The Beauty of the 'Burst
by Yasuhiko Iwanade
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Book Summary Information
Author: Yasuhiko IwanadeBrand: Hal Leonard
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-01-31
ISBN: 0793573742
Number of pages: 224
Model: 330265
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Product features:
- Packed with full-color 'Burst photosOver thirty pages of reference material216 pages, softcover
Book Reviews of The Beauty of the 'Burst
Book Review: Good book, small flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
Beauty of the 'Burst is an overall good book. The photography is excellent, the layout is clear and the printing (critical, since color plays an important part in the discussion of these guitars) is really well done.
The book is definitely for aficionados of the sunburst Les Paul only. What you have are several hundred pages dedicated to one model of guitar, all with the same paint job and hardware. Obviously it's a very special guitar, and those people hooked on LP 'bursts will love seeing all the subtleties between instruments.
There are a couple of areas where I feel the book falls slightly short, but they're minor. In the section following the photographs ("Science Of The 'Burst", where they analyze every aspect of the guitar from the finish to the wood) there are some small factual errors such as the thickness of the maple top-plate. Not a huge deal, but in a book that gets into such minutia and makes such a big deal about the smallest of features, I feel they were obligated to get things like this correct. A person using some of these specifications to evaluate an instrument might be thrown off the mark.
The other thing that slightly annoyed me was the hyperbole used to describe every single instrument. One of the features people love about these guitars is the figured maple top. Some are nicer than others (just a fact of production, not to mention that this was a non-priority for Gibson at that time), yet every guitar is given the "this is the most unbelievable example" treatment. The plainest maple top will be gushed over, sighting something like the "wonderful fading of the color" or the "amazingly straight grain-lines that run the length of the top." Hey, it's some faded paint and wood with grain lines! I was waiting for them to rave about "the incredible way Les Paul's have mass, are affected by gravity and take up THREE dimensions (height, width AND depth)."
Nit-picking aside, it's a very well done book which I enjoy looking at. It also is a terrific collectors tool as well as a nice paean to one of the great, iconic instruments of the 20th century. Recommended.
Summary of The Beauty of the 'Burst
Finally, the long-awaited English edition of this historic Japanese book is here! The Beauty of the 'Burst pays tribute to Gibson's magnificent Sunburst Les Pauls made between 1958 and 1960, the most highly prized solidbody electric guitars ever. The magnitude of their value is directly related to their look (outrageous wood patterns, or "figured" timber), since non-players are paying top dollar for them. The book features lavish full-color photos of these beautiful instruments throughout; the guitars of famous players; a foreword by Ted McCarty; a bio of the author, world renowned collector Yasuhiko Iwanade; and the "Science of the Burst" section with over 30 pages of detailed reference facts on every facet of the guitar, including colors, wood figure, pick-ups, hardware and qualities of "voice." This may be the closest guitarists will ever be able to get to these incredibly collectible beauties! 216 pages, 8-1/2 inch. x 11 inch. SoftcoverTheater Books
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