Full Description
The rich history of the acoustic guitar and its impact on the music world.
In 2020, guitar expert John Stubbings released a limited-edition book on the American acoustic guitar that sold out in days. Now, The Devil Is in It returns with additional research and subject matter for a new generation of readers. Stubbings traveled the country and met with guitar makers, players, collectors, and historians to unravel the long and rich history of the acoustic guitar, its evolution, and the music it has made over the last hundred years.
Starting with the eighteenth-century European classical guitar, luthiers altered the instrument, changing the way musicians played them, and in turn the music they made. This slow but steady transformation created the iconic American flat-top that became influential across genres and rooted itself in cultural significance. The guitar developed from an obscure instrument into a superstar of the musical world, rivaling then overshadowing its competition. Tied to artists from Gillian Welch and Tracy Chapman to Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, the acoustic guitar maintains its eminence in American music and culture. The story of an alluring instrument that shaped the music of the twentieth century, The Devil Is in It is a must-read for lovers of the acoustic guitar and the music it has made.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
1. The Origins of the Acoustic Guitar
2. The Birth of Martin Guitars
3. Popular Music in the Civil War and Beyond
4. Minstrelsy and the Blues
5. Ukuleles and Hawaiian Guitars
6. The Jazz Age and Country Music's Big Bang
7. The Depression and the Emergence of the Modern Flat-top
8. The Most Popular Fretted Instrument
9. Skiffle and a Guitar Craze in Britain
10. British Blues, American Guitars
11. Gone Electric
12. The Singer-Songwriter and the D-28
13. Beyond Martin and Gibson
14. Unplugged
15. Americana and an Acoustic Revival
16. New Old Guitars
17. The Acoustic Guitar, Taylor's Version
Gratitude and Acknowledgments
Bibliographic Essay and Notes
Bibliography
Index
