Essential Guitar Books

There are guitar players, and then there are true students of the instrument. Great artists steep themselves in the history and context of their craft. Sure, these days you can watch videos online, but sometimes the most comprehensive and detailed information is still found in good old fashioned, beautifully illustrated books. These volumes are where we go when we're not playing. They fuel our dreams, our next purchase, our next conversation with fellow gear nerds. Did the earliest Marshall amps really just use clones of Fender Bassman circuits? Did Leo Fender really "borrow" Paul Bigsby's work on the solidbody electric guitar? When the message board debates can't seem to agree on the history or specs of a piece of gear, the answer can often be found in the pages here.