Guitar Rigs: Classic Guitar and Amp Combinations Paperback – April 10, 2005

Fun to read. Very informative reference book.

This is the fifth Dave Hunter guitar book that I have purchased. The first was his book on tube amplifiers. I was quite impressed by the Tube Amp book; especially his writing style--clear and to the point without requiring an electronical engineering degree. This book on guitar rigs is no different. Dave Hunter took a trip down guitar memory lane and produced "time capsule" chapters on key guitar & amp pairings that seemed to best define the more influential electric guitar genres in recent music history. Probably a much more subjective narrative compared to his more technically related books (tube amps, effects, pick-ups, and electric guitars). I found myself asking why he didn't add certain guitars and/or amps in a few of the genres, but in the end I think he got it right. My favorite chapters dealt with R&B, Country, Jazz, and Chicago Blues but I also found the chapter on American Garage quite interesting; gotta love the Sears & Roebuck Silvetone guitar/amp combos--what a classic sound. Many will be disappointed that PRS, Mesa Boogie, Roland Chorus amps, and others didn't make the cut, but I felt his other guiter books covered those more boutique brands in favorable depth. Most guitarists will find the descriptions of each amp pairing quite informative and will no doubt help them refine/develop the tone they are seaking in their own "six-string & amp" pairing. His CDs never seem to do much for me, but that is not the strength of each of his books. Dave Hunter clearly has a solid grasp on the technical aspects of amp/guitar design, however, he presents his wealth of guitar knowlege in a precise and readible manner. Check out your local magazine stand and you'll find Dave Hunter is a columnist in a few guitar magazines. His information is well researched and he remains current concerning recent industry developments. Highly recommended!

This is a great book, particularly if you are interested in guitar music pre-1980 or so. I can't help but feel, though, as if something is missing from the book, because so many setups that are now considered "classic" are missing. The most obvious oversight is think is the complete lack of coverage of the Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 amplifier, one of the most important guitar amplifiers ever manufactured.A close second is the omission of any information on Mesa/Boogie amplifiers, whose most "classic" proponent would probably be Carlos Santana. If the combination of a Paul Reed Smith guitar and any Mesa/Boogie amp isn't "classic" by now, it never will be! PRS actually play-tests all their guitars before they ship through a Mesa/Boogie amplifier.It would also be nice to see some bass guitars and amplifiers in here, say, the Ampeg SVT, Trace Elliot SMX, and others. Ah well, maybe if there's ever a second edition...I'm sure if I thought about for a little longer, I could come up with even more examples that should be included.

So I've been buying guitar books lately but this one was mostly an afterthought. Lo and behold the author has done a very good job with this subject! Anyway this isnt a glossy quick read like some of Tony Bacons stuff. If you play electric guitar and like to have books laying about that document its origins and useage, this is a very worthy purchase. Its well written with a balance of facts, opinion, and tidbits from the authors own experience as an electric guitar player. Plus the photos arent 100% retreads of whats already out there. Its a good concept for a book and one that was well executed.And lastly, any author who in passing refers to Keith Richards as 'Keef' gets a gold star in my book (or in this case 5 orange ones.)

If you are looking to understand good guitar amp combinations, this is a good place to start. You will come away with a decent understanding of why a tweed deluxe loves low outpuit single coils, what is special about a Les Paul humbucker into a Marshall etc. Not a replacement for hearing stuff but I understand there is a CD that accompanies the hard copy (which my online copy did not have - suggest it is made available since it would be very useful).

Very good book about the all time guitar rigs, impresive research about history and making of the amps and its combinations. I only feel insatisfied pecause the kindle edition doesn't come with sound examples

Not much I didn't already know, but I have been playing for over 45 years

As always, a fun and highly informative offering from Dave Hunter