By: Debra Devi
Whether you plan to drop a few hints or you’re shopping for a fellow guitarist, we’ve found three great books to give and receive. Yes, Virginia, guitarists do read, or at least they like to look at pictures!
1. If Jimmy Page is one of your three wise men (mine are Page, Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan), grab Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page(Broadway Books) by Guitar World’s two-decade editor-in-chief Brad Tolinski. Not only did Tolinski expertly pry open the notoriously private Led Zeppelin legend, he includes a drool-worthy inventory of Page’s guitars, amps and effects. Tolinksi also interviews John Paul Jones, Yardbirds rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, Led Zep publicist Danny Goldberg and other inner-circle luminaries.
Light & Shade offers deliciously decadent backstage and tour stories, but Tolinksi also delivers priceless details guitarists are dying to know—like how Page got his guitar sound on “Whole Lotta Love” (distant miking of his Vox Super Beatle and a depressed wah on the solo), the secret to his sparkling acoustic guitar tone (an Altair Tube Limter), and clearly spelled-out tunings and voicings in the “Ten Top Led Zeppelin Guitar Moments” chapter. The resulting book is an unprecedented holographic portrait of one of the most brilliant, innovative rock guitarists to ever strut a stage.
2. Want to butter up your guitar-collector friend so he’ll let you touch his 1955 Les Paul Gold Top? Bribe him with Guitar Aficionado: The Collections: The Most Famous, Rare, and Valuable Guitars in the World (Time Home Entertainment), a stunning photo book of the world’s most epic guitars, plus interviews with the artists and collectors who own them.
Edited by former Guitar Aficionado editor-in-chief Tom Beaujour and Guitar World executive editor Chrisopher Scapelliti, this large (14” x 10”), gilt-edged tome is a gorgeous glimpse into the collections of famous guitarists like Carlos Santana, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Eddie Van Halen, Tony Iommi, Billy Gibson, Lindsay Buckingham, Rich Robinson and Mick Mars. The Collections features an introduction by Rick Nielson and, at 256 pages, contains hundreds of mouthwatering full-color photos of some of the most glorious guitars ever made.
As Nielsen writes, “These are guitars that my peers, friends, and heroes have used to write, record, and perform the greatest songs in the history of rock music. These aren’t pristine museum pieces—these are guitars that have worked hard and have scars and scratches to prove it.”
You may have a tough time giving this one away.
3. The Serious Guitarist: Essential Book of Gear (Alfred Music) by Zen shred-master and top teacher Tobias Hurwitz is a comprehensive and genuinely useful guide to guitars, amps and effects. It comes with a cool CD on which Hurwitz demonstrates both the vintage and futuristic gear he loves, from a Vox combo to his Fractal Audio Axe-FX.
Hurwitz provides a fascinating decade-by-decade history of guitar gear, starting with the first electric guitars in the 1930s. Next, he explains how to setup and maintain every imaginable piece on an electric guitar—from pickups to tuning pegs. In The Serious Guitarist: Essential Book of Gear Hurwitz also covers amps and effects in depth, explaining how to change tubes, chain your effects for the best tone, use noise reduction effectively, test your cables and more.
My favorite section covers setups for different musical styles, from the blues to “over the top madness.” Hurwitz also shares the setups of legendary players, including Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Morello, his friend Michael Angelo Batio, Joe Satriani, Randy Rhoads and Charlie Christian. Throughout the book, clear diagrams show exactly how to route effects and set knobs on amps and pedals for desired tones, making this an invaluable guide and awesome gift for any guitar player—beginner or pro.
