Blue Guitar

Blue Guitar is a sweet tribute to Jimmy D'Aquisto as a guitar maker and to Scott Chinery as a collector of fine instruments. The impeccable workmanship of the instruments in this book is a small oasis of patience and craftsmanship in a fast-food culture. It provides an insight into the type of people that create these wonderful pieces, as well as the zeal of one person whose passion was acquiring the best of examples of this art form. You don't have to be a guitar junkie to enjoy this book. It's fun to read and real easy to look at.

The book is an execellent reference to anyone interested in the making of guitars, and to know who presently, are among the "elite of luthiers".Scott Chinnery, an avid collector of guitars, was instrumental in re-igniting a passion for the revival of the arch top, semi-acoustic guitar. It was Chinnery, that approached twenty two of the finest luthiers, and inspired them to the task of creating an eighteen inche (wide) semi-acoustic guitar. Chinnery also requested the guitars be made "blue" - all luthiers used the same color, yet were free to formulate and apply the color as they indivudally desired. The results and finding of this work becomes the topic of the book. The text presents a challenge to continue the work initiated by these craftpersons. It is "inspirational", and very informative.

What does the ultimate blue archtop guitar look like? 22 master craftsmen were posed with this challenge: "make an 18 inch wide acoustic archtop guitar...make it any way you want, as long as you make it blue."A virtual competition ensues as the top 'luthiers' get down to business creating their personal vision of the finest blue archtop. Scott Chinery, a collector of fine guitars had amassed a collection numbering over a thousand pieces when he had the notion to commission the best craftsman to make a blue archtop. You don't even have to love guitars to appreciate the wonderfully varied interpretations that came about as a result. The pride of craftsmanship shines through on each and every meticulously crafted piece. This is a handsome book richly filled with photographs of these masterpieces in blue, and the talented men and women behind them. This book is a gem for the price.

This is a fabulous book for anyone who enjoys music and the art of musical instruments. Mr. Vose is an excellent writer who has brought alive the uniquely American craft of archtop guitar construction. The book is a companion to the Smithsonian's Blue Guitars exhibition. Wonderful stories and absolutely stunning photographs by Leslie-Jean Bart make for a surperb presentation.Another good book on the subject is Bob Benedetto's "Making an Archtop Guitar." Benedetto is considered the greatest living guitar maker.

Pass a short afternoon, with the sun filtering through blue sheers, and the summer blue sky as a backdrop. You will gain insight into the world of lutherie, and what these artists bring to the craft, as each of the 22 craftsmen explain what inspired them to meet the challenge offered by guitar collector supreme, Scott Chinery, to build an eighteen inch wide acoustic archtop, of any style, or design, as long as the color was blue. And blue they are! marvelously photographed and described. You will meet each guitar and luthier, and come to know them personally. If you missed the guitars on display at the Smmitsonian, this is the next best thing!