Clapton's Guitar

Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument

By: Allen St John

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Paperback | 1 June 2006

At a Glance

Paperback
288 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.23 x 12.07 x 1.91

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New York Times bestselling author Allen St. John started off looking for the world's greatest guitar, but what he found instead was the world's greatest guitar builder.

Living and working in Rugby, Virginia (population 7), retired rural mail carrier Wayne Henderson is a true American original, making America's finest instruments using little more than a pile of good wood and a sharp whittling knife. There's a 10-year waiting list for Henderson's heirloom acoustic guitars--and even a musical legend like Eric Clapton must wait his turn. Partly out of self-interest, St. John prods Henderson into finally building Clapton's guitar, and soon we get to pull up a dusty stool and watch this Stradivari in glue-stained blue jeans work his magic. The story that ensues will captivate you with its portrait of a world where craftsmanship counts more than commerce, and time is measured by old jokes, old-time music, and homemade lemon pies shared by good friends.

Industry Reviews

Clapton's Guitar delivers a fascinating tale that's bound to leave you longing for a Henderson of your own. -- Southern Living
Clapton's Guitar takes the reader on a craftsman's journey that [began] when . . . Eric Clapton first picked up a Henderson guitar. -- The Wall Street Journal
Only a guitar book in the sense that The Orchid Thief is only a book about gardening. St. John makes the case for the transformative power of certain objects and the not-so-quaint notion of craftsmanship. -- Allen Barra, American Heritage
St. John . . . has created a memorable portrait of a likable, self-effacing craftsman at work. St. John writes, 'Some people simply have the gift of being able to make a piece of wood sing.' He doesn't come out and say it, but you know he's thinking it: Henderson is God. -- David Kelly, The New York Times Book Review

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