American History Press

A Six String History of America by Jay M. Pilzer

$16.95

Drawing on his years of experience as a history professor and longtime guitar dealer, author Jay Pilzer leads us on an entertaining and thoughtful journey through the fascinating, diverse, and sometimes wild history of the guitar in America. Viewed through the broad scope of the American experience, this retrospective cleverly melds together such unexpected guitar-related subjects as the Tulip Mania of 1636, the swaying hips of hula girls in Hawaii, and what really powered Jimmy Hendrix's Stratocaster at Woodstock.

Our author ponders all aspects of guitar history, including:

- How the period of the Enlightenment was an influence on guitars
- Why the economics of the 1600s were a prelude to guitar prices of the twenty-first century
- The surprising influences on guitar designs and styles
- How the advent of American steamboats and railroads helped guitar sales
- The development of blues and jazz, and the types of instruments used for each style
- The affects of installment buying on guitar sales after the Great Depression
- How and why guitar quality declined in the 1970s - - Why guitar executives cringed at the sound of disco in the 1980s

These, and many other aspects of guitar history, are covered in this fully-readable and enjoyable book. Whether you play or listen, this romp through the history of guitars will truly entertain!

Specifications

Format: 6" x 9" x .6" perfect-bound paperback on acid-free natural paper, printed in the USA
Pages: 208, including a Foreword by George Gruhn, Introduction and Acknowledgments, 12 Chapters, Photo Credits, Sources, Index, About the Author
Illustrations: 106, including period photos, old magazine ads, guitars
ISBN 10: 1-9399950-3-5
ISBN 13:  978-1-939995-03-2
LCCN: 2014939544

Price: $16.95 (Bulk order rates are available upon request)

About the Author

Jay Pilzer, author of "A Six String History of America"

Jay Pilzer is a retired history professor with a Ph.D. from Duke University. He is a long time guitar player and has written articles on guitars and the guitar industry for several guitar-oriented publications. He has also been a guitar dealer for more than twenty years. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

 



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This product was added to our catalog on Monday 23 June, 2014.

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