Electric Guitars & Basses by George Gruhn & Walter Carter

Vintage guitar experts Gruhn and Carter (Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, Miller Freeman, 1991) take readers on a spectacular photographic journey, with more than 500 full-color photos depicting the entire evolution of the American electric guitar from its birth in 1935 to the present. Starting with the guitar's electric roots, Part 1 depicts the unique Hawaiian and "Spanish neck" electric models, first developed between 1932 and World War II. Part 2 traces the electric family's growth from 1947 to the 1990s, with the development of the full-depth hollowbody, solidbody, and thinline models. The color photographs are accompanied by descriptive text and detailed captions that identify and date each instrument and describe its technical, aesthetic, and historical significance. Both parts provide historical overviews of the electric guitars of the period followed by in-depth discussions of each manufacturer. Highly recommended for music libraries and research libraries as well as larger public libraries.

This lavishly illustrated book includes electric guitars from the major manufacturers and includes great coverage of Fender and Gibson, in particular as well as Gretsch, Epiphone etc. There are quite a few photos of early electric guitars from the 30s and 40s. There is a section on Fender colors which is a treat since Fenders come in such a colorful variety. The book also includes photos of unique models that were introduced and then discontinued for lack of interest as well as custom models. The book isn't comprehensive, i.e, it does not cover the many stratocaster knockoffs including Fender's own Squier line. Still, for those interested in the development of the electric guitar, this is a great resource.