The Serious Guitarist: Essential Book of Gear – Tobias Hurwitz

The Serious Guitarist: Essential Book of Gear by Tobias Hurwitz is a comprehensive guide to electric guitars, amplifiers, effects and the equipment that has shaped guitar tone.

Designed for guitarists who want to understand more about the gear behind the music, the book combines photographs, illustrations, practical explanations and real-world examples covering everything from guitars and pickups to amplifiers, effects, strings, electronics and tonewoods.

It also includes a companion CD with demonstrations of vintage and contemporary guitar equipment, allowing you to hear examples of the sounds and setups discussed throughout the book.

Understand the Gear Behind the Sound

Rather than simply cataloguing different pieces of equipment, Essential Book of Gear looks at how guitar equipment affects the sound you actually hear.

It explores how different combinations of guitars, pickups, amplifiers and effects can be used to create sounds across styles including:

• Blues
• Jazz
• Country
• Funk
• Rock

There are also examples and breakdowns of real guitar rigs used by well-known players, providing some useful context for how different pieces of equipment work together.

Guitars, Amps, Effects & More

The book covers a broad range of guitar-related equipment and topics, including:

• Electric guitars
• Guitar amplifiers
• Effects pedals and processors
• Pickups
• Guitar electronics
• Strings
• Tonewoods
• Vintage and modern equipment
• Guitar rig combinations
• Equipment maintenance
• The development of electric guitar technology

It also traces important developments in guitar equipment from the 1930s through to the modern era, making it an interesting reference for anyone curious about how today's guitars, amps and effects evolved.

Build a Better Understanding of Your Own Rig

One of the most useful aspects of this book is that the information can be applied to your own equipment.

Understanding what different pickups do, how amplifier choices affect your sound, where effects sit within a signal chain and why particular combinations became associated with certain styles can make it much easier to build a rig that actually suits the way you play.

It's useful reading for newer guitarists discovering gear for the first time, but there's also plenty here for experienced players who simply enjoy the technical and historical side of guitars.

Companion CD Included

The book includes a companion CD featuring demonstrations of equipment and setups discussed throughout the book.

This gives you the opportunity to hear some of the concepts being discussed rather than relying entirely on written descriptions.

Key Features

• Comprehensive guide to electric guitar equipment
• Written by Tobias Hurwitz
• Covers guitars, amplifiers and effects
• Information on strings, pickups and electronics
• Discussion of different tonewoods
• Explores guitar technology from the 1930s onwards
• Famous player rig examples
• Practical information on creating different guitar sounds
• Covers blues, jazz, country, funk and rock
• Gear maintenance information
• Extensive photographs and illustrations
• Companion demonstration CD included
• Published by Alfred

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book suitable for beginner guitarists?

Yes. You don't need an advanced technical background to get something from it. It's particularly useful for players beginning to explore why different guitars, pickups, amps and effects sound different.

Does the book teach you how to play guitar?

Not primarily. This is a guitar equipment and tone reference book, rather than a traditional guitar method or songbook.

Does it cover effects pedals?

Yes. Effects and their role in creating different guitar sounds are an important part of the book, alongside guitars, amplifiers, pickups and other equipment.

Does it discuss famous guitarists' rigs?

Yes. The book includes breakdowns and examples of equipment setups associated with well-known players across different musical styles.

Is the CD included?

Yes. A companion CD is included, featuring demonstrations of vintage and contemporary equipment and some of the sounds discussed in the book.

Is all of the gear in the book current?

No. And that's actually part of its appeal. The book explores the development of guitar equipment over many decades and includes vintage and historically important gear alongside more contemporary equipment from the period in which the book was produced. It's best viewed as a guitar gear reference and history book, rather than a guide to the latest products currently on the market.

The Serious Guitarist: Essential Book of Gear is a great addition to the bookshelf for anyone who spends almost as much time thinking about guitars, amps and pedals as they do actually playing them.

Available from Colemans Music in South Melbourne or shop online Australia-wide. A place for players — new, used, traded, upgraded.