Flying V, Explorer, Firebird: An Odd-Shaped History of Gibson's Weird Electric Guitars (Guitar Reference)

Very well written, told me a good deal about the history of two Gibson guitars I own. A Firebird, and a V.

This book covers what has usually been overlooked. A wealth of knowledge decades in the making.

There are relatively few books on the "odd-shaped" Gibsons, compared to the Les Paul (which has been covered ad-nauseum), so it was refreshing to see Tony Bacon finally cover the subject. A typically solid T.B. effort, with a clean layout, good photos, and decent-enough text. It really only whets the appetite for more, though, as there are plenty of guitars that are either left out, or merely get a passing mention. Would be great to see single books devoted to each, a book on the ES-XXX guitars, the SG, and definitely the Fender offsets (Jazzmaster/Jaguar).

This book clearly pales in comparison to the other guitar books written by Tony Bacon. Although this book has a great amount of information, there are simply not enough images of the three models of guitars. Other guitar books that I have by Bacon rarely go more than two pages without a two-page spread filled with guitar images. Also, as if having too few images wasn't bad enough, many of the images were of guitars other than Gibson. Hamer guitars at one point in the book had more images per page than the three Gibson guitars. If you liked the format of other works by Bacon, this book will surely disappoint.

Great book lots of good history.

I own an Explorer. This book compliments my collection.

Purchased this book to read about the history of the Firebird. Good read and lots of good information. Would recommend.

Tony Bacon does it again and again. If you love these guitars and would like to know their history and some great stories, then buy this book!!

GREAT BOOK HIGHLY RECOMMENDED REGARDS PAUL.

Another great history from Tony Bacon . I love books by him on all the different Guitars he writes about . He does a lot of research on the one he writes about. The flying ``V`` , Explorer and the Firebird are a great story on these Guitars that were too soon for the world to handle, too modern for some and too futuristic for others. Gibson was too far ahead of everyone at the time and yet it is one of the classic shapes being copied today by some manufacturers. These Guitars are now Vintage Classics and worth much more today. The World was in for a shock a few years ago when they were made and sprung on the Public Audience. Gibson was such a reserved company , no one expected this from them , this turned the tables around. You have to read the book about this history of the Gibson Company , it is interesting.

I enjoyed this one. I've always been a fan of "odd" guitars, and when they came out, nothing was more odd than the Flying V, Explorer, and Firebird.It was the Explorer portion that made me buy this book, as that's been my fav guitar since I started playing.The book gives a great history on the origins of the guitars and the people involved. A lot of technical info, some personal anecdotes and stories, and some rough timelines.I can't help but think that in places, a lot of the info is just the author's best guess at what happened. I would think with a bit more research, some of the gaps in info could be easily filled.And it needs more pictures! Not that there's a shortage right now, I just feel more pics is always a good thing!Still, great book, highly recommended.

Bacon is known for this style of writing.... Overly padded, few crucial new or unusual details. Despite the above, his books provide a great overview. They are well illustrated but without enough detail shots. He is writing to a formula and must find it rewarding. Not sure I will buy more.

Per tutti gli appassionati di chitarra elettrica e di Gibson in generale. Finalmente tutti i particolari storici completi di foto fantastiche e introvabili di tre chitarre che hanno fatto la storia . Prezzo conveniente. Per lettori appassionati e curiosi. In inglese.