An Elite Gathering of 150 Exceptional Guitars

CARTER, Walter. MORGAN, Greg, PEDEN, John, and PROZZO, Marco, photographers. The Guitar Collection. An Elite Gathering of 150 Exceptional Guitars. Bellevue, Washington: Epic Ink Books, 2011.

Limited to 1,500 copies of which this is number 346 of 500 copies of the Double-Neck '05 Edition with a signed John John Peden photograph of Paul Reed Smith's PRS Double-Neck Dragon 2005  (see pp. 474-477).

Landscape folio (11 x 22 3/4 inches;  279 x 578 mm.). 511,[1, blank] pp. More than 670 full-color images.

Full black leather over boards.

Together with The Guitar Collection: Stories. Quarto (11 x 8 1/2 inches;  280 x 216 mm.). 192 pp. More than 180 full-color images.

Housed in a special custom 'guitar-style' case. Full black leather with two satin nickel catches and burgundy fleece-lining. Also included is a  Certificate of Authenticity signed by the publisher Andrew S. Mayer.

The limitation of 1,500 copies was split evenly (500 copies each) into three editions:
The Solidbody '54 Edition
The Double-neck '05 Edition
Flat-Top '43 Edition

Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Billy Gibbons, and Keith Richards are but a few of the guitar legends who agreed to have their guitars included in this high-end limited edition book. The collection also features guitars from heralded institutions including Experience Music Project, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Hard Rock International, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

To capture each guitar “on location,” a group of three preeminent photographers traveled to over 40 locations in North America and the UK.

Walter Carter is the former historian for Gibson Guitar Corporation and the author of ten books on guitars, including Gibson Guitars: 100 Years of an American Icon and Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, he has also written a how-to for co-writing songs and a biography of the Oak Ridge Boys.

"For the first time ever, the world's most elite guitars are presented together in this collector’s limited edition. Years in the making, and featuring high-definition, state-of-the-art original digital photography throughout, The Guitar Collection is part music documentary and part photographic odyssey.

Because of the size and volume of pages, the leather-bound Guitar Collection had to be printed by one of the few companies in the world capable of making a book this size. The sleek custom-made leather case that houses this epic book is secured with satin nickel latches, while its interior is lined with luxury fabric. Also housed within the case is a richly produced companion book, The Guitar Collection: Stories, a certificate of authenticity, and one of three museum-quality prints signed by photographer John Peden.

Reviews: "The Guitar Collection is, without a doubt, the most beautiful and visually engrossing guitar expose I've ever seen.  For guitar lovers it is the Sistine Chapel of its ilk and almost as big."- Slash

"The Guitar Collection is, indeed, the single most sumptuous source of guitar glamour to have ever been conceived.  It's an overwhelming compendium, so dazzling in its scope that you might have to lie down after paging through it."
- Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top

"The Guitar Collection book is, literally, by far the 'Heavy Weight' of all guitar books.  It tips the scales on content, size, and beautiful photos, and has a coolness, never before experienced by the true guitar collector."
- Rick Nielsen, Cheap Trick

“…The Guitar Collection is a revelation…one of the most stunning guitar books ever.” - Guitar Aficionado

“…huge, luscious images of the most iconic guitars ever….a truly epic read.” - Premier Guitar

“…just viewing The Guitar Collection is a pleasure.” - Robb Report

“…a remarkable new book just published by Epic Ink, a small house in Washington State with its own reputation for creating beautiful things.” - Worth magazine

“…a mammoth and meticulously crafted dual book collection.” - Publishers Weekly

“This book is grand not only in size but also in content.” - Fretboard Journal.com