The Guitar Player Repair Guide

Book are embalmed minds. That's why I now see Dan as a walking encyclopedia when it comes to guitar repair. There’s a wealth of experience in these pages that only comes from years of dedication to the craft. The “Guitar Player Repair Guide” has three sections: Basic, DIY and Deep. Again, Dan is so knowledgeable that the “Basic” sections are pretty much everything the average player needs to know. You’ll need to roll-up your sleeves for the DIY sections and have considerable dedication for the Deep sections. Dan has his own way of doing things and gives great detail on how-to and often why he likes a particular way. But what I really like is he points out how other people do things too. There are interviews and so many names/publications mentioned that the book is also a great resource for further study. Basically, Dan is confidant because he has mastered the craft of guitar repair. He doesn’t feel threatened by different perspectives. That’s what makes the “Guitar Player Repair Guide” the best book I’ve seen on guitar repair: It is intentionally inclusive of different approaches. If you do guitar repair for a living, then the “Guitar Player Repair Guide” is a must have. If you’re looking to just care for your guitar and want something more basic, then I suggest “Complete Guitar Care” by Blackwood. Wouldn’t hurt to get both. So glad I did.

The wealth of practical, hands-on knowledge of a huge variety of guitar makes, models and eras in this book is phenomenal. It's my hands-down go to for guitar repair and maintenance.

The fact is many people play guitar and have no idea of how to maintain it other than changing the strings. As long as you have a good repair shop nearby that's usually all you need... or is it? If you're one of those people who have to know what it is you're holding, driving, playing and/or what can make it work that much better then this book is a must. It covers every square inch of both electric and accoustic guitars, giving you a thorough explanation of how to reach a fine standard of playability and beyond in a casual, easy to read style. What's more is it explains many of the problems repairmen and luthiers actively work to solve in a deceptively simple looking instrument. While it doesn't cover every after-market solution to every adjustment problem it does cover the essential tools and techniques necessary that should enable the reader to repair and/or tune any guitar. I was skeptical this book was worth the price until it arrived. Over 1 inch thick, excellent photos, clear layout and the included DVD is a treasure of information that would take you quite a while to accumulate for free off the net and even more time to organize. It's no wonder old copies sell for close to the price of a new one. After you've jumped into fine tuning you might go a step further by learning how your instrument was made. Check out Melvyn Hiscock's "Make your own electric guitar" to see common boards, steel, copper and magnets become that amazing thing we all aspire to play our best. Outstanding value.

I bought the book after reading some of Dan Erlewine's repair ideas on the web (along with spending a lot of time reading about his collaborations with Frank Ford of FRETS.COM). Dan is one of the brightest lights in the guitar repair world, and this book is absolutely stuffed to the gills with useful information. The book covers a variety of guitars, both in general and specific: for example, there are sections on the general theory of guitar necks and then sections about adjusting Fender electrics, Gibson flattops, Martin flattops, and a host of other instruments. As previous reviewers have noted, the book annotates each repair/setup technique with a difficulty level, which is useful in helping beginners decide whether to attempt the repair. My frustration comes with the very poor layout of the book. Although each page shows the chapter title and there are section headings indicated with bold text, it's often hard to figure out whether the words you're reading are part of, say, the discussion on general guitar setup or the section on Stevie Ray Vaughan's specific preferred setup. Even after I started paying attention to the layout, I still get confused and have to flip pages to make sure I'm reading the thing I wanted. It's a large book, well written, with lots of photographs that are genuinely useful. Be prepared to invest some time reading the whole thing so you'll be able to find the information you need later, and you'll be all set. I would definitely buy it again.

This book is the closest thing to a bible for any guitar player for repair and setup, either professional or hobbyist! Especially for the price, this is a must have!

Il libro tratta un po’ ogni argomento relativo a setup e riparazione delle chitarre elettriche e acustiche, da piccoli aggiustamenti fai da te alla portata di tutti, a cose da liutaio professionista. Forse l’unico problema è proprio che non è una lettura veloce, ma credo che nel acquistare un libro su questo argomento, meglio optare per uno che contenga tutto, come questo. Include anche interviste e dettagli sul setup delle chitarre di artisti famosi, soprattutto bluesmen. Necessita ovviamente di una certa padronanza dell’inglese.

Dan Erlewine is the kind of guy that designs flying V’s that people that would normally never buy one want. My personal experience is that not all guitar store owners are created equal and some of them seek to limit your chances of success. They sell you solid state amps that appear to be broken down even though you asked for a tube amp and set up your guitar with string action higher than the Mount Everest. It just isn’t going to work… And we don’t all have access to technicians that support our endeavors. You need to figure things out for yourself. This book helps you do that. It will help you check and maintain your guitar. If it’s a high end guitar it will help you keep it in shape. If it’s a budget guitar with expansion opportunities, this book will help you do it. If you need a reference to show you how to make sure your neck is straight, this book is that reference guide. If you want to know how to wind your own pickups – it’s only a small gargantuan step from fixing and maintaining your guitar to building one from the ground up, right? – this book will help you do that. It’s a good reference guide with all the info you need. I’ve found that in the contents a few page numbers are off, which may be due to this being a later edition, and a few pictures have shifted from the right to the left, but hey, they have subtitles, the info is still there. No biggie and practical people won’t mind all that much, they’ll find it. It’s all there. It’s all clearly illustrated, verbally and with pictures. This is the book you want to have.

Covers everything you need to know.

全編英語のギターのリペアガイドです。 内容的にはほかのレビュワー様のおっしゃる通り非の打ちどころがないのではと思います。 第３版ですので、内容も相当に洗練されているかと思います。 私はセットアップの部分が目当てにこの本を購入しました。 その部分では、弦交換といった基本的なところからはじまり、 ギブソンやフェンダーといった、メーカーでのセットアップが弦の高さと何インチだとか具体的な数値で載っていたり、 その数値と著者のセットアップの数値の対比なども載っており、見ているだけでも興味深いです。 さらには、スティーヴィーレイヴォーンやバディ・ガイ、B.B.キングなど、 ブルース系のプレイヤーに偏っていますが、著名なプレイヤーのセットアップが載っていたり、 人によってはインタビューも載っています。 付属のDVDもとても参考になります。 付属のDVDの内容は、ギターの選び方（構造上の欠陥などを見つける方法） から始まり、メンテナンスや、弦交換の実演など、 私にとっては初めて知るような（そして役に立つような）情報がたくさん詰め込まれていました。 購入して良かったと思っています。 英語であることを除けば、ギターのメンテナンスに興味をお持ちの方すべてにお勧めできる本だと思っています。