Star Guitars: 101 Guitars That Rocked the World Hardcover – October 14, 2010

As everyone else has pretty much already said, the book contains superb coverage of most of the greatest guitarists and their guitars. Every time I turned the page, I would find myself smiling as another one popped up that I had hoped to see. Excellent photos and just-enough info on each one. If the author decides to release another edition, I suggest a few possible additions:First, no surprise that the author included several of arguably the greatest guitar of all time - the legendary '58-'60 Gibson Les Paul Standard 'Burst.' There were numerous stars who at one point in time played a 'Burst' e.g. Jeff Beck, Don Felder, Joe Perry, Gary Rossington, Paul Kossoff, Steve Lukather, Martin Barre, Slash, etc. The good news is there are 'Burst' photos of Michael Bloomfield, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and Peter Green (which was later owned by Gary Moore), but there were a number of omissions including perhaps the most famous 'Burst' - Jimmy Page's '59 (which was previously owned by Joe Walsh). I'd include a classic shot of Jimmy playing it with his violin bow. Although Keith Richards is already in the book for his Tele, he's credited as being the first star to play a 'Burst,' so why not mention it in his section and include a good photo? (Mick Taylor ended up with it next).As you would expect, Jimi Hendrix is already included in the book, but I would add a photo of him & his famous psychedelic Flying V which he personally hand-painted and made into a one-of-a-kind work of art. I would also add a photo of him sacrificing his Fender Stratocaster at the '67 Monterey Pop Festival. That was definitely one of the most iconic moments in the history of the rock guitar.Not sure why the author chose to include Prince's Hohner Telecaster-copy, although he used it on 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony where he unleashed an absolutely ferocious solo with it. People are still talking about that. As much as I loved that performance, my preference would still be his "Cloud" guitar. My jaw dropped when I first saw it in the movie "Purple Rain." That is a stunningly beautiful one-of-a-kind custom guitar. Prince continued to evolve, and he went totally out-of-the-box with his strange Prince-symbol-shaped guitar which he played during the 2007 Super Bowl halftime show (which some rank as the best Super Bowl halftime performance ever, and I have to agree. He and his guitar made a statement in that pouring rain).I was glad to see Pete Townshend included, but I was hoping to see one of his '70's Les Paul Deluxes that he numbered #1-9. He customized each one with a third pick-up, extra switches, etc. and a different tuning for specific songs when he was playing live. The most famous is probably the wine red #5 which Pete played in The Kids are Alright. My favorite was the #3 gold top, but they were all very cool & distinctively Pete's.It was great to see Randy Rhoads, but I would've included his custom polka-dot Flying V which was iconic, along with his very early Jackson, which was at the forefront of the big shift in the direction of electric guitars starting in the early '80's. (Remember how Jackson's, Charvel's, Kramer's, etc. took off like a rocket at that time? ...until Slash arrived and thankfully made the Les Paul cool again).It was very cool to see Rick Nielsen and his one-of-a-kind five neck Hamer, but I would've also loved to have seen his one-of-a-kind custom painted yellow & black checkerboard Hamer Explorer which seemed to be his 'go-to' main guitar during Cheap Trick's peak in the late '70's - early '80's (Dream Police era). I would've also included his crazy, one-of-a-kind cartoon Rick Nielsen double-neck. There isn't anybody in rock history with more creative guitars than Rick!I think the one big omission is Duane Allman. He is listed in just about everyone's Top 25 list of rock guitarists and was one of the pioneers of Southern Rock. I recommend including his '59 Les Paul "Hotlanta" and his '57 gold top Les Paul that he used on Layla.Finally, I would recommend a few others to consider adding: Paul Stanley & his cool Iceman, Ace Frehley & his three-pickup Sunburst Les Paul, and Alex Lifeson & Geddy Lee (and their dueling double-necks). If there's any room left, I'd add Steve Howe, and possibly Marc Bolan & Tommy Bolin.Overall, it's a fantastically enjoyable book for the guitar/guitarist aficionado.

Great book (with an intriguing black cover with its cut out revealing the Fool SG) depending on how interested you are in rock and roll, and other pop music, versus guitars. The terms 'eye candy' and 'fluff' come to mind for me, overall. I gave it 3 stars because I felt 2 was a bit low, but 3 is too high.I found this book to have mostly breadth and little depth when it comes to the subject matter strictly about guitars, ie, not so much in the way of extensive photos or technical info. Text often refers more about the artist than the artist's instrument, including details about the instrument, but this varies from section to section. Overall, I found details provided are fairly general, if you have an interest, as i do, but not always great depth. The other book I have from author Dave Hunter (The Gbson Bible) is similar in lack of depth. I cannot help but feel he aims his efforts more toward sizzle than steak. I will no longer be seduced by promising covers, which Mr Hunter seemingly excels at.It is more of a 'fun facts to know and tell' type of approach. To wit: "(David) Gilmour's 0001 Strat followed a rather circuitous route into his loving hands. Owned at one time by pickup maker Seymour Duncan, the strat was purchased by Pink Floyd guitar tech Phil Taylor.....for $900". There are 2 pics, one of DG with guitar and one of the guitar. Nothing mentioned about Gilmours strat with EMGs, other guitars, his extensive rig and chain of effects, etc.OTOH, where else can you find a fairly good list of who plays something-not everything they play. Most of us know what our favorites play, amps etc., but you can find out what Rev Horton Heat plays, BB King, WIllie Nelson, Rick Nielson, etc., all in alphabetical order!!!!. To my amazement, the info about Jimmy Page shows his doubelnecked guitar ES 1275-but none of his Les Pauls, Danelectro, Harmony Sovereign, Martin, or tele etc etcYes it will tell you who plays what, and info about the guitar, but not a great deal, imho. What i like most about the book, is all the fun posters and other sorta side-line stuff, album covers, magazine style candids, etc. To its credit, as far as my own independent information and knowledge goes, it is accurate, but far from complete.On the other hand, if you're into the personalities more than the instruments, it is more likely you will find this book to your taste. The formatting and layout are exciting, typically a picture of the artist, 1 or more of the instrument, and perhaps a concert poster in an inset, etc.I have a great interest in guitars, and rock and roll, and have many books on the subjects. I found this book merited a once through and was moderately entertaining, but will likely not be referred to or re-read.

For some a guitar is more than a musical instrument. It's a companion, a voice of expression, a way to change the world around you. This book is about those guitars that created the sounds that we have heard for decades on the radio, on records, cassettes, eight tracks, CDs, and the guitarists that pulled those sounds out of these instruments. The book has wonderful pictures of these iconic guitars, accompanied by a short history of the guitarists and their axes. It's wonderful to see some of the instruments kept pristine, like BB King's Lucille, while others, like Rory Gallagher's Stratocaster, bear the scars of a million notes played on hundreds of stages. Regardless of your musical taste, these short stories give you an appreciation for these musicians and the guitars that made the sounds that made us dance, smile, bang our heads. or just enjoy in a smoky bar next to a juke box.

I have purchased this book twice as a gift for guitar players. Both love it. I do not play a guitar myself, but even I found the descriptions of the specialized guitars interesting. (I secretly wanted one of the people who received it ask me to return it so I could keep it for myself!) I think it is well put together and even includes a guitar from Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel (Christopher guest). Dave Hunter has taken a lot of time to research a wide variety of guitars. The photos are excellent and each description includes information on the musician behind the guitar. I would highly recommend this book.

The content of this book is astounding. If you love guitars and all the lore that surrounds them, you will love this book. I am giving only 4 stars because the spine was broken (possibly in shipping), so the book is difficult to handle, but that is not the publisher's fault, obviously.

If you are interested in the great guitar players of rock, pop and beyond and the guitars they use and love, you will enjoy this book Great photos and v interesting snippets about the guitars and their owners. The cut out cover is v clever and it will look great on a coffee table when you have finished reading it!

Gimmicky front cover which is cut out. Content looks good but the pics are a bit too focused on the user rather than the guitar. I could be being a bit harsh though. I bought it for a friend and am not a guitarist myself! Good quality heavy book though - nicely made.

Bought this for a friend's xmas present.He is an avid guitar worshipper and really enjoys this book ( or is he just being polite )Actually, before handing it over I had a look through it and it does look good.

Beautiful book and enough information about each guitar to place it in space and time - and who were/are their proponents. Nice just to browse through even if it is on my iPad Kindle app.

I really enjoyed reading this and did so by basically just flicking through it. Brilliant photographs and very concise text. Very very good