The Strat in the Attic 2: More Thrilling Stories of Guitar Archaeology Hardcover – November 1, 2014

I've been meaning to write a 5-star review for the first "Strat in the Attic" and haven't gotten around to it yet, thought I've bought additional copies for friends and relatives who appreciate beautiful guitars and classic tales. I held off buying Vol. 2 for some unfathomable reason, maybe because of reviews talking about lesser-quality photos. But after reading Vol. 1 over and over, like a fine wine, I realized that Dickerson's writing is the draw, and the photos are the icing on the cake, so I took the plunge! And Vol. 2, in my opinion, may be even better than Vol. 1!! If for no other reason than, Hendrix-fan that I am, the essay on "The Magic Strat" absolutely stole my heart! No spoilers here, but Deke Dickerson is not only one of the world's foremost guitararchaeologists, but he's a heck of a... well... anyway he's a great writer. Who would've thought that the same '58 Strat passed through the hands of Buddy Holly, Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, Ritchie Blackmore, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton???Dickerson's love for the music, the players, the genre, the instruments, and for CLEAN amps (??? who would've thought???) is a delight. This is an excellent book and Dickerson is my favorite guitar writer. Keep up the great work, Deke!~! Thanks for these first 2 treasures, and we look forward to many more!!

Every so often Deke would post tales of amazing finds of his while on tour or visiting estate sales on his facebook page. It wasn't just these rare pieces of music history that he would unearth, it was the stories attached to them that intrigued me. Being somewhat old-school, I suggested (as did many others) perhaps half jokingly / half serious at the time "Deke, you should really put these together in a book". You can certainly imagine my delight when he did just that, and the result was "The Strat In The Attic". Now just a year later, Deke is back with another volume, this time compiled with not just his own personal finds, but from those that contacted Deke after reading his first volume. What makes it most enjoyable for me, is the research that Deke will do to provide the reader more information. So those tunes you grew up listening to as a kid that were perhaps part of your parents', or grandparents' record collection, these would have been the guitars used for those very recordings.You certainly don't have to be a guitar geek to appreciate this book, but if you're a music enthusiast like myself then you'll certainly enjoy this book or know someone who will.

Another great collection of stories......but I didn't like 'being had' about the Magic Guitar. Damn you, Deke!!! grrrrrrI loved this book....and I'll reread both books again and again. I know there are zillions of stories out there. A book that contained them would rival in size a bill being passed by congress about the height of toilet seats. My only bitch is a story about West Coast jazz/country guitarist, Jimmie Rivers doubleneck Gibson SG (12/6) was missing. Yeah, I know, get a life.Frankly, Mr. Dickerson, you could write these books all the way to volume 2000 and I and others here would own every one.Little did I know, the green Standel amp plugged into a dc inverter in a jeep and riding around the California State Fair grounds jamming in 1965 would be worth tons of dough. I wonder what my first electric, a Westbrook made in Japan would be worth today? I know...nothing!

I'm a fan of all things Deke. Deke has an easy-to-read writing style, and the stories are interesting. Deke's interest in and knowledge of vintage guitars exceeds mine by a very very wide margin, and I am not always as enthusiastic as I think he would like for me to be about the instrument or person being described. Nevertheless, in my retirement I spend a lot of time at auctions and flea markets, and I know the thrill of the great find. Deke's books feed this interest very effectively.Deke frustrates me because he is a superbly talented artist who, in my opinion, undervalues his own talent and ability. When I see him playing live, he too often treats his unbelievable ability as a party trick or a stunt. The truth is, he is easily one of the best guitarists playing in any genre, and he is a good writer to boot.

This was a wonderful book, especially as a follow up for Strat In The Attic. Deke Dickerson is a great writer and this covers some additional territory that wasn't covered in the original book. Look, even if you don't like or care one iota about guitars, the stories are fun and really cool. This book also has the unintended consequence of exposing people to early music industry icons and the business in its' earliest stages. And you'll get exposed to some musicians and music that you'd probably never heard of any other way.Deke thinks of himself as quirky and unusual. I hope he puts this quirkiness to good use by writing more books and making more music. If I had one criticism, it'd be that this book doesn't include a teaser trailer for Strat In The Attic 3 and 4!

Deke captures the heart (the hoarding heart) of every guitar player I know! Not only have both books deepened my knowledge of some very fine luthiers and introduced me to others, but they've made me appreciate the music that compels every guitar player to pick up an instrument.This is a must read whether you just scraped together a few hundred bucks to buy your first guitar and amp (mine was a black 1980 Gibson Sonex-180 and Peavy practice amp) or you've been collecting and trading guitars in the 20 years that follows!Thanks Deke and everyone who contributed to the writing of this book- I could only put it down to pick up a guitar to noodle something I was inspired to play as I read!

Another bunch of intriguing tales of guitar treasures unearthed. Deke. Dickerson has obviously had a tremendous response to volume 1 and this volume features some stories from other people. Not all of these are as well told as Deke's own which for me made this one less engaging than the first book. Also it only has black and white photos. (Admittedly some of these are old catalog shots which were not in colour originally). On the Kindle edition the layout is a bit wonky in places but better than that for volume 1. However, I would say that for the guitar geek this is still a great read.

Fabulous and very entertaining!! Not just for guitar collectors but probably of real interest to GAS addicts! There are two of these books and both are terrific! Telling the stories of how many wonderful old guitars were tracked down, stumbled upon or gifted by generous owners to the author and his fellow contributors! Very highly recommended

This is a really great read. Both this and the first Strat in the attic book are well worth reading, inspirational and entertaining in equal amounts

Having enjoyed volume one of Strat in the attic I was looking forward to volume two, and it doesn't disappoint, like volume one it's full of great short stories about guitar acquisition that most of us can relate to, so if you're into guitars, buy it, you'll enjoy it.

Great book but not as well finished as the first with regards to paper used and lack of colour photographs.Still highly recommended for its stories and facts and I would certainly buy the next if there is one coming out.