The Beauty of the 'Burst

Book excerpt: (Book). Finally, the long-awaited English edition of this historic Japanese book is here! The Beauty of the 'Burst pays tribute to Gibson's magnificent Sunburst Les Pauls made between 1958 and 1960, the most highly prized solidbody electric guitars ever. The magnitude of their value is directly related to their look (outrageous wood patterns, or "figured" timber), since non-players are paying top dollar for them. The book features lavish full-color photos of these beautiful instruments throughout; the guitars of famous players; a foreword by Ted McCarty; a bio of the author, world renowned collector Yasuhiko Iwanade; and the "Science of the Burst" section with over 30 pages of detailed reference facts on every facet of the guitar, including colors, wood figure, pick-ups, hardware and qualities of "voice." This may be the closest guitarists will ever be able to get to these incredibly collectible beauties! 216 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 Softcover