Electric Guitar & Bass Design

Lots of good things in here! Will help avoid alot of mistakes in designing guitars. All sorts of helpful ideas and tips to put in your head.

I just finished reading it. I loved reading this book, and Leo even adds a little humor here and there. This book is a great investment in my opinion, an essential to add to your collection.

I've read parts or all of 1/2 dozen books on building a guitar and this one filled in ALL the blanks. I loved Hisacock's book--a bible I refer to often--but Lospennato's book was just what I was looking for. It is a fast read and it explained in clear diagrams and bullet points the concepts for proper design so that you can understand relative measurements, anticipate mistakes and identify design flaws, and truly feel that you understand the difference between what you can and can't alter for style. Just appreciating how measurements from the bridge are central to your build was worth the price of the book. It helped me understand the reasons that playability and tone are effected by design and build.

For all the knowledge I had gained in reading and re-reading other guitar-making books, I was haunted by a number of questions that this book finally answered. In explaining not just "How" but "Why," this book allowed me to proceed with much more relaxed confidence as I take the router to the wood.

I wish this book had come out a long time ago. The favorite in my guitar literature library.

easy to read with clear examples to teach design any type of solid-body instrument.
Highly recommended

Fun and insightful book to get your creative juices flowing!

When people talk about "guitar design" they refer to the shape of the body. But this book relates those shapes to a "classic" or a "radical" character based on its geometry; it tells you about ergonomics, about the metaphor it embodies (!), about the originality and inspiration in a world over-saturated with strats and paulas. And that's only the first 3 or 4 chapters.
I am a musician, not a luthier, so even if it is well written in plain English, I believe the technical depth of the rest of the book will be enjoyed mostly by guitarmakers, not guitarists. I really liked the interviews with professional designers at the end, though.
Nice edition, original and recommended.