Electric Guitars and Basses: A Photographic History

This follow-up to Acoustic Guitars And Other Fretted Instruments is a stunning full-color journey from the mid-1930s to the present, depicting the technical and aesthetic development of the American electric guitar - the Hawaiian, Spanish-neck, full-depth hollowbody, solidbody, and thinbody. This photographic history shows how major manufacturers such as Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, National, and others helped make the electric guitar an icon in pop culture and the dominant instrument in pop music.

This lavishly illustrated book includes electric guitars from the major manufacturers and includes great coverage of Fender and Gibson, in particular as well as Gretsch, Epiphone etc. There are quite a few photos of early electric guitars from the 30s and 40s. There is a section on Fender colors which is a treat since Fenders come in such a colorful variety (my own stratocaster is "daphne blue"). The book also includes photos of unique models that were introduced and then discontinued for lack of interest as well as custom models. The book isn't comprehensive, i.e, it does not cover the many stratocaster knockoffs including Fender's own Squier line. Still, for those interested in the development of the electric guitar, this is a great resource. Amazon.com