |
| 6 | Blues Guitars For Dummies | Jon Chappell | Wiley Publishing Inc | 2007 | 978-0-470-04920-4 |
| 7 | Classic Electrics: A Visual History Of Great Guitars | Walter Carter | Outline Press (Book Publishers) Ltd. | 2008 | 978-1-906002-0 |
| 8 | The Electric Guitar | Paul Trynka | Virgin Books Ltd. | 2001 | 0-7535-0653-X |
| 9 | Electric Guitar Handbook: A Beginner's Guide To The Technical Aspects Of Guitar Playing | Alan Ratcliffe | New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd. | 2005 | 978-1-84517-180-3 |
| 10 | Electric Guitars: The Illustrated Encyclopedia | Tony Bacon | Merchant Book Company Ltd. | 2000 | 1-904-779-14-X |
| 11 | Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round The World | Richard R. Smith | Hal Leonard | 1995 | 0-634-05875-4 |
| 12 | The Fender Electric Guitar Book: A Complete History Of Fender Instruments | Tony Bacon | Backbeat Books | 2007 | 978-0-87930-897-1 |
| 13 | The Fender Guitar | Ken Achard | Musical New Services Ltd. | 1977 | None |
| 14 | The Fender Stratocaster: A Complete Guide To The History And Evolution Of The World's Most Famous Guitar | A.R. Duchossoir | Hal Leonard | 1994 | 0-7935-4735-0 |
| 15 | Fender Stratocaster Manual: How To Buy Maintain The World's Most Popular Electric Guitar | Paul Balmer | Haynes Publishing | 2006 | 978-1-84425-321-0 |
| 16 | The Fender Telecaster: The Detailed Story Of America's Senior Solid Body Electric Guitar | A.R. Duchossoir | Hal Leonard | 1991 | 0-7935-0860-6 |
| 17 | 50 Years Of Fender: Half A Century Of The Greatest Electric Guitars | Tony Bacon | Backbeat Books | 2000 | 0-97930-621-1 |
| 18 | 50 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul: Half A Century Of The Greatest Electric Guitars | Tony Bacon | Backbeat Books | 2002 | 0-87930-711-0 |
| 19 | Gibson Electrics: An Illustrated History From The Mid-'30s To The Mid-'60s | A.R. Duchossoir | Hal Leonard | 1994 | 0-7935-9210-0 |
| 20 | The Gibson Guitar: From 1950 | Ian C. Bishop | Musical New Services Ltd. | 1977 | None |
| 21 | The Gibson Guitar: From 1950 Vol. 2 | Ian C. Bishop | The Bold Strummer Ltd | 1990 | 0-933224-47-8 |
| 22 | Gibson Les Paul Manual: How To Buy Maintain And Set Up The Legendary Les Paul Electric Guitar | Paul Balmer | Haynes Publishing | 2008 | 978-1-84425-478-1 |
| 23 | Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars: An Identification for American Fretted Instruments | George Gruhn and Walter Carter | Backbeat Books | 1999 | 978-0-87930-5 |
| 24 | Guitar For Dummies | Mark Phillips & Jon Chappell | Wiley Publishing Inc | 1998 | 0-7645-5106-X |
| 25 | Guitar Heaven: The Instruments And Players That Electrified The Music Of Our Lives | Neville Marten | Mitchell Beazley | 2007 | 978-1-84553-304-1 |
| 26 | Guitar Identification: A Reference For Dating Guitars Made by Fender Gibson Gretsch and Martin | A.R. Duchossoir | Hal Leonard | 1983 | 978-1-4234-2611-0 |
| 27 | History of the American Guitar: 1833 to the Present Day | Tony Bacon | Backbeat Books | 2012 | 978-1617130335 |
| 28 | The Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide | Alan Greenwood & Gil Hembree | Vintage Guitar Books | 978-1-884883-19-4 | |
| 29 | Six Decades Of The Fender Telecaster: The Story Of The World's First Solidbody Electric Guitar | Tony Bacon | Backbeat Books | 2005 | 978-0879-30856-8 |
| 30 | The Ultimate Guitar Book | Tony Bacon | Dorling-Kindersley | 1991 | 0-7513-4519-9 |
| 31 | Warman's Vintage Guitars: Field Guide | Dave Rogers | KP Books | 2005 | 0-89689-223-9 |
| 32 | Zen and the Art of Guitar: A Path to Guitar Mastery | Jeff Peretz | Alfred Publishing Co. | 2012 | 0-7390-2817-0 |
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Guitar Book Shop
Why not do a bit of shopping? The following links are to Amazon in the UK, if you want to purchase some of the more popular items in the bibliography. All links open in a new tab/window. (NB. These are affiliated links).