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Top Ten Books About Fender Guitars and Amplifiers

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 2 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

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My name is Jeremy Brieske.  I am a musician, freelance audio engineer, and have worked in the musical instruments industry for nearly 15 years.



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Put Down Your Axe...Pick Up a Book

 

There is no guitar maker more storied that Fender. Therefore, there have been more books written about their products, company, and people that any other guitar manufacturer.

As a Fender freak, I have personally read each and every one of these books. While all books written about Fender are good reads if you're really into learning more about the Fender legend, I feel that these ten books are the best place to start.

The Stratocaster Chronicles: Celebrating 50 Years of the Fender Strat 

by Tom Wheeler

Amazon Price: $31.50 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $24.99

The world's most famous guitar had a golden anniversary in 2004, and this official, authorized book/CD package offers the best photos, quotes, facts and sounds to properly celebrate this achievement. From Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix to today's hottest players, the Fender Stratocaster defines rock'n'roll for generations of fans and players. Special features include exclusive photos from the world's greatest guitar collection, as well as a CD with musical examples of famous Strat sounds and styles hilariously performed by Greg Koch - even spoken excerpts from the author's interviews with the Strat's beloved inventor, Leo Fender. This book also recognizes that the Stratocaster's deeper significance lies in the music that guitarists have created with it. You'll hear what Strat players have to say about their instrument, their music and each other. The Fender Stratocaster both reflects and influences popular culture worldwide. The Stratocaster Chronicles focuses on the people who brought it into the world, the designers and builders who refined it, and the players who have taken it from there.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Fender: The Inside Story 

by Forrest White

Amazon Price: $24.26 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $19.50

Even though Leo Fender never learned how to play a guitar, he was the first to make the electric solidbody guitar a commercial success. Despite his low-key style and conservative roots, his radical designs for guitars and amplifiers altered popular music forever.

Much has been published about the Fender Electric Instrument Co., but Leo always wanted its story to be told "just the way it happened." Now, Forrest White, his friend and only general manager, offers a behind-the-scenes look at this company. In his down-to-earth style, White traces the company's entire history, from Leo's beginnings as a radio repairman up to the eventual sale of Fender to CBS and beyond. In between are stories about the development of the Telecaster, Precision Bass and Stratocaster, as well as insights into Leo Fender's unique personality.

Fender: The Inside Story is packed with more than 100 historic photos and illustrations; instrument diagrams and specifications; and anecdotes about artists such as Merle Travis, Bob Wills, Speedy West, and Tex Ritter. Here is the book that sets the record straight and dispels the myths about the Fender Electric Instrument Co., a company that forever changed the look, sound, and personality of American music.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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The Soul of Tone: Celebrating 60 Years of Fender Amps 

by Tom Wheeler

Amazon Price: $37.80 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $38.32

From the same "dream team" that created The Fender Stratocaster Chronicles (Vintage Guitar magazine's 2004 Book of the Year) comes this new publication covering the other side of Fender's legacy, the instrument amplifier. Revered as much as one's guitar, the Fender amplifier gets its due in this full-color, richly illustrated book. Features over 400 images, including legendary guitarists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Neil Young, Pete Townshend, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Robbie Robertson and Dick Dale, and two CDs featuring over 100 tracks that make terms and topics come alive.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World 

by Richard R. Smith

Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $65.60

No one changed the sound of guitar music more than Leo Fender. He so improved the clarity of the amplified vibrating string that he gave almost every style of music played on the guitar a means to sound better. For five decades, finicky musicians made pilgrimages to Leo's R&D labs to discuss their musical frustrations and seek better ways for guitars to function.

In the pages of Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World, you will watch this complex, dedicated man gain success as a true innovator of the new. You will also follow the team of energetic, creative people who steered Fender to fame, men like Don Randall of Fender Sales, Forrest White and George Fullerton of Fender Electric Instruments, and Dale Hyatt and Tommy Walker, two of Randall's growing cadre of savvy, high-powered salesmen spreading Leo's ideas worldwide.

This book is the largest collection of Fender historical photos, product shots, patent drawings and advertising materials ever published. Whether you are a musician, a lover of Fender lore, an instrument collector or curious history buff, your search ends here for the ultimate and definitive book presenting the complete, unedited Fender story.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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How the Fender Bass Changed the World 

by Jim Roberts

Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $8.85

This book by the founding editor and former publisher of Bass Player magazine not only celebrates the 50-year history of Fender's revolutionary Precision Bass, it also - for the first time - illuminates the full scope of its profound impact on music and society.

Focusing on the bass' artistic influence, it details the technical milestones that gave the bass its musical power. This book also describes the impact of the bass in the hands of such visionaries as James Jamerson; cheers the innovations of rockers like Jack Bruce, Paul McCartney, John Entwistle and Sting; and honors the inspired work of such virtuosos as Jaco Pastorius. Loaded with black and white and 100 stunning color photos.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Interactive Fender Bible 

by Dave Hunter, Carl Verheyen

Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $13.00

The Interactive Fender Bible is a two-part package that gives players and collectors a new look at the history and importance of Fender electric guitars and amplifiers. Part One is a broadcast-quality 70-minute DVD in which author Dave Hunter and guitarist Carl Verheyen take you on a tour of the Brian Fischer collection of vintage Fender guitars and amplifiers. Luscious Stratocasters, Twin Reverbs, Telecasters, Champs, and more are showcased, and there is a gallery of 22 gorgeous vintage Fender electrics, from custom color Strats and Teles to Duo-Sonics, Jaguars, and even a rarely-seen hollowbody LTD. Part Two is Fender Facts, a reference book full of detailed information about every Fender electric guitar and amplifier from 1945 to the present day. Fender Facts brings together the history and specifications of every si8ngle Fender electric guitar and amplifier, complete with cross-referenced indexing and full chronological information. The Interactive Fender Bible is a must for everyone from the first-time Fender owner to the seasoned collector.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Fender Custom Shop Gallery 

Amazon Price: (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $60.00

A stunning photo tour of avant-garde guitars from Fender's world-renowned Custom Shop. This beautiful book features full-page, full-color photos of 50 instruments, accompanied by close-ups and detailed descriptions from the master builders. Includes shots of eccentric guitars like the Harley Strat, Western Tele, Rocket Caster, Jag Stang, Horse Shoe Thinline, and more. Required reading for guitar fans and art book aficionados.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Six Decades of the Fender Telecaster: The Story of the World's First Solidbody Electric Guitar 

by Tony Bacon

Amazon Price: $15.61 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $14.04

Launched by the fledgling Fender company in 1950, the Telecaster has become the longest-lived solidbody electric guitar, played by everyone from Muddy Waters to Chrissie Hynde. All who play know that the key to the Telecaster's importance and versatility is its sheer simplicity. Packed with high-quality photographs of the great Telecasters, collectable catalogs, period press ads, and memorabilia, this tribute tells the story of the Telecaster and the Fender Company through exclusive interviews with Fender figures who were there when this musical star was born.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History 

by J. W. Black, Albert Molinaro

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $15.53

When Leo Fender added a bass to his growing family of instruments 50 years ago, he created a new world for musicians and revolutionized an industry in the process. Using hundreds of photographs, this exciting release chronicles the evolution of that instrument from 1951 to 2001, providing background, history and highly researched facts vital to understanding everything about this remarkable member of the Fender family. A must for all music fans!

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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My Life and Times with Fender Musical Instruments 

by Bill Carson

Amazon Price: (as of 05/17/2008)
Used Price: $18.77

This compelling autobiography of guitar icon Bill Carson is a fascinating first-person chronicle by a man deeply involved in all facets of the Fender story. Carson recounts everything from his early years as an impoverished guitarist to his days serving as "test pilot" of solidbody instruments, including the legendary Stratocaster. He shares his experiences of working closely with Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and the factory workers who produced some of guitardom's truly classic instruments.

Carson's conversational tone takes the reader through the good times and bad at Fender, including the decline of the company and its products during the infamous CBS years, on through its remarkable resurgence and return to dominance.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Want More Books About Musical Instruments? 

To search for more books and DVDs about musical instruments and making music check out the BiblioPipe Music Media Library at GearPipe.com.

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Music-Resource

Hi Jeremy, Great Fender Book Catalogue. I'm a Fender fan myself. I have a couple Strats, an amp, picks, and strings. I've been real happy with the brand. ~Music Resource~

Posted January 06, 2008

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