Clapton's Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument

by Allen St. John

New York Times bestselling author Allen St. John started off looking for the world’s greatest guitar, but what he found instead was the world’s greatest guitar builder.

Living and working in Rugby, Virginia (population 7), retired rural mail carrier Wayne Henderson is a true American original, making America's finest instruments using little more than a pile of good wood and a sharp whittling knife. There's a 10-year waiting list for Henderson's heirloom acoustic guitars—and even a musical legend like Eric Clapton must wait his turn. Partly out of self-interest, St. John prods Henderson into finally building Clapton's guitar, and soon we get to pull up a dusty stool and watch this Stradivari in glue-stained blue jeans work his magic. The story that ensues will captivate you with its portrait of a world where craftsmanship counts more than commerce, and time is measured by old jokes, old-time music, and homemade lemon pies shared by good friends.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on the sale shelf, thinking my husband or (especially) my guitar-playing son would like to read it. I picked it up myself, the next day after purchase - and didn't like that everyday chores got in the way of my finishing it as quickly as desired. Generally, memoir is the only type of non-fiction that mesmerizes me enough to keep reading like that. The author of this book, Allen St.John, pulls the reader into the entire process of a master luthier (that would be a guitar maker in the person of Wayne Henderson) and his creation of not only a guitar for a celebrity he's never met (and whose music he's rarely listened to) but its "twin" instrument and a few more guitars to boot. He entertains with descriptions of the locals who regularly frequent Henderson's workshop, along with references to notable musicians and other music-connected people who've visited Henderson, purchased his sought-after acoustic guitars, or sit on his up-to-10-year waiting list to have one made for them. His creative process is fascinating, especially when you learn that Henderson started building guitars at an extremely young age and did so part time for over 30 years until retiring from his rural postal delivery route. Having retired, he'd managed to produce at least 400 Wayne Henderson Originals by time this book was published. The guy has played Carnegie Hall (he's also known as one of the best living guitar pickers) yet he's open, friendly and often quite funny. Sounds like an all-around nice guy, who happens to be one of the creative people imaginable where musical instruments are concerned... and music as well. And I know lots of creative people, so that's saying something! Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Sara Bruhns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allen St. John takes the reader through the process of building an acoustic guitar, per the style and methods of Wayne Henderson, one of the most celebrated modern guitar-makers. Simultaneously, he provides background on the development and famous players of "old-timey music", bluegrass, rock and roll, jazz, and many other styles. I enjoyed all the cheesy jokes and dialogue with Wayne which really made him come alive as a person. I could imagine spending time with him, so St. John did a good job portraying him. I would definitely recommend to anyone who plays guitar, or who's a fan of "old-timey music", or who loves woodworking craftsmanship. However, I wouldn't recommend to any casual reader, such as myself. Despite the fact that I was definitely not the intended audience for this book, I did learn a lot, which I appreciate.

My biggest complaint was with the writing. St. John stuffs sentences with so many references, both musical and otherwise, that I imagine most readers will have the garbled reading experience I did. I had to constantly decide between looking up several pop-culture, obscure musical, or totally un-categorizable references or just continue reading having totally missed the point of any given paragraph. It really interrupted the flow of the story. My other problem with his writing, is that he loves long, descriptive, "poetical" phrases, but it wasn't successful. It just came off as contrived.

Overall, great for general fans of acoustic guitar-playing.

[Rod Horncastle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five star book about building 2 acoustic guitars for Eric Clapton. Wow!

This author got very involved in helping Wayne Henderson build 2 custom acoustic guitars for Clapton. And we get the story. Sure, they get some wood and work in a shop - that's to be expected. But we also get the history of Great guitar building. And the stories around what makes a musician and a guitar connect.

Wayne Henderson isn't just a guitar builder: he's also a very good player and musician. So this story also has us following him on his daily routines and gigs. He even has a festival in his own name. And few outside of his small world seem to know much about it. That is what makes the book so special. Sure we get comments from Eric Clapton and celebrities, but the fun stuff is all the regular folks who wander into the shop and have a part in guitar building. We even get weather reports and lunch orders.

I hope to read this book again someday. Endlessly inspiring.

[Paul Garfinkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an acoustic guitar player and lover of the craftsmanship of guitar building (I own three custom built guitars by small volume luthiers and two factory made instruments), I found this to be one of the best books I've read in a very long time. It's NOT a book about Clapton, but about the building, or more to the truth, the builder, of a pair of twin acoustic guitars, one of which was order by EC. This i bout the should and philosophy of the man creating the instruments and how much the personality of the builder finds it's way into the instrument. It's also a damned good primer on guitar building and the ins and outs of tone woods. The author includes many relevant and interesting detours that keep the entire story flowing. A difficult book to put down, I read it in just a couple of days while simultaneously reading another page-turner. HIGHLY recommended. for players and fans alike.

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I stumbled upon this book in a flea market I picked it up, as I remembered the pod I'd heard on Good Life Project talking about Clapton's guitar. That was 2-3 years ago.
Now I read it, and am very happy I bought it, that summers day a few years ago.
What a lovely book. About professionals. Something that never ceases to amaze me!

https://helenaroth.com/claptons-guita...

[J.K. George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of this material was not only new to me, I was not aware that it existed, and I had not "thirsted" beforehand to know about (mainly) acoustic guitars. The author couldn't simply write a book about wood and gluing and the shiny glittering that make guitars lovely. That would be a simple "how to build a great guitar how-to book." Okay, that would work, and be used by a handful of luthiers and wanna-be's, but to make any non-fiction story interesting, it's all about the characters. St. John does that, and fairly well knits a somewhat otherwise screwball group of loafers and hanger-oners together with a brilliant and non-conventional master guitar builder. This book makes the latter famous, now, to a wide audience.

If I have one criticism, it's the cheap way Eric Clapton is used, almost as a ghost, to knit the story together when, realistically, there is no real story. Clapton appears to be almost totally disinterested in actually getting one of Wayne Henderson's masterpieces, and it's clear they are masterpieces, made the old fashioned way eschewing monetary gain for the most part, as well as any semblance of modern and/or productive processes of assembly. The book is very informative, if you can stand the long wait between the loafers and other strange pickers who wander in and out of the story as well as a very lame "Clapton" ending.

From a personal standpoint, I found great interest in the locale. Rugby, Virginia, of which I had never heard is quaint enough, I suppose. But in my early youth, my family and I lived for three or four years in Galax. Yes, that Galax, the town of the Galax Leaf (not mentioned) and the Galax Fiddlers Convention (mentioned). I vividly recall the area, with Independence and Hillsville and so on. That aspect made the book more interesting for me, and added to the knowledge gained by playing reader's dodge ball between the goof-balls hanging around and the phantom Clapton. But it was a good addition of guitar knowledge and appreciation of wonderful individual craftsmanship.

Jim George

[Toeknee · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Spoiler alert **

An extremely talented artist is making two guitars for Slowhand himself. While I hate to be "that guy", describing the huge fail in this book requires a spoiler.

It's a fresh view of a process (guitar making) that few know, into an art that is somewhat lost. Wayne Henderson and his "crew" are all great characters. St. John is an involved narrator, self-deprecating in a good way, teaching the history and art of guitar making. I highly recommend finding some of Wayne's albums to hear the awesome folk music at the heart of the book and the craft.

Clapton plays someone else's Henderson and likes it, and orders two. Normally, it's a ten year wait and you have to very persistent, likeable and involved to get ever get it. But, hey, this is Clapton! So the author pushes and prods to get them done.

BUT (here's the spoiler): There is no closure. There is no, "Hey Eric, how do you like your new guitars?" Nothing. They (Henderson makes two) get handed to a guy whose going to give them to a guy who supposedly can give them to Clapton. We don't know if Clapton ever gets them, plays them or likes them. Calling the book Clapton's Guitars when you don't know if he got them is lame. It is a massive whimper of an ending.

So the journey is interesting - not quite compelling but interesting - but the destination is major disappointment. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could, but I'll be nice and round up.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

We learned about Wayne Henderson over two decades ago (1998) by seeing some of his instruments displayed in the Visitors Center Museum at Grayson Highlands State Park. We finally got to see and hear Wayne at Merlefest last year (2019) when he presented and played an amazing workshop and old time music jam session as part of the festival. At some point, the story of Eric Clapton's Henderson guitar came up, after which i started looking for this book. Just the other day i found it on our local library book sale shelf and i nabbed it!

"Clapton's Guitar" is a somewhat rambling but interestingly and warmly told, well written tale of the making of two guitars by Wayne for Eric Clapton. But even more, it is a story of Wayne Henderson, one of the greatest guitar builders in the world. The reader can't help but feel and experience the colorful persons in this story, especially Wayne. And as a bonus, this story is full of interesting information about the history, theory, and building of guitars. As a non-musician, i really enjoyed learning so much about guitars, and other stringed instruments. But the real center and jewel of this story is Wayne himself. I hope to meet him at Merlefest THIS year (2020) and maybe stop by to see his shop on my next camping trip to Grayson Highlands.

[Allison Malter · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing Wayne Henderson perform again at the River House, a B & B in Grassy Creek, North Carolina, I thought it appropriate to pick up Clapton’s Guitar. The book is an ode to Wayne who built one of his 700 plus guitars for Eric Clapton (Henderson No. 326). Wayne Henderson, whose day job was working as a rural mail carrier, is a guitar maker extraordinaire, old-time musician and raconteur, performing at venues as varied as his small town Rescue Squad and Carnegie Hall. The book is well written, detailed and philosophical, filled with anecdotes and descriptions of the skills and artistry that Wayne brings to guitar making but also capturing his sense of humor and warmth. “Every Henderson guitar is a self-portrait of its maker.” This is an entertaining read for anyone who loves guitars, enjoys music, or appreciates the craft of making something exquisite with your hands.

[Jonathan Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wayne Henderson is a classic craftsman, a man who has honed his skills over decades of building instruments. This is a telling of an observer watching a master build a beautiful instrument from scratch. It is a tale of craftsmanship, personal values, and folklore - and some great nuggets of guitar history. The "Clapton guitars" (#326 and #327) provide the perfect backdrop for an exceptional story of a humble master giving life to a couple of slabs of Brazilian rosewood. I found myself yearning to visit the shop and just sit and take it in - the sights and sounds of the work and the people who frequently visit.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! My husband played guitar and spoke of this builder of guitars. I wish that I had listened more when he was talking. So much of the book, I had heard from him. Wayne Henderson lives in a small "town" in Appalachia. He has a gift of making the wood sing in a special way. The story of getting a guitar from him is quiet interesting. Moving your place in line was mind blowing. To think that Eric Clapton had to wait was humorous. As one reads the book, the genius of Henderson becomes obvious.

[Joshua]

As far as books your dad reads and then tells you to read and then you tell him that’s okay I have a lot of books I want to read they’re actually on the shelf horizontally and I can see them all the time staring at me telling me to read them so I can file them vertically and I don’t really wanna add to that pile and then he just sort of leaves it at your house anyway go this was a good one.

Though I have no alternative suggest, the title of this book does it a disservice. Kinda like calling a book about New Zealand “Peter Jackson’s Country.”

[Graeme Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother gave me this book; I grew up in the area, I'm a guitar player, and Henderson is a friend of my mother's. And the highest praise I could give is that St. John neither resorts to hillbilly stereotypes or fetishization. And I think the commonly mispronounced word "Appalachian" only appears once!

[Jared Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book if you are interested in luthiery, craftmanship, and old fashioned music. Clapton is tangential to the story; it's really about the process of making a guitar and the life lessons along the way.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

From guitars to baseball to fart jokes, this book has got it all! A thoroughly enjoyable read for those of us with perpetual GAS - guitar acquisition syndrome. A nice, easy read that will make you want to pick up a guitar and/or head to Rugby, VA.

[Danny Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great review of Wayne Henderson and his process towards constructing his guitars. It made me more interested in how my guitars are built. Author is in book as it is written from his perspective, which I found taxing at times. Also some language errors.

[Mem244 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining, educational and engrossing

[John Verreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about Wayne Henderson, a local builder of guitars from NC VA mountains.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the beginning. I got a bit bogged down in middle.

[Campbell Bloomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wayne seems like the dude. Definitely got to meet him before he passes

[Ed]

I learned a great deal about the process of building a high-end acoustic guitar. I think anyone who's serious about playing guitar would enjoy this book.

[Tom Carrico · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW

“CLAPTON’S GUITAR”
BY Allen St. John

Reviewed by Tom Carrico

This paperback caught my eye as it sat in the middle of the non-fiction new release table at the Short Pump Barnes and Noble for one reason and one reason only. There is a spectacular looking acoustic guitar on the cover. Although at first glance it appears to be a vintage Martin, the headstock does not have the usual squared off end. Additionally, the name across the headstock was not Martin, but Henderson. What’s a Henderson guitar, you ask? Well, read “Clapton’s Guitar” to find out like I did.
Wayne Henderson is a retired rural postal deliveryman in Rugby, Virginia. Rugby is in Grayson County, south of Marion and has a population of 7. Wayne has been building guitars out of any and all available materials since childhood. His guitars are built one at a time and on no particular timetable. Wayne is an artist. He is very eccentric, but he is an artist.
The story of the book is that Eric Clapton, who has defined rock guitar wizardry since the 1960s (The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, etc…) played a Henderson guitar in a collectible guitar shop in New York City and fell in love with its tone and playability. He had to have one. He placed an order with Wayne and, about 10 years later, Wayne got around to building him one. He actually built two almost identical guitars, one for Clapton and one to be auctioned for charity. Enter Allen St. John, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal’s Weekend section and guitar freak. He is a friend of the shop owner who introduced Eric Clapton to Henderson guitars and promised to deliver the instruments once Wayne had actually made them. The author then travels to Rugby and observes the master luthier at work and records his observations.
The resulting book is not about Eric Clapton. Nor is it just about Wayne Henderson, although the reader gets to know Wayne and his neighbors, fellow musicians and friends very well. The book is really not just about guitars, either, although there is a wealth of guitar history included here, and many details regarding the proper construction of an acoustic guitar. No, “Clapton’s Guitar” is really about craftsmanship, attention to detail, pride in doing things the right way and not taking short cuts.
Humor abounds in “Clapton’s Guitar”. Wayne’s shop is frequented by what he refers to as “General Loafers”. If they do something which particularly annoys him, they are busted to “Colonel Loafers”. Wayne tells the author that he doesn’t put much stock in religion and refers to himself as a “Buzzard Baptist”. He only goes to church when someone dies. There are practical jokes throughout as well. Wayne is over ten years behind on orders for his guitars and people will do anything, it seems, to move up on the list. Wayne is susceptible to bribery and homemade pies seem to get your guitar built quicker than just about anything else. After reading this book it would appear that many more dogs live in Rugby than people. There’s always someone’s dog in the shop or running around the yard. There are some fascinating anecdotes surrounding many vintage guitars which themselves become characters in this book. One pre-war Martin made its way through several famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) guitarists in the 60s and 70s being pawned, sold, given as a gift and finally residing with a collector.
The real reason to read the book, however, is to gain an appreciation for people who take genuine pride in their artistry. Wayne Henderson takes no short cuts. He bends his own guitar sides, inlays his own abalone into his own fabricated fret boards and hand carves each strut which supports each specially selected and hand cut top. He tests each piece for resonance. The end product is much better than the sum of many very excellent parts. That is the magic of a Wayne Henderson guitar.
This book has something for everyone. It is part Appalachian home-spun humor, part guitar building 101 and part paean to a time when musical instruments were constructed by master artisans who took genuine pride in their creations. This book was a hoot to read. I learned a lot, I was entertained and would I ever love to be on the list of people waiting for their custom Henderson guitar.

“Clapton’s Guitar” by Allen St. John is available in trade paperback from Free Press. There are several excellent web-sites which make the book even more enjoyable including the author’s own: www.allenstjohn.com which contains links to Wayne Henderson recordings. (Note: This book is best read while listening to “Unplugged” by Eric Clapton or the soundtrack to “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou”.)

[Adan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote a review of this elsewhere: https://sites.google.com/a/akertoys.c...

Here's the text:

This book documents the construction of two nearly identical high-end acoustic guitars by a one-man-show guitar builder. There were many aspects of this book that were fascinating to me. One that jumps out, however, is the nature of the product that is being created. This builder is a classic craftsman, a man who has honed his skills over decades of building instruments. However, the guitars are actually built to very closely (but not identically) match a model created by Martin Guitars eighty years ago.

My feelings were hurt when, at one point of the discussion in this book, "CNC" was used as a four letter word. Henderson's creative process is not very different from what it would be if he were using a CNC router. It's just slower, and he makes more mistakes. He's still replicating an existing design, tracing the shape of nearly every piece of wood from a plywood template labeled something like "Martin Model XYZ." This is no Luddite: he's using machine tools that are as advanced as he's been able to acquire or develop. He adds his value by choosing and aligning each piece of wood one by one, by putting the parts together as carefully as possible, and by tweaking and fine-tuning the details until he's satisfied. That process would only be helped by the use of CNC technology.

Oh well, just my hot button there. He's a brilliant musician who makes instruments that please him. Don't blame or praise the tools for their part in the action!

Another point of contention with the book: the author is a gifted writer who tells a spellbinding tale... but he has only the most fanciful grasp of physics, specifically in its application to acoustics. Oh my... very funny.

This was a great read, I highly recommend it.

[Ric Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a musician, read this book. If you're a woodworker, read this book. If you enjoy the history and culture of Appalachia, read this book. Hell, just read this book, it's a hoot.

[East Bay J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clapton's Guitar is hands down one of the best books I read this year. Though ostensibly a book about a man who builds guitars, Allen St. John takes you to guitar contests, Christie's auction house, the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA and even to Boston's Fenway Park for a showdown between the Red Sox and Yanks. In fact, the breadth of this book is what makes it so special. But the most interesting time is that spent in the workshop of master luthier, Wayne C. Henderson. Whether St. John is describing how Wayne makes guitar tops or relating the stories, jokes and legends of the various characters in and around Henderson's shop, his writing is always interesting and engaging.

Of course, the real thrill of Clapton's Guitar is getting to know Henderson himself. His life in Rugby, Virginia, how he started building his own guitars, his playing style, the amazing array of instruments that have passed through his hands or spent time on his workbench or his years as a USPS delivery driver. You come to appreciate Henderson as a true craftsman in the traditional sense, a luthier who makes each of his instruments one at a time by hand, often using little more than a real sharp pocket knife. You also come to appreciate Henderson as a person, a good person with a good heart and plenty of soul, not a little of which he obviously pours into his guitars.

It goes without saying that guitar enthusiasts will dig Clapton's Guitar but this is a hell of a book and would be a good read for anyone.

[Christopher Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift from a close friend at a major mile-marker in my life, this book was a great mix of education, inspiration, and comic relief.

[MKayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Allen St. Johns book Clapton's Guitar was not as interesting as the title would make you believe. In the book John hardly mentions Eric Clapton. He mainly talks about the wonderfully crafted man building the guitar, Wayne Henderson. Wayne Henderson is a beautiful human and I had the honor of hearing him speak at convocation at Appalachian State University (Go Mountaineers!). If you are interested in learning the technicalities of building a guitar then by all means read this book. If you were just reading this book because you were hoping to read about Eric Clapton and his guitar then...don't waste your time. You would be better of reading a biography of Eric Clapton or watching a live performance of Clapton on YouTube than you would reading this book.
Warning: The book is very sporadic and jumps quite often and is poorly written so be warned Goodreaders!
*If you do read this book, make sure you go see Wayne Henderson sometime, he is definitely an interesting character and you'll love him.

[Ronald Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I finished this book it felt as though I'd just completed an interesting yet relaxing prolonged stay with master luthier Wayne Henderson. I met his friends and family, enjoyed seeing the role bluegrass and old-time music play in his life, and most importantly, watched him at work in his shop.

Author Allen St. John so adeptly describes his experience with Henderson that I could almost smell the wood and glue, and hear the rich sounds coming from his new creations. With no drama or tension, Henderson calmly works at a relaxed pace with pricision and deliberateness to turn a few pieces of wood - some of them quite precious - into an instrument of visual and acoustic beauty.

There's something about this book that is insprirational in a way I can't quite put my finger on. It has something to do with the ambition and attitude with which a person develops an expertise and artistry and calmly puts it to work.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wayne Henderson is a guitar builder of elite craftsmanship in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He is also a great player/picker with a gentle, humble soul. This book taught me a lot about music, musicians and guitars.

"A guitar that's braced too heavily will last forever - and sing as sweetly as a deck chair. A guitar that's braced too lightly will astound you with its sound - for a moment, and then implode in your hands.
This delicate balancing act, between strength and stability on one hand and tone/volume on the other, is at the very heart of guitar making . . . and the ability to strike that balance between beauty and longevity, between a guitar's voice and its bones, is what separates a master like Wayne Henderson from other guitar builders."

[Toni Taylor-Helser · Rating 5 out of 5]

March 2013 I rating it 5 of 5 stars
Clapton's Guitar, one of the very best bio's on Clapton's guitars and one of the best books about Epic Eric Clapton & music I have ever read.
The book introduces us to Luthier, a man who builds guitars. The author a sound recording engineer; Allen St. John takes us on many treks through guitar contests, Christi's auction house, the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA. In fact the diversity in topics in this tome of trivia is what made it such a great
I think the most animated time between author and his main character would be when shared with the reader about the time spent in the workshop of master luthier; Wayne C. Henderson.