The Guitar

"""The Guitar has everything necessary to become a classic in more than one discipline... of interest to those who want to know what a continuous hunger for six strings demands from nature and how it promotes certain supply chains worldwide."" * popcultureshelf.com * “How old is a guitar? Did its life begin in the hands of the player, in the workshop or the factory, in the sourcing of its wood, or in the forests from which it came, with their majestic, centuries-old trees? In an exhilarating round-the-world journey, Gibson and Warren follow the trail of this most eloquent of instruments to its arboreal roots. Full of colorful characters, it’s a story that will keep you on edge of your seat.”   -- Tim Ingold, University of Aberdeen “The book integrates cultural practices and environmental issues of profound importance. It will have a vast appeal to those who, like myself, buy, use, and love guitars. Beautifully written, jargon-free, clear, and vivid. Brilliant!” -- Doug Harper, Duquesne University “At a time when our world faces increasing global crises, Gibson and Warren trace guitars back to their trees to offer the first sustained example of how to rethink commodity chains as chains of care. Through rich, multisited ethnographic research, they show how people across the Global North and Global South attempt to sustain each other and their skilled handcraft industry by caring for the trees and the forests, by caring for one another along with everyone in the chain, and by caring for trees they will never, as individuals, live to see become guitars—in order that someone else someday can. Richly researched and compellingly crafted, this book stands as a model for the creative soul of geographical scholarship.”   -- Dydia DeLyser, California State University, Fullerton “Every guitar maker, and player, should read it.” -- Miles Jackson, CEO of Cole Clark ""How old is a guitar? Did its life begin in the hands of the player, in the workshop or the factory, in the sourcing of its wood, or in the forests from which it came with their majestic, centuries-old trees? In an exhilarating, round-the-world journey, Gibson and Warren follow the trail of this most eloquent of instruments to its arboreal roots. Full of colourful characters, it’s a story that will keep you on edge of your seat.” -- Tim Ingold, University of Aberdeen “At a time when our world faces increasing global crises Gibson and Warren trace guitars back to their trees to offer the first sustained example of how to rethink commodity chains as chains of care. Through rich, multi-sited ethnographic research Gibson and Warren show how people across the Global North and Global South attempt to sustain each other and their skilled handcraft industry by caring for the trees and the forests, by caring for one other along with everyone in the chain, and by caring for trees they will never, as individuals, live to see become guitars—in order that someone else someday can. Richly researched and compellingly crafted, this book stands as a model for the creative soul of geographical scholarship.” -- Dydia DeLyser, California State University, Fullerton “The book integrates cultural practices and environmental issues of profound importance. It will have a vast appeal to those who, like myself, buy, use, and love guitars. Beautifully written, jargon-free, clear, and vivid. Brilliant!” -- Doug Harper, Duquesne University"