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History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
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Author:  SneezyPenguinGuitars [ Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:19 am ]
Post subject:  History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
Hi folks,

I'm a complete beginner but I'm very interested in lutherie/repair. I've been doing a fair amount of internet research and my searches of this forum as well as others have pulled up various book lists of recommended and reads and whatnot but what I'm looking for is a bit different, I think.

I have a science background (BSc in Chemistry) and an analytical mind so I need to have a thorough understanding of things before I attempt them; it's just the way I work. Therefore, I read a lot. I'm reading Cumpiano/Natelson (though it's not a good read; it's a manual). I've also got Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player's Repair Manual" and Kinkead's "Build Your Own Acoustic Guitar" but those are manuals, too. I'd like to read something about the history of construction; something that covers things like why a guitar has a waist, or various bracing systems used throughout history. I'm looking to learn more of the theory of why a guitar is built how it's built. Do you know of any such books out there? I've done some Googling and have prepared a list and I'm headed to the library to see what I can dig up. I believe I'm going to check out "Clapton's Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument" by Allen St. John and possibly "Dangerous Curves: the Art of the Guitar" by Darcy Kuronen and Carl Tremblay.

Is Ervin Somogyi's $150 "The Responsive Guitar" such a book?

Are there other books you would recommend? Something less textbooky and more readable?

Thanks for your time,

Dustin
Author:  klooker [ Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
Somogyi's book is like a college text as opposed to a manual - it explains the why instead of the how.

Kevin Looker
Author:  Robert Renick [ Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
Can't answer your question directly, but in order of how I will likely buy books, Gore, Somogyi, GAL Big Reds.
I have Cumpiano, and Benedetto, Stew Mac Fretting and Electronics.

The Trevor Gore book will be first, it has gotten such great reviews, and Trevor has supported his book on various forums, cost being less the the Somogyi, it comes first. I definitely want to read the Somogyi books. Not sure why, but as all these builders are alive, I would love to get them all signed by the authors.
Author:  Pat Foster [ Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
Along with the others, I'd suggest Antonio De Torres: Guitar Maker-His Life and Work. Also Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology by Hoadley.

Anything you can find on the web by Allan Carruth.

None of these needs to be used as a bible, but are useful for the broader picture.

Pat
Author:  theguitarwhisperer [ Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
I'm not sure there really is a book that has the information you want. You should probably get a bunch of books on the history and evolution of musical instruments, particularly chordophone style instruments.
Author:  Markus Schmid [ Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
The Cumpiano- Somogyi- and Gore/Gilet Books are definitely NO guitar history books! For sure, Somogyi covers some historical things, but gets quite a few facts completely wrong although he could have got it right by studying the sources he mentions at the end of his books...

Books with guitar-building history or with building related guitar-history are for example:

  • Antonio De Torres: Guitar Maker - His Life and Work, José L. Romanillos, ISBN 0-933224-93-1 (already mentioned in a post above)
  • The Century that Shaped the Guitar, James Westbrook, theguitarmuesum.com (a detailed description of 9 guitars in the possession of the author, some background info about a few 19th century luthiers)
  • Things About the Guitar, José Ramírez III, ISBN 9788493396121 (first hand information, but don't expect secrets to be told - there are no secrets! Entertaining an informative)
  • The Guitar - From the Renaissance to the Present Day, Harvey Turnbull, ISBN 0-933224-57-5 (not exactly about instrument building but you'll find here a lot of tightly related information one needs to understand the development of the guitar through the centuries)
  • La Chitarra di Liuteria - Masterpieces of guitar Making, Stefano Grondona & Luca Waldner ISBN 88-86949-18-9 (Very expensive and difficult to find. In the appendix there are measurements of 46 Guitars from a late 1700s to 1958, with focus on Torres' period and early 20th century. Gorgeous pictures. Includes a CD with recordings of historical guitars including Torres guitars, his papier maché guitar, E. García, F. Simplicio, D. Esteso, S. Hernández, H. Hauser I, R. Bouchet).
  • The Big Red Book of American Lutherie and back issues since 2000. (Already mentioned in a post above. There are quite a few precious restoration reports reading worth).
  • Making Master Guitars, Roy Courtnall, ISBN 978-0-7090-4809-1 (The only guitar-building book I know which provides solid historical background information. Courtnall describes some guitars in detail and gives additional information about the life of its luthiers)
  • La Guitarra Española - The Spanish Guitar, Museo Municipal Madrid & The Metropolitan museum of Art New York, 1993, ISBN 84-7893-016-7 (Catalogue of an exhibition held in NewYork and Madrid in 1991 and 1992. Great text about the evolution of the guitar from the vihuela da mano to the modern guitar, detailed organologic description of 35 guitars from the vihuela of Paris to a spanish guitar from 1954)

You probably also should consider some literature about the history of Martin guitars and, last but not least not to forget the guitar's predecessors which are the vihuela and the lute (for the lute: Historical Lute Construction, Robert Lundberg, ISBN 0-9626447-4-9)
Author:  SneezyPenguinGuitars [ Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
Wow, super helpful. Thank you all so very much.
Author:  ernie [ Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
Dustin before spending big $$ , check your local library in winterpeg, to see if you can get some of these books through an interlibrary loan. After you have thoroughly read them , then you can slowly decide which ones to get , and build up a useful luthier library. My 2 cents.
Author:  SneezyPenguinGuitars [ Sat Apr 07, 2012 9:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: History Books - Suggested Reading for a Newbie
Yeah, thanks. I got a few books from the library that I'm going to read over (Washburn and JOhnston's Martin book and Irving Sloane's manual on construction). And I have Cumpiano already, with the Repair Guide and Kinkead's book on the way. I probably won't be buying many more books for awhile since I need to save my money for tools!
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