Guitar Player Repair Guide: How to Set Up, Maintain, and Repair Electrics and Acoustics

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Fix-It Guide For The Guitarist
Review: Any Luthier or Luthier wannabe will find this reference a nirvana of guitar goodies. Dan Erlewine is the modern master of guitar repair and set-up and his text is proof. You might have run across his tips and techniques in Stewart-McDonald's Guitar Shop Supply Catalog. This book is not only helpful for a plethora of repair tips; it is also a must-have for any guitarist. Erlewine shares his knowledge of how the guitar works and how to make yours sound and play it's best. You'll love this one!

Rating:
Summary: I'm a beginner but bought this anyway
Review: I'm only a beginning guitar player but my teacher encouraged me to get this book anyway, for all the interesting/useful information it contains...even though I don't plan to be actively working on my dinky accoustic guitar anytime soon, I recently aquired a new Fender Telecaster, so i am even more grateful to have this book now. It's fascinating just to flip through and read at random...nice to get to know the physical mechanics of the guitar better even if I never plan to do any home repair work.

Rating:
Summary: A best all-around general reference available
Review: This is the most comprehensive book I've ever found on guitar adjustments, repairs and refinishing. If you're going to do anything more than install strings on your guitar, it's a "must-buy".

The author is specific and detailed in every process described, and he covers just about every aspect of guitar care. he has information specific to Fender and Gibson, among other brands.

He covers general maintenance issues such as installing strings, adjusting intonation, etc. that every player ought to be able to do. He also gets deep into details on major repairs, refinishing, the tools involved - you name it.

The author is very specific about materials and finishes, down to showing how to repair individual chips and cracks and what to use on nitro vs. poly finishes.

While there is more detail here than the casual user needs, I've always felt that it's better to have MORE detail then needed rather than too little information. This book guided me through a complete 12-coat refinish of a bass, plus defretting the fingerboard. The result was excellent.