The Guitar: Tracing the Grain Back to the Tree

by Chris Gibson, Andrew Warren

Guitars inspire cult-like an aficionado can tell you precisely when and where their favorite instrument was made, the wood it is made from, and that wood’s unique effect on the instrument’s sound. In The Guitar , Chris Gibson and Andrew Warren follow that fascination around the globe as they trace guitars all the way back to the tree. The authors take us to guitar factories, port cities, log booms, remote sawmills, Indigenous lands, and distant rainforests, on a quest for behind-the-scenes stories and insights into how guitars are made, where the much-cherished guitar timbers ultimately come from, and the people and skills that craft those timbers along the way. Gibson and Warren interview hundreds of people to give us a first-hand account of the ins and outs of production methods, timber milling, and forest custodianship in diverse corners of the world, including the Pacific Northwest, Madagascar, Spain, Brazil, Germany, Japan, China, Hawaii, and Australia. They unlock surprising insights into longer arcs of world on the human exploitation of nature, colonialism, industrial capitalism, cultural tensions, and seismic upheavals. But the authors also strike a hopeful note, offering a parable of wider resonance—of the incredible but underappreciated skill and care that goes into growing forests and felling trees, milling timber, and making enchanting musical instruments, set against the human tendency to reform our use (and abuse) of natural resources only when it may be too late. The Guitar promises to resonate with anyone who has ever fallen in love with a guitar.

Genres: Music, History

290 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2021

Reviews

[ameya · Rating 3 out of 5]

the university press is not for me

[Marcus Vetrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a very insightful and informative read. It allowed me to learn so much more about tone woods and how they are sourced, the history behind my own personal Martin acoustic, with Its likely 400 year old Sitka Spruce Top. Incredible stuff. Although I would of preferred a little bit less of the overly left leaning political doctrines, the authors did a great job of accurately demonstrating the current climate for guitar production and also sharing new views for the future of tonewood. Make no mistake, we will no longer have the abundance of AAA grade maple to chose from, or Brazilian Rosewood for that matter. All the tonewoods that we cherish and love will soon be a distant memory (or it probably already is)

A eye opening book for sure.

[Tommy O'Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was more than I expected. IAs the title suggest it essentially traces the guitar back to the forests and trees they are made from. It's a journey through the histories and geographies of the guitar but also has a lot of fascinating insights about the future and how things like climate change are impacting the guitar industry already. Since guitar making has long relied on old-growth trees the industry is facing a bit of a crossroads. In the book, we get to hear firsthand from the people involved in the industry - from manufacturers to sawmillers and foresters. We go inside iconic factories like CF Martin and Gibson but also backroad kind of places across North America, Europe, China, and Australia. We learn about the ongoing effects of colonisation and how First Nations groups are playing a key role within the industry. Basically, you don't need to play guitar to appreciate the story that this book tells. I think anyone interested in music will enjoy it.

[Jeff Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great research and detail. Every guitarist should know what timber their guitar is made of and where the timber came from

[Nigel McCarter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good idea, to write about how the guitar was developed, how it's made, the tone woods, history; heaps of information.