A complete guide to the electric guitars of the 1950s and '60s and the culture that shaped them.

Legendary Guitars: An Illustrated Guide is a road map to the electric guitars of the 1950s and '60s and the culture, styles, and music that shaped them. The book illustrates how the great instruments created and produced between 1950 and 1969 went on to define the design, looks, and playability of today 's electric guitars. Legendary Guitars draws direct lines between the mid-century originals and many of today's most highly-prized instruments. Alongside classic originals, the book gives great examples of more recent instruments, showing how today's guitar makers have produced fresh interpretations that draw on the venerable '50s and '60s templates.

Paired with the eye-popping guitar photographs is a unique collection of classic advertisements, period catalogs, and other rare memorabilia. The book also contains a chronological narrative of world events that places these remarkable instruments in the context of two decades of mesmerizing contrasts and revolutionary invention.