The Illustrated Catalog of Guitars: Illustrated Catalog of

This book introduces the reader to 250 guitars of all types from the early acoustic archtop designs of the Gibson L-5 in the last 1920s, through the National resonators of the 1930s, the hollow body electric Gibsons of the 1950s, the solid body Fenders of the 1960s to the exoskeletal carbon and glass fiber of the Parker Fly of the 1990s. 

Each entry has a clear color photograph of the guitar together with a detail shot featuring a point of particular interest of that instrument along with a description and a technical specification. It is arranged in alphabetical order by maker’s name and coded by the type of guitar. The guitar had a profound influence on many musical forms including blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, jazz, folk, heavy metal, rock, soul, raggae, and modern pop. 

The Guitar's history can be primarily traced back to "el quitarra" in Spain although it is thought to have been influenced by the "oud", an instrument brought to Spain by the invading Morors. Originally 4 strings, it gained an extra two in the seventeenth century.