Gibson's Fabulous Flat-Top Guitars: An Illustrated History & Guide

This is a very thorough resource on the history of Gibson flat-top guitars, with a heavy emphasis on specs. You could say that much of the book is really a listing of guitar spec in paragraph format.Random excerpt:"An intriguing feature of the L-2 is that the neck meets the body at the 13th fret - again like the Nick Lucas model. Both models feature mahogany necks, the 24 3/4" scale, and "The Gibson" inlaid in pearl on the peghead."Cultural and economic context is added in a repetitive fashion, as it seems that the chapters are intended to be somewhat self-contained and complete within themselves. We are told several times that 1) during The Depression people didn't have much money but they still wanted to buy guitars, so Gibson made inexpensive-but-well-constructed guitars for these people, and 2) Gibson's quality suffered during the late 60s and 70s when it was bought out by a company that was less concerned with musical instruments than it was with the corporate bottom-line.There are tons of photos, the vast majority of which are black-and-white and dark/low-contrast as one might see in a photocopy or a vintage newspaper. That said, there are 2 glossy insert sections (in the edition I was sent) of about 16 pages each with high-quality color photos.Gibson guitar player and collectors are fortunate to have this book as a reference and it's clear that a ton of research and knowledge when into making this.

This book is a must-have for Gibson flattop devotees. Gibson's classic guitars, especially the popular J-45 and the big J-200, defined a certain sound in popular acoustic music of the mid-Twentieth Century. Think of the bouncy opening chords of "Bye Bye Love" -- they were played by Don Everly on his Gibson Southern Jumbo (a J-45 variant); or the power strumming of Pete Townsend's 1968 J-200 on most of the Tommy album. Acoustic blues music from the 1930's onward? Almost all of it was played on Gibson guitars.This book covers the history and development of each model of Gibson acoustic guitars and paints a graphic picture of how Gibson inexorably changed the specs on most models. A few changes improved the sound of the guitars, but from the late-50's onward, money concerns trumped sound and quality and Gibson acoustics began a long downward spiral. They reached rock bottom in the '70s when the company was owned by a giant South American conglomerate. Fortunately for music lovers, Gibson began to rebound under new ownership in the 80's, which culminated in the development of the Bozeman, Montana, facility where flattops are being made now that rival -- or surpass -- the early models for quality. It's all there in the book, with many good pictures of each model.The caveat: Even though this is a second edition, it doesn't seem to have been revised much if any since the early 90's. However, there probably have not been many significant changes in the details or the high quality of the guitars in the last dozen years, so that doesn't seem like too big a detriment.Bottom line: If you love Gibson flattops and want to know more about them, this is THE book.

A solid resource all the way around on the world of Gibson acoustic guitars. I read the other reviews of my fellow amazoners and cannot really disagree with any of them and the points they make. I certainly learned lots by reading it and will definitely keep it handy as a reference as years go by.The book itself makes a great point of reminding readers that this work cannot compare to those written about Martin guitars. Martin has never changed hands as a company and keeps impeccable records. The same cannot be said of their Gibson counterparts. The book is a nice summary of some early models too with some pretty sweet pictures to boot (e.g. "The King Biscuit Flour Hour"); my major complaint is that it does truly need to be updated given all the good stuff that is coming out of Bozeman on a daily basis - take the new J-35 as an example. You'll find very little/none of that here. I'd wager that a 3rd edition is in order.But hey, all in all, a great resource. Each well-made Gibson guitar (I am NOT talking about the bad years of the late 60's to early 80's) stands out as a true individual. Their variability makes them a wonderful thing, and I'd take the Pepsi challenge with a good Gibson any day.

This is the best reference I've found for Gibson flat tops. Despite the 2009 copyright, meaningful discussion ends with the Montana guitars of the early 90s.

If you are a Gibson acoustic fan and owner, this is about the best book you can own. I was astounded at all the history documented in this and not all of it good. Dan Erlewine is a master repair guy and they consulted many players and repair folks in the book's research. I hope they decide to update this in a few years. This is the 2009 edition, the latest. GIbson Montana appears to be turning out some very fine new acoustics using better bracing techniques , thermal aging and PLEK setups. Interesting to see how the experts see that in a few years.

When it comes to steel-string acoustic guitars, two names stand out - Martin & Gibson! Martin were the pioneers & Gibson became their closest competitor. Both companies made superb instruments and still do so today. There are plenty of excellent books available about the history of Martin Guitars, and now we have a definitive book on the history of Gibson acoustic guitars and it is a must-have volume if you love and/or play acoustic guitars. It is well illustrated and starts at the beginning of the Gibson story and chronicles their progress to today. It is an essential resource if you are trying to identify a vintage Gibson flattop. Well-written, it is an entertaining read as well as being an essential reference tool. Very highly recommended!

Sehr informatives und ausführliches Buch. Viele Detailbeschreibungen zu den legendären Gibson Flat-Tops. Das einzige was ich bei dem Buch bemängel ist die Vielzahl an schwarz-weiß Fotos, anstelle von farbigen Fotos. Dafür sind die wenigen farbigen Bilder sehr detailreich.

I love this book... I love so much this book that I keep it always by hand so I can read it some bits... the ultimate Gibson Flattop guitar book... I look forward for a full colour pictures edition.

Endlich nach jahrelanger Wartezeit habe ich dieses Buch erhalten. Ein Muß für jeden Gibson Acoustic Freund und Gitarristen. Sehr gute Beschreibungen, faszinierendes, historisches Hintergrundwissen.

Best Gibson acoustic history.

This book is an excellent synthesis on all Gibson Flat-tops from their beginnings to pretty much now. It is a must-have for any buyer of antique Gibson Flat-tops.Ce livre est une référence pour toutes les guitares acoustiques Gibson, depuis leur création. C'est indispensable pour tout collectionneur ou acheteur d'acoustiques Gibson anciennes. Les musiciens ou fans de la marque y trouveront également leur bonheur.