This book is subtitled "A Celebration of the World's Greatest Guitar", so you're safe in assuming the authors have a Strato-centric view of the guitar universe. But before you Telecaster and Gibson lovers get riled up, the authors build a strong case for their Strat love. Primarily, they do this by talking with a veritable Who's Who of guitar players, all of whom profess their Strat love.

Even noted Telecaster master Keith Richards gets into the act, claiming, "The Telecaster is like a Sten gun - very accurate at short range. But with the Strat you've got a far wider range of tone and feel - it was just the perfect next step in the range of guitars."

Another unlikely Strat lover is George Harrison, who claims to have been scarred because he was denied a Strat in his formative years. Historical note: George used a Strat all over the Rubber Soul album.

The authors also interviewed the usual list of Strat lovers, including such axe luminaries as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck,, Dick Dale, Hank Marvin, and the late Rory Gallagher. Can these twenty seven guitar heroes all be wrong about the Stratocaster? I think not!

These interviews are but one component of the book. The authors provide an extensive look at the history of the guitar, including the life story of Leo Fender. There's a wealth of information here about the trials and tribulations of the Fender Company which should please all the axe historians out there.

It should be noted that this book is filled with full color photos of various Strats, so it's a visual treat as well as an intellectual one.

The book is the offshoot of a TV documentary produced by its authors. I've not seen the show, but this book is a worthy substitute indeed. I recommend it for the library of any Strat lover.

Oh, if you're not a Strat lover, here's a quote from the authors Introduction:

"If we've done our job properly, (this book) should make you want to go out and play a Stratocaster, or listen to one."

This book was published in 1995. Yours truly first read it via a library copy in 1996. Two years later, I was the proud owner of a Strat. Yes, the authors did their job properly!

IMPORTANT: A revised edition will be released October 11, 2001!

© 2001 Stratomaster