The rich history of the acoustic guitar and its impact on the music world.

In 2020, guitar expert John Stubbings released a limited-edition book on the American acoustic guitar that sold out in days. Now, The Devil Is in It returns with additional research and subject matter for a new generation of readers. Stubbings traveled the country and met with guitar makers, players, collectors, and historians to unravel the long and rich history of the acoustic guitar, its evolution, and the music it has made over the last hundred years.

Starting with the eighteenth-century European classical guitar, luthiers altered the instrument, changing the way musicians played them, and in turn the music they made. This slow but steady transformation created the iconic American flat-top that became influential across genres and rooted itself in cultural significance. The guitar developed from an obscure instrument into a superstar of the musical world, rivaling then overshadowing its competition. Tied to artists from Gillian Welch and Tracy Chapman to Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, the acoustic guitar maintains its eminence in American music and culture. The story of an alluring instrument that shaped the music of the twentieth century, The Devil Is in It is a must-read for lovers of the acoustic guitar and the music it has made.

The Devil Is in It is the culmination of years of experience, research, extensive travels, sheer sweat and determination, love and obsession. It has expanded my knowledge, and I know other readers will find it as informative and entertaining as I have. ~George Gruhn

The Devil Is In It is one of the most elegant books about the guitar that I have read. John Stubbings’s love letter to the instrument that has haunted my dreams and filled my waking moments since childhood is a must-read for guitar lovers worldwide—especially those with a taste for vintage and bespoke instruments. What a pleasure. ~Michael Watts, guitarist