Guitars and Heroes

Book excerpt: An encyclopedia of more than 100 guitars and the musicians who have mastered them. Guitars and Heroes is organized by era, from the rockabilly pioneers to the guitar heroes of the future. Each chapter contains portraits of guitarists (past and present) and their favorite instruments. The authoritative text describes the musician's favored guitar or guitars and why they prefer them, often revealing a hidden facet of the musician's artistic approach. Special photo spreads include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Prince, Billie Joe Armstrong, AC/DC, Les Paul, anatomy of a Stratocaster, 5 Replica Guitars; Burst, the world's most expensive guitar; 5 Most Desirable Amplifiers, 5 Pedals That Changed the World, 5 Groundbreaking Sounds, The Chicago Blues in 5 Albums, 5 Essential Hard Rock Albums and 5 Design Gibson Mistakes. The book is organized into three sections (Birth of an Art, The Golden Age, Modern Times) and nine chapters, each with a selection of artists and their guitars, including these: Delta Blues and Rockabilly Robert Johnson, Jimmie Rogers, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly Chicago Blues and Jazz Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Trini Lopez, George Benson British Blues Boom Dave Davies, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Peter Green Surf, Garage Rock and Psychedelic Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Santana, Ry Cooder, Duane Allman Birth of Hard Rock Ritchie Blackmore, Neil Young, Brian May, Peter Frampton, Joan Jett Arena Rock, Shred and New Wave Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Edge, Joe Satriani, Slash Grunge and Alternative Rock Kurt Cobain, Buzz Osborne, Sonic Youth, Rivers Cuomo Metal to Djent Dimebag Darrell, John 5, Buckethead, Meshuggah, Tosin Abasi Guitar Heroes of the Future St. Vincent, Joe Bonamassa, Jack White, Ron Thal, Matthew Bellamy. Guitars and Heroes is a sensational encyclopedia for all guitarists, guitar geeks, collectors and avid listeners, and an essential purchase for all collections.