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Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar (Guitar Reference) |  | Authors: Jonathan Natelson, William Cumpiano
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Category: Book
List Price: $40.00
Buy New: $21.61
as of 7/29/2010 06:22 PDT details
You Save: $18.39 (46%)
New (31) Used (20) from $20.60
Seller: books24seven
Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 23457
Media: Paperback
Pages: 392
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 10.7 x 8.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0811806405
Dewey Decimal Number: 787.871923
EAN: 9780811806404
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9780811806404 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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Product Description
Hailed by Guitar Player magazine as "perhaps the finest book on guitars ever produced," and by Booklist as "a Rolls Royce of construction guidebooks," this impressive volume is the first book of its kind to describe in depth how both steel-string and classical guitars are actually designed and built. Over 450 photographs, drawings, and diagrams reveal in exquisite detail the hows, whys, and how-to's of the traditional craft of guitarmaking, all accompanied by fascinating historical and technical notes. A comprehensive bibliography; a list of tools, materials, and supply sources; and a full index complete this uniquely authoritative reference -- and essential acquisition -- for guitar and craft enthusiasts, woodworkers, and students of instrument making everywhere.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
 Guitarmaking Review May 24, 2010
Robert Moore
Many find this book to be the "Bible" of making guitars. It is thorough. That's why it has a 4 star from me. However, it's written like a complex manual for some highly technical procedure. I seem to remember this type of manual from my younger days, 30 years ago or so. Fortunately, when I built my first guitar from a kit, I had other resources that were written in much simpler terms. Looking back on that build, and then reading Cumpiano's book, I can understand what he's saying. But if I had tried building based solely on his book, I probably would have never finished the guitar. As an example, for thinning down the top of the guitar, he says something like "Run your plane down the longitudinal axis". That's a simple, probably not too hard to understand, sentence, but the author's use of very technical terms put me off.
Again, many, many people swear by this book. I'm just saying it may not be for everyone.
 The Best Book In My Lutherie Library May 4, 2010
Joseph Shuter (BOISE, IDAHO, US)
I am an ukulele builder not a guitar builder. The book "guitarmaking TRADITION AND TECHNOLOGY" was written with the guitar builder in mind. With this said, I found answers to a great many questions I had about ukulele building and basic wood concepts that I could not find in any of the books I have dedicated to ukulele design and construction. I found this book to be quite facinating reading and very useful to my needs as a woodworker and ukulele builder. I think someone dedicated to guitar building would be at a disadvantage if they did not have this book in their library.I HIGHLY recommend this book for the beginner or master guitar builder or just someone who wants to know what goes into the construction of a guitar. It helps you to understand why well built custom instuments are expensive and why they should be.JWS
Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference... by William R. Cumpiano April 29, 2010
AlanR (Sydney, Australia)
Great quality book recommended to anyone interested in guitars, even if they never build their own. Great service from Amazon, prompt delivery. Thank you, Amazon.
One of the first, and still the best April 23, 2010
Matthew J. Lau
There are newer books out with better pictures, claiming to cover more things, and with better organization. However, this is still the only book that I've read, reread, and decided to buy.
In short, Cumpiano focuses on the key elemental aspects of what makes a great (not just good) guitar...and he does it very well indeed.
In long:
Cumpiano and his partner wrote this several decades ago as a labor of love, not knowing that it would be a significant money loss. Half of his information (including a prolonged discussion on selecting woods) were cut by his publisher due to public lack of interest.
That being said, this is the single best book that you can buy for acoustic guitar building. It doesn't have Kinkead's beautiful pictures and organization. It's scattered, and forces you to jump sections to get stuff.
However, the organization actually makes a lot of sense after you've built one or two guitars. Each section shows the parallels between classical guitars and steel string construction, as well as the differences.
The section on tuning the top/back may seem simplistic compared to Siminoff's tap tuning book (which is bunk)--but cuts to the essential truth of making a truly great guitar. Any luthier will tell you that there's many different ways of tuning a top, but they all work out the same way--using the same physics. For more info, you may want to consider David Hurd's "Left Brained Lutherie," Al Carruth's voicing DVD, or Somogyi's "Building the Responsive Guitar"....all of which are at least twice the price of this book.
The part that I treasure most, is Cumpiano's section on guitar set-up. The important information of string-break angle, neck block angle, and intonation are all covered here quite well. This information is just as applicable to electric guitars, or any other fretted instruments like lutes or mandolins.
Note: Cumpiano has since improved on his neck joint and includes the plans for free on his website. It's much simpler, cheaper, and stronger than the one in the book...or in other books that I've read.
Excellent resource for guitarmaking, but disorganized March 24, 2010
Aggie '96 (Houston, TX)
This really is a great book, but since it is written for building both classical and steel-string guitars, I find myself jumping from section to section to find measurements, tips, instructions, etc. It doesn't really flow well, but it is currently my #1 reference for guitar-making. I also highly recommend Irving Sloane's book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
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