A Concise History of the Electric Guitar by Adrian Ingram, one of the world's leading jazz guitar experts, charts the exciting history of the electric guitar from the early decades of the 20th century to the present day. The author covers the entire range of styles and personalities whose impact shaped the destiny of the guitar and made this varied and versatile instrument the predominant factor in so much popular music. Intended for the general public, music students, and, of course, all guitar players, this book combines scholarly research and an intimate knowledge of the music business with a unique awareness of the history of the instrument, pickups, amplifiers and technical innovations of all kinds. Thus the work provides not only a concise history of the electric guitar in all its aspects but also a clear statement of trends and developments of some of the most significant popular music of recent decades.

PART I:ANTECEDENTS
   The Gibson ES150, Pickups and Amplification 
   Beauchamp, Barth and Rickenbacker 

PART II: PIONEERS
   Pioneers and Early Performers 
   Charlie Christian 
   Aaron T-Bone Walker 
   The Furtherance of the Electric Guitar 
 
PART III: THE JAZZ AGE
   Les Paul 
   Fender and the Solid-Bodied Electric Guitar 
   Pickups and Archtops 
   A Significant Solo Voice 
 
PART  IV: ROCK'N'ROLL
   Bill Haiey and Rock'n' Roll 
   A Multiplicity of Styles 
   The Influence of Elvis Presley 
   Chuck Berry 
   New Guitars and Amplifiers 
   The Guitar in Europe
   Duane Eddy and the Twang 
   Chet Atkins and Gretsch Guitars 
   The Golden Age of Electric Guitar Design 
 
PART V: THE SWINGIN' 60s
   The Early 60s
   Guitar Methods 
   Instrumentals 
   The New Guitarists of the 60s 
   Wes Montgomery 
   The Electric Guitar and Country Music 
   The Beatles 
   The Rolling Stones 
   Eric Clapton 
   The Age of Experiment 
   Jimi Hendrix 
   The End of the 60s 

 PART VI: THE 1970s: MATURITY-DIVERSITY
   The Early 1970s 
   Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour 
   Sophisticated Distortion 
   John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell 
   Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton in the 70s 
   Summing up the 70s 
 
PART VII: THE TURBULENT YEARS
   Development and Turbulence 
   Some Significant Blues Players 
   The New Age Jazz 
   Pat Metheny 
   Grunge 
   Shred 
   Consolidation 

PART VIII: THE NEW MILLENNIUM
   Problems of Definition 
   Replicas 
   The Parker Fly 
   Further Developments in Amplification 
   Looking Forward 
   The Electric Guitar: A Chronology of Evolution  
   Select Bibliography 
   Recommended Listening 
   Index