Clapton's Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument - Hardcover

St. John, Allen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0743266358 ISBN 13: 9780743266352

Publisher: Free Press, 2005

Synopsis

A tour of acoustic guitar craftsmanship as performed by master Wayne Henderson discusses his hand-carving process, the ten-year waiting list to buy his unique instruments, and the works of art he has built from rare and near-extinct materials.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

People will go to great lengths to get master craftsman Wayne Henderson to build them an instrument. If you're an award-winning journalist like St. John and you want to expedite the process, you write a book about Henderson that's equal parts travelogue, biography and ode to the old-fashioned trade of making top-notch guitars. Upon learning that Eric Clapton has been on Henderson's waiting list for 10 years, St. John sets out to learn about the little-known man behind the instruments every guitarist knows. He visits Henderson's Virginia home, shadowing the artist while he builds guitars, plays "old time music" concerts and doesn't build Clapton's guitar. Along the way, he finds answers to questions such as which is the best wood for guitar making (Brazilian rosewood) and how much the 1939 Martin guitar Clapton played on Unplugged was auctioned for ($700,000). When St. John finally helps cajole Henderson into building two guitars for Clapton (one to be auctioned for charity), Henderson's and St. John's expertise shine through. St. John's descriptions of Henderson choosing wood, making a dovetail neck joint or whittling bracings for the guitar-top are as detailed, refined and playful as the instruments Henderson creates. Photos.
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Review:

"Clapton’s Guitar is only a guitar book in the sense that The Orchid Thief is a only book about gardening." -- AmericanHeritage.com, November 3, 2005

"Clapton's Guitar takes the reader on a craftsman's journey that [began] when...Eric Clapton first picked up a Henderson guitar." -- The Wall Street Journal, October 20, 2005

"It's a must for anyone who has Slowhand on vinyl." -- Playboy, November 2005

"It's a must for anyone who has Slowhand on vinyl." -- Playboy, November 2005

"St. John's writing shares a deceptive lightness with Henderson's guitars. There is a wash of fascinating material in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2005

"We say skip the wait. Buy the book." -- Fast Company, October 2005

About this edition

• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0743266358
• ISBN 13: 9780743266352
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288