The acoustic guitar has been around for centuries and has survived amps, electric guitars, synthesizers—and even Pete Townshend of The Who. Discover everything you ever wanted to know about acoustic guitars in Acoustic Guitar: The Illustrated Encyclopedia—the definitive A-Z guide to your favorite six-string instrument, from Alvarez to Zemaitis. This is the biggest and most complete guide ever written for the modern guitarist—filled with everything you need to know about acoustic guitars. Go back in time to learn how the world’s favorite instrument evolved. Learn all about celebrated guitar makers such as Andres Segovia, Orville Gibson, and Les Paul. Meet some of the greatest axe players of all time and their signature guitars—Elvis Presley and Eric Clapton with their Martins, The Beatles and Johnny Cash with their Gibsons, and Mark Knopfler with his National. Improve your style as you study ten essential modern genres, including rock, pop, blues, country, jazz. Learn everything you need to take care of your instrument, including how to string, tune, and set up your guitar. Researched and written by some of the world’s leading guitar heroes, this book features 320 full-color pages, more than 1,200 photographs, cool memorabilia, original ads, and more.

Updated for 2009, Electric Guitar: The Illustrated Encyclopedia is the most complete guide ever written for the modern guitarist—filled with everything you need to know about electric guitars in one massive, unique, information-packed book. Follow the stories behind more than 100 iconic brands—from Alembic to Zemaitis—and lust after the greatest and most desirable models from the 1930s to the present, depicted here in fantastic full-color images. Discover the playing styles of some of the all-time greats—Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Eddie Van Halen—and learn to improve your techniques as you dig deeper into ten essential modern genres, including rock, pop, blues, country, African, jazz, and more. Learn how to string, tune, and set up your guitar; how to replace a pickup; and how to clean, maintain, and store your treasured instrument. Plus, get all the inside info on the coolest amps and gear you need to shred like a rock star. Electric Guitar also features more than 320 full-color pages, filled with text written by world renowned guitar gurus, more than 1,200 photographs, cool memorabilia, original ads, and rockin’ extras that will thrill both guitar aficionados and beginners.