View PDF - Jess Huckins

PB 683 / Spring 2010
Book Proposal
15 Guitars that Rocked the World
and the Artists who Made Them Famous
Authors: David Fricke & Greil Marcus (Preface by Jack White)
Publisher: Random House, Knopf-Doubleday
9 x 12; 256 pages; $29.95
Acquisitions Editors:
Mike Dunphy, Jess Huckins, Jason Rabin
Proposal Contents
Summary, Description of Intended Audience,
and Author/Contributor Biographies (3 pages)
Content and Rationale (3 pages)
Annotated Table of Contents (7 pages)
Cover and Interior Spread Design (8 pages)
Comparative Book Analysis (3 pages)
Sales Rep Tip Sheet (2 pages)
Sales Channels (2 pages)
Design Specifications (2 pages)
Request for Quote (2 pages)
Publishing Timeline (2 pages)
Marketing Activities (1 page)
Budget Summary (1 page)
Profit and Loss Statement (2 pages)
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Summary, Audience, Authors / 04-26-10
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Summary
15 Guitars that Rocked the World and the Artists who Made Them Famous is a glossy,
hardcover, large format, adult trade coffee table book that profiles fifteen significant guitars from
the 20th century and their most famous players. Although the book features predominantly rock
guitars, it also includes examples from other genres, including jazz, blues, country, and folk. The
guitars were chosen based on various criteria including design, technological significance, sound,
historical importance, and iconic status. Each guitar is given at least a four-page spread which is
divided into side-bar like portions dedicated to various aspects of the guitar. Each chapter also
includes information about the manufacturer, designer (if known), technical aspects, and
measurements. The lion’s share of the text focuses on the guitar via commentary, essay, or
interview. Old interviews are used for guitarists who have passed away.
The overall flow of the book follows the guitars chronologically to emphasize the
instrument’s development in conjunction with both technological innovation and historical
context. Ultimately, however, this is an entertainment book and all other aspects are subservient
to that. That is why it is so image-heavy, containing over 160 full-color photos throughout its 100
pages. 15 Guitars is written by David Fricke with a preface by Jack White. The forward, written
by co-author Greil Marcus, chronicles the prehistory of the modern guitar from the 12th century
through the 1920s, where 15 Guitars begins. It is to be published in Fall 2012 and marketed in
various English-speaking markets.
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Summary, Audience, Authors / 04-26-10
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Description of Intended Audience
Americans call baseball their national pastime, the eagle their national symbol, and
arguably the guitar their national instrument. The success of rock’n’roll has popularized the
instrument to nearly every possible demographic, nationally and beyond. Rocking out continues
to be aspiration of the young, old, and everyone in between. Guitars (and guitarists) also have a
danger and sex appeal that excites and attracts people who see them. According to one magazine
article, an estimated 10-12% of Americans play guitar, or at least attempt to. If we add in the
millions more who have enthusiastically embraced virtual playing in games like Rock Band and
Guitar Hero, 15 Guitars that Rocked the World has huge potential audiences in experienced,
budding, and wannabe guitarists from ages 12 to 60-plus. Experienced musicians are interested
in reading information about the guitars from the heroes who play them and can also enjoy the
technical information that other readers may not be familiar with. Nostalgia attracts older players
to the personalities included in the pages. Novice guitarists, most likely younger, are attracted by
the glitzy, dynamic design of the pages as well as the opportunity to learn about guitar playing.
15 Guitars that Rocked the World should appeal to non-guitarists as well. Its design and
inclusion of posters and “free” downloadable music appeal to music aficionados of all genres.
Fans of games like Guitar Hero also represent a potentially significant market as they already
love colorful, flashy guitars and will recognize the names of many of 15 Guitars' guitarists.
Furthermore, including the book in Knopf Doubleday’s Fall 2012 catalog will add gift-givers to
the potential buyer market.
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Summary, Audience, Authors / 04-26-10
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Authors and Contributor
The majority of 15 Guitars is written by a senior writer of Rolling Stone, David Fricke. A
contributor to the magazine since 1979, he has also collaborated on and authored numerous
music-related books such as Music Game Book: A World History of 20th Century Music and Def
Leppard: Animal Instinct as well as writing the liner notes on albums for such legendary acts as
Led Zeppelin, Velvet Underground, Simon and Garfunkel, and Frank Zappa. He has also
appeared and offered commentary in several documentaries on other famous bands, making his
face well-known. The introduction is written by musicologist Greil Marcus, who has written, coauthored, and edited over fifteen books on music, most notably Mystery Train in 1975. Finally,
the preface is written by White Stripes front man, Jack White, who during his short, yet
extremely successful career, has become known for his technical innovations on the guitar.
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Content & Rationale / 4-26-10
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Content and Rationale
15 Guitars that Rocked the World and the Artists who Made Them Famous is a
perfect addition to Knopf Doubleday’s growing catalog of heavily-illustrated music titles.
This is a 250-page, 9 x 12 hardcover, nonfiction book, featuring over 100 glossy, fullcolor photographs of the most innovative and influential rock guitar models of the last
century. Each chapter includes technical specifications and historical context alongside
photographs, interviews, and histories of the stars who most notoriously wielded these
instruments. Co-authored by Rolling Stone senior writer David Fricke and accomplished
rock historian Greil Marcus, who penned an introduction chronicling guitar innovations
from the Renaissance through the 1920s, the book also features a preface by today’s
celebrated rock guitarist, Jack White, front man of The White Stripes and the Raconteurs.
The inclusion of posters and MP3 download codes makes this coffee table book a
winning gift for any musician, aspiring rocker, or rock aficionado. It will debut in Fall
2012, with time enough to build up steam for that year’s holiday season.
A visual tour through the history of a music genre, 15 Guitars has strong models
in hardcover coffee table books like Knopf’s 2002 release, Jazz: A History of America’s
Music, and more recently, 2009’s The Jazz Loft Project: Photographs and Tapes of W.
Eugene Smith from 821 Sixth Avenue, 1957-1965. Critics called this book “a stunning
cross of scholarly history and… haunted photography, “chaotic and soulful,” “a vital,
thrumming, American document,” “(A) landmark book,” “an essential book for jazz fans,
photographer lovers and those interested in the history of New York.”
With such established music writers and photographers on board and its very
similar editorial approach, we believe that 15 Guitars will produce the same kind of
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Content & Rationale / 4-26-10
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reaction from guitarists and rock fans. While there are other books that feature beautiful
color photographs of guitars or serve as encyclopedia-type reference guides to the
instrument’s history and development, 15 Guitars pairs guitar photos and specs with
portraits of the principal rock stars who made these guitars important. It focuses on what
excites the vast majority of readers about the instrument, namely, the way it has been
explored and exploited by some of the most compelling figures of our times to create our
culture’s most dominant form of popular music. It’s about the guitar both as an art object
and a tool that has unleashed the explosive creative force of artists from Robert Johnson
to B.B. King, Elvis Presley to Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix to Eddie Van Halen, Kurt
Cobain to Jack White.
While each guitar is celebrated on its own merits with a full–page color
photograph and descriptions of its technical features and historical importance, each is
also linked, through images and interviews, with the artists who belong with it as
characters in the same legends. Even weight is given to the guitar and its most iconic
player, and the story is filled out with mentions of other guitarists who were inspired by
the pairing and with additional photography. Above all, 15 Guitars is a series of
compelling stories, strikingly illustrated. It is also a guide for instrumentalists and a
source of inspiration for aspiring rockers.
The time is right for this book. In an age of electronica and auto tune, there is a
growing hunger among rock fans to once again celebrate and identify with rock guitarists.
This is evidenced by the cultural phenomenon of the video games Rock Band and Guitar
Hero. These popular games invite players to fantasize that they are mastering famous
electric guitars and that they are stepping into the shoes of the guitarists they idolize.
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Content & Rationale / 4-26-10
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When updates to these games are released, such as the ability to play as Metallica or as
the Beatles, they don’t simply sell well, they are treated by the mainstream media as
major cultural events. The reception of these games shows that the magic of the guitar
and the allure of the “guitar god” is not only alive and well, but is being revitalized.
15 Guitars capitalizes on this obsession. It will appeal to a sizable demographic
not only in the U.S. but in other English speaking, rock’n’roll loving markets, including
Mexico, Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. This demographic encompasses
baby boomers with treasured vinyl collections, members of Generation X (the MTV
generation), young professionals, bar band bohemians, garage band high schoolers, and
(as gift recipients) tweens who stream guitar lessons on YouTube, download Jack
Johnson MP3s, and listen to their parents oldies stations on the way to and from school.
These consumers will find 15 Guitars both in their bookstore’s music section and
anywhere else gift books are displayed, including front windows. It will also be found in
music retail stores. Wherever it is encountered, it will stand out from its peers. No other
book has the same focus or perspective or is as up-to-date in its subject matter.
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Annotated TOC / 4-26-10
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Annotated Table of Contents
15 Guitars that Rocked the World and the Artists who Made Them Famous
FRONT MATTER
Title page will be on the first recto page after the cover. Copyright page will come after it, on the next
verso.
Preface
The Preface, written by guitarist Jack White of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, details the nature
of guitars and guitarists: the fierce sense of competition and the one-upping that inspires them to seek,
tweak, or build the newest, baddest electric Excalibur. White will also offer some insight to the book by
explaining how some of the guitars mentioned inspired him personally.
The verso side will include images of some of White's own guitar innovations in the 2000s.
The Preface will begin on the recto immediately following the copyright page and end on the next
verso.
Table of Contents
Since this is a coffee table book, the TOC itself will be brief with small-scale photographs of each
guitar next to its name and page number. It will begin on the recto page opposite the final page of the
Preface and end on recto as well, spanning three pages.
Introduction
Written by co-author Greil Marcus.
The Introduction will chronicle the guitar's history from the 12th century through the 1920s, which is
where our book begins. It will feature illustrations and photographs for each phase of the instrument's
history, and although it will be detailed, it will comprise no more than 10 pages.
The intention here is to give a historical overview of early guitars and their predecessors before
tackling the development of rock’n’roll as an individual genre.
The Introduction will begin after the Table of Contents, starting on a recto page with a large illustration
of a bowl harp, one of the earliest string instruments known to archaeologists, on the preceding verso.
The Introduction will end on a verso page.
Diagram
The recto opposite the Introduction's ending will feature a full-color diagram of a Fender Stratocaster
with arrows pointing out the parts of the instrument, such as the neck, strings, pickups, body, et cetera,
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Annotated TOC / 4-26-10
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with brief descriptions.
The main text begins on the verso after this page.
MAIN TEXT
Written by co-author David Fricke.
Each section of the book will begin on a verso page. This page will include the guitar’s name, tagline
(which indicates its importance to the development of rock’n’roll as a genre), manufacturer, and years
of production, as well as statistical and historical details. The recto will feature a large, detailed, fullcolor image of the guitar. The next verso will include details about and photographs of some of the
“sidebar artists,” and the corresponding recto will have a “Featured Artist” (picture, bio, and interview
if possible) who played/plays that guitar. There will be additional spreads as needed to include the rest
of the “sidebar artists.”
1. 1922-Present: Gibson L-5
Tagline: “Early Electric Rhythm”
Historical Significance: The Gibson L-5 has never gone out of production, although it has been
modified and updated. It started life in acoustic form; electric models were introduced in the
1950s. It was considered the premier rhythm guitar in the big band era.
Manufacturer: Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Kalamazoo, Michigan
Featured Artist: Eddie Lang
Sidebar: Wes Montgomery, John Mayer
2. 1927-1936: National Tricone
Tagline: “Early Amplification Experiment”
Historical Significance: The National Tricone was one of the first resonator guitars, originally
designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars (which were overwhelmed by horns
and percussion instruments in dance orchestras), and was developed by John Dopyera. The
guitars became prized for their distinctive sound and were still used well after electric
amplification solved the issue of inadequate guitar sound levels. In 1927, Dopyera and George
Beauchamp formed the National String Instrument Corporation to manufacture resonator
guitars under the brand name National.
Manufacturer: National String Instrument Corporation of Los Angles, California
Featured Artist: Tampa Red
Sidebar: Oscar “Buddy” Woods, Babe Kyro Lemon Turner (better known as “Black Ace”),
Oscar Aleman, Sol Hoopii
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Annotated TOC / 4-26-10
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3. 1931-Present: Martin D-28
Tagline: “Rockabilly Rhythm and Booming Acoustics”
Historical Significance: Touted as one of the “most famous acoustic guitars” by writer and
professional musician Graham Lee, the Martin D-28 has a booming rhythm sound that succeeds
from the upper ranges down to the impressive bass.
Manufacturer: C.F. Martin of Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Featured Artist: Elvis Presley
Sidebar: Hank Williams, Hank Snow, George Jones
4. 1949-Present: Fender Broadcaster/Telecaster
Tagline: “Prototype Electric Rock Guitar”
Historical Significance: The Telecaster was important in the evolution of country, electric blues,
funk, rock’n’roll, and other forms of popular music because its solid construction allowed it to
be played loudly as a lead instrument. It was the first guitar of its kind to be produced on a
substantial scale and it has been in continuous production in one form or another since its first
incarnation, making it the world's oldest solid-body electric guitar.
Manufacturer: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation of Scottsdale, Arizona
Featured Artist: Eric Clapton
Sidebar: Muddy Waters, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen
5. 1952-1960, 1968-Present: Gibson Les Paul
Tagline: “Rock Staple”
Historical Significance: "You can do anything with this instrument." - Les Paul
Featured Artist: Les Paul
Sidebar: Frank Zappa, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Zakk Wylde, Alex Lifeson, James
Hetfield, Nancy Wilson, Billie Joe Armstrong
6. 1954-Present: Fender Stratocaster
Tagline: “1950s Icon”
Historical Significance: The Stratocaster is the most played, most popular, and most copied
electric guitar ever.
Featured Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Sidebar: David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy,
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Annotated TOC / 4-26-10
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John Lennon, Stevie Ray Vaughn
6a. Frankenstrat
An additional verso-recto spread will show Eddie Van Halen's “Frankenstrat,” with an
image of Van Halen with the guitar on the recto and details about Van Halen himself and
the guitar's history and incarnations on the verso.
7. 1955-Present: Gretsch 6120
Tagline: “Country Gentleman”
Historical Significance: First appearing in the 1950s with an endorsement by country guitarist
Chet Atkins, the 6120 has gone on the be one of the most beloved guitars in rock’n’roll, used
by artists from every walk of life and spectrum of rock; easily recognizable due to its double fhole design and Bigsby vibrato tailpiece.
Manufacturer: Gretsch of Williamsburg, New York
Featured Artist: Brian Setzer
Sidebar: Chet Atkins, Chris Cheney, The Reverend Horton Heat, Eddie Cochran, Duane Eddy
MIDDLE OF THE BOOK INSERT
Between guitars 7 and 8, there will be a pull-out poster. This will be folded in fourths to fit inside the
book. It will show the book’s cover image on one side, and the other side will have all of the featured
guitar and artist images in the order they appear in the book.
8. 1958-1959, 1967-Present: Gibson Flying V
Tagline: “Fashionable Flamboyance”
Historical Significance: Used by many artists looking for distinctive looking guitar with a
powerful sound.
Featured Artist: Keith Richards
Sidebar: Billy Gibbons, Kirk Hammett, Steve Jones, Albert King, Dave Grohl, Michael &
Rudolph Schenker, Paul Stanley, Zakk Wylde, Neil Young
9. 1958-Present: Gibson EDS-1275
Tagline: “Electric Indulgence and Supremacy”
Historical Significance: This double-neck guitar allowed for 20-minute guitar solos.
Featured Artist: Jimmy Page made this guitar famous. He used it when playing live
performances of "Stairway to Heaven" so he would not have to pause to switch from a six to a
twelve string guitar.
Sidebar: Tom Morello, Slash, Ace Frehley
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10. 1958-Present: Gibson ES-335
Tagline: “The Folk Rock Sound”
Historical Significance: The ES-335 was world's first commercial semi-acoustic electric guitar.
Featured Artist: Sheryl Crow
Sidebar: Justin Hayward, Robbie Krieger, Alex Lifeson, Roy Orbison, Joe Perry, Rich
Robinson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Coffey, The Edge
10a. Lucille
An additional verso-recto spread will show B.B. King's famous “Lucille,” with an image
of King with the guitar on the verso and details about King himself and the guitar's
history (including the bar fight story that earned the guitar her name) and incarnations on
the recto.
11. 1958: The Twang Machine
Tagline: “The Bo Diddley Beat”
Historical Significance: Bo Diddley's trademark instrument was the rectangular-bodied Gretsch
nicknamed "The Twang Machine" (referred to as "cigar-box shaped" by music promoter Dick
Clark). Although he had other odd-shaped guitars custom-made for him by other manufacturers,
Diddley fashioned the square guitar himself around 1958 and wielded it in thousands of
concerts over the years.
Diddley will forever be known for popularizing one of the foundational rhythms of rock’n’roll.
He employed it in his namesake song, “Bo Diddley,” as well as in other primal rockers like
“Mona.” This African-based 4/4 rhythm pattern (which goes bomp-bomp-bomp bomp-bomp)
was picked up from Diddley by other artists and has been a distinctive and recurring element in
rock and roll through the decades. It can be heard on Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” (later
covered by the Rolling Stones), Johnny Otis’s “Willie and the Hand Jive,” the Strangeloves’ “I
Want Candy,” the Who’s “Magic Bus,” and Bruce Springsteen’s “She’s the One,” among many
others.
Featured Artist: Bo Diddley. In a 2005 interview on JJJ radio in Australia, Bo implied that the
design sprang from an embarrassing moment. During an early gig, while jumping around on
stage with a Gibson L5 guitar, he landed awkwardly hurting his groin. He then went about
designing a smaller, less restrictive guitar that allowed him to keep jumping around on stage
while still playing.
12. 1963-Present: Rickenbacker 360/12
Tagline: “Emblem of 1960s Rock’N’Roll”
Historical Significance: One of the first electric twelve-string guitars.
Manufacturer: Rickenbacker International Corporation of Santa Ana, California
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Annotated TOC / 4-26-10
Featured Artist: George Harrison
Sidebar: Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty
13. 1967-1977: Univox Hi-Flier
Tagline: “Grunge and Distortion”
Historical Significance: Univox developed a reputation for manufacturing cheap, durable
guitars, often copied from the designs of more popular companies like Fender, Gibson, and
Mosrite. The Hi-Flier, a copy of a Mosrite Venture, came to prominence with the alternative
rock movement of the late 80s and 90s, when it could be found in the hands of Lee Ranaldo of
Sonic Youth and, more famously, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
Manufacturer: Unicord Corporation of Westbury, NY
Featured Artist: Kurt Cobain
Sidebar: Lee Ranaldo, Mark Oliver Everett (better known as “E,” of the Eels)
14. 1980-Present: Paul Reed Smith Santana
Tagline: “Master of Jams”
Historical Significance: Helped to give rise to the “screechy” sound of jam guitars.
Manufacturer: PRS Guitars of Stevensville, Maryland
Featured Artist: Carlos Santana
Sidebar: Ted Nugent, Al DiMeola, Joe Walsh, Dickey Betts, Dave Navarro
15. 1982-Present: Jackson Randy Rhoads
Tagline: “Axe of Metal”
Historical Significance: Created with the help of (and named after) the late Randy Rhoads, this
is the first guitar created by Jackson. Usually featuring two humbucker pickups and a Floyd
Rose tremolo system, the distinctive shark-fin design, association with Rhoads, and flattened
frets make it a popular choice among heavy metal shred guitarists.
Manufacturer: Jackson Guitars of Scottsdale, Arizona
Featured Artist: Randy Rhoads
Sidebar: Vinnie Vincent, Alexi Laiho
6
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Annotated TOC / 4-26-10
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BACK MATTER
About the Authors: Information about Greil Marcus and David Fricke.
Glossary: Alphabetical list of key terms presented in the text.
Photo Credits: Alphabetical list acknowledging the copyright holders and/or photographers of images
used in the text.
Index: Alphabetical list of all terms, artists, guitar models, etc. mentioned in the text.
Track List for Downloading: A list of the tracks available for download via iTunes; free codes included.
1927-1936
National Tricone
“Early Amplification Experiment”
Manufacturer:
National String Instrument Corporation of Los Angeles, California
The first models were metal-bodied and featured three conical aluminum
resonators joined by a T-shaped aluminum spider which supported the
bridge, a system called the “tricone.”
The National Tricone was one of the first resonator guitars, originally
designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars (which were
overwhelmed by horns and percussion instruments in dance orchestras),
and was developed by John Dopyera. The guitars became prized for their
distinctive sound and were still used in several musical styles, especially
bluegrass, blues, and Hawaiian music, well after electric amplification
solved the issue of inadequate guitar sound levels. In 1927, Dopyera and
George Beauchamp formed the National String Instrument Corporation to
manufacture resonator guitars under the brand name National.
4
Oscar “Buddy” Woods was a Louisiana street musician known as “The Lone Wolf ” and a pioneer in the
style of lap steel bottleneck blues slide guitar; some
experts believe he may have been the primary force
behind the creation of this whole genre. Woods was
born in the area around Natchitoches, Louisiana, and
his unknown birth date is variously listed as having
been anywhere from 1892 to 1900. About 1925 he is
known to have re-settled in Shreveport, Louisiana,
working as a musician and “street-rustler.” It is said
that Woods developed his bottleneck slide approach
to playing blues guitar after seeing a touring Hawaiian troupe of musical entertainers in the early 1920s.
Sol Hoopii (1902–1953) was a Native Hawaiian
guitarist, claimed by many as the all-time best lap
steel guitar virtuoso, and he is one the most famous
original Hawaiian steel guitarists, along with Joe
Kekuku, Frank Ferera, Sam Ku West and King Ben
Nawahi. Born Solomon Ho’opi’i Ka’ai’ai, in
Honolulu, Hawaii in 1902, he soon began playing
ukulele, guitar and Hawaiian steel guitar, and made
his debut with Johnny Noble and his Orchestra.
Together with some of his brothers he often
performed on a Matson Lines ocean liner since 1919
(a more romantic tale tells about an embarcation as
a stowaway) and eventually settled in San Francisco,
ca. 1922.
Oscar Marcelo Alemán (February 20, 1909 –
October 14, 1980) was an Argentine jazz guitarist.
He was of Afro Argentine descent. Oscar Marcelo
Alemán, talented singer, dancer, entertainer, and
guitarist, was born in Chaco Province in Northern
Argentina on February 20, 1909. At the age of six,
he was dancing and singing with his family’s folk ensemble, the Moreria Sextet playing the cavaquinho,
a Brazilian ukelele before taking up the guitar. By
the age of ten, after his mother had died and father
had committed suicide, he found himself an orphan
working sporadically as a dancer and musician on
the streets of Santos.
FEATURED
ARTIST
TAMPA RED
guitar, the loudest and
showiest guitar available
before amplification, acquiring one in the first year
they were available. This
allowed him to develop
his trademark bottleneck
style, playing single string
runs, not block chords,
which was a precursor to
later blues and rock guitar soloing. The National
guitar he used was a goldplated tricone, which was
found in Illinois in the
1990s and later sold to the
“Experience Music Project” in Seattle. Tampa Red
was known as “The Man
With The Gold Guitar,”
and, into the 1930s, he was
billed as “The Guitar Wizard.” In 1934 he signed for
Victor Records, remaining
on their artist roster until
1953. He formed the Chicago Five, a group of session musicians who created what became known as
the Bluebird sound, a preIn the 1920s, having already perfected his slide technique, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, and began his career as a musician, adopting the name ‘Tampa Red’ from his childhood home and light
colored skin. His big break was being hired to accompany Ma Rainey and he began recording in
1928 with “It’s Tight Like That,” in a bawdy and humorous style that became known as “hokum.”
Early recordings were mostly collaborations with Thomas A. Dorsey, known at the time as Georgia
Tom. Tampa Red and Georgia Tom recorded almost 90 sides, sometimes as “The Hokum Boys”
or, with Frankie Jaxon, as “Tampa Red’s Hokum Jug Band.” In 1928, Tampa Red became the first
black musician to play a National steel-bodied resonator in 1928 with “It’s Tight” were mostly riffs
7
1958-Present
Gibson
EDS-1275
“Electric Indulgence and Supremacy”
Manufacturer: Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Kalamazoo, Michigan
The Gibson EDS-1275 is a doubleneck Gibson electric guitar introduced in 1963
and still in production. Popularized and raised to iconic status by musicians such as
John McLaughlin and Jimmy Page, it was called “the coolest guitar in rock.”
Body type: Solid
Mahogany (Body), Maple (Neck), Rosewood (Fretboard)
Pickups: Two 490R Alnico magnet humbucker Humbuckers (12 and 6 string)
34
Co-authored by Rolling Stone senior writer David Fricke and celebrated rock
historian Grail Marcus, author of Mystery Train, along with a preface by Jack
White, lead guitarist for The White Stripes and the Raconteurs, 15 Guitars
features over 100 full-color photographs, rendering a vivid picture of the
history behind the explosive sound.
“No music lover should be without this book.” —The New York Times
“A smashing good time.” —Spin Magazine
15 Guitars that Rocked the World
15 Guitars that Rocked the World (and the Artists who Made Them Famous) is a tour
through rock and roll history showcasing the landmark guitars that drove its
innovation and the stars who brought them to life.
Da
Fric
Gr
Mar
Jac
Wh
Random House
Knopf Doubleday
$29.95
15 GUITARS THAT ROCKED
THE WORLD
avid
cke
reil
rcus
ck
hite
(and the artists who made them famous)
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Comparative Book Analysis / 4-26-10
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Comparative Book Template for Competition Analysis
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Title
Author/Organization
Publisher
HC/PB
Size
# Pages
# Colors
Price
Scholarly/Trade/
Reference?
© Date
Comments
50 Years of Gretsch Electrics: Half a
Century of White Falcons, Gents,
Jets, and Other Great Guitars
Tony Bacon
Hal Leonard
Corporation
PB
8 x 11 x .5
in.
144
4
$24.95
Trade
March 2005
UK
60 Years of Fender: Six Decades of
the Greatest Electric Guitars
Tony Bacon
Hal Leonard
Corporation
PB
8.5 x 11 x 1
in.
144
4
$24.99
Trade
April 2010
Rick Batey
DIANE
Publishing
Company
PB
11 x 8.4 x
0.6 in.
192
4
$28.00
Trade
February
2006
James Sallis
University
of Nebraska
Press
PB
6 x 9 x .73
in.
288
4
$17.95
Trade
February
1994
Jeff Kitts (Editor),
Brad Tolinski (Editor),
Hal Leonard
Corporation Staff Hal Leonard
(Created by)
Corporation
PB
8.5 x 6.8 x
0.6 in.
128
4
$16.95
Trade
October
2002
Charles Alexander
Hal Leonard
Corporation
PB
9.75 x 12.5
x .55 in.
192
4
$29.95
Trade
Star Guitars: 101 Guitars That
Rocked the World
Dave Hunter
MBI
Publishing
Company
LLC
HC
11.1 x 9.5
288
4
$35.00
Trade
The Stratocaster Chronicles:
Celebrating 50 Years of the Fender
Strat
Tom Wheeler;
Foreword by Eric
Clapton
HC
10 x 10 x
1.145 in.
280
4
$50.00
Trade
HC
10.31 x 12.1
x 1.34 in.
368
4
$75.00
Trade
The American Blues Guitar: An
Illustrated History
The Guitar Players: One Instrument
and Its Masters in American Music
8
Guitar World Presents the 100
Greatest Guitarists of All Time
9
10
11
12
Masters of Jazz Guitar: The Story of
the Players and Their Music
With Strings Attached: The Art and
Beauty of Vintage Guitars
Hal Leonard
Corporation
Random
House:
Jonathan Kellerman Ballantine
December
2002
CD Included
October
2010
April 2004 CD Included
October
2008
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Sales Tip Sheet / 4-26-10
1
Book Publishing Overview
SALES TIP SHEET
For Sale Reps
Publishing Company: Random House: Knopf Doubleday
Acquisitions Editors: Jess Huckins, Jason Rabin, Mike Dunphy
Date: 5/15/12
AUTHOR(S): David Fricke & Greil Marcus, with Jack White (Preface)
TITLE: 15 Guitars that Rocked the World
SUBTITLE(S): And the Artists who Made Them Famous
LIST PRICE: $29.95
FORMAT: (hc, pb) Oversized HC w/ dust jacket, 9x12
ILLUSTRATIONS: 100+ four-color photographs of guitars, musicians, and related material
BOOKSTORE SHELVING CATEGORY: Adult Non-Fiction, Music, Gift
PUB DATE: 10/1/2012
SEASONAL CATALOGUE: Fall
DESCRIPTION: (max 75 words)
An in-depth look at the development of rock’n’roll through innovative/famous guitars and the iconic guitarists
connected with them, this heavily-illustrated book includes the musicians' voices, technical specifications, and
historical context.
SELLING POINTS: (bulleted list of 3 – 5 points, in priority order)
* 100+ high-quality, four-color photographs of the guitars and guitarists
* Authored by famed musicologists David Fricke and Greil Marcus
* Interviews with the most famous guitarists of the past century
* Includes posters and downloadable music codes
HANDLE: (One sentence – what makes this book unique, special, important?)
This photographic celebration of the 15 most influential guitars of the last century focuses on the iconic stars
who share their legends, featuring interviews and exposition from a leading musicologist (Marcus) and a rock
journalist (Fricke), as well as a preface by world-renowned rock star Jack White.
COMPETING BOOKS: (only those Sales Reps MUST know about)
* With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars
* 60 Years of Fender: Six Decades of the Greatest Electric Guitars
* Star Guitars: 101 Guitars that Rocked the World
* The Guitar Players: One Instrument and its Masters in American Music
* Guitar World Presents the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Sales Tip Sheet / 4-26-10
2
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (include current city and state and professional affiliation)
David Fricke
Senior Writer, Rolling Stone
New York City, NY
Greil Marcus
Author of Mystery Train, Lipstick Traces and Dead Elvis; journalist (Rolling Stone, Village Voice)
San Francisco, CA
ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION PLANS:
* Capitalize on the authors’ connections: Advertise heavily in Rolling Stone (print and online) as well as
appearances in music and bookstores by the authors themselves. Jack White has the most selling power, so his
contribution should be pushed.
* Advertise in other music magazines (depending on Rolling Stone approval)
* Extensive promotion on the internet, especially on guitar websites and iTunes
(especially since MP3 codes will be available in the book)
* Promote as a gift during the holiday season in both book and music stores through the use of end caps and
special holiday sections
* Inclusion in book and music store catalogs
* Cross promotion with video games Rock Band and Guitar Hero
* A YouTube promotional video and online social networking campaign
* Ensure inclusion in Books in Print and libraries
* Reviews
* Promotion at the Experience Music Project in Seattle
* Radio tour
PRE-PUBLICATION COMMENTS (Book club sales, other rights activity)
* Try to get rights in Aust./NZ markets as well as UK & North American
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Sales Channels / 4-26-10 / 1
A
B
1
A
B
2
SALES CHANNELS
TITLE:
3
4
5
6
7
8
C
D
D
Units 1st 12
List Price mos
$29.95
C
E
F
G
G
Gross Rev /
Discount Unit
E
F
% of units
D5/D$51
TRADE BOOKSTORES
4000
0.20
47%
BIG BOX DISCOUNT STORES
3500
0.18
60%
I
I
Sales & Marketing Notes
$C$3-(C$3*0.47) D5*G5
$15.87
$63,494
$11.98
$41,930
SPECIALTY RETAILERS
3000
0.15
50%
$14.98
Newbury Comics, Bull
Moose, Daddy's Junky
$44,925 Music, Guitar Center, etc.
LIBRARIES
Public
University
High School
1000
300
100
0.05
0.02
0.01
30%
30%
30%
$20.97
$20.97
$20.97
$20,965
$6,290
$2,097
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
60%
60%
60%
60%
60%
$11.98
$11.98
$11.98
$11.98
$11.98
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
H
H
Gross Rev /
Channel
GIFT TRADE
Grocery stores (chains)
Drugstores
Airport news stands
B&Bs, Hotels
Giftshops
MILITARY BOOKSTORES
200
0.01
50%
$14.98
$2,995
ACADEMIC (College) BOOKSTORES
600
0.03
50%
$14.98
$8,985
BOOK CLUBS
0.00
20%
$23.96
$0
DIRECT MAIL
0.00
10%
$26.96
$0
0.07
10%
$26.96
$35,042
DISTANCE LEARNING
Content licensing
WEB SITE
1300
36
SPECIAL SALES
37 Corporations
500
0.00
Page 1
60%
15.87
$11.98
Fixed sales w/ no returns
due to partnership w/
63494 Experience Music Project
$0
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Sales Channels / 4-26-10 / 2
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
38
Nonprofit Organizations
39 Government
40
41 RIGHTS
500
0.03
0.00
60%
60%
$11.98
$11.98
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Foreign
Serial
Syndication
TV and Film
Audio book
Digital rights
CUSTOM PUBLISHING
TOTALS
52
53
5000
SALES CHANNELS
20,000
0.25
50%
$14.98
0.00
30%
$20.97
1
SUM(D5..D47) SUM(D5..D47)
Units 1st 12
Gross Rev /
List Price mos
% of units
Discount Unit
Page 2
I
Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, Country Music Hall
$5,990 of Fame, other museums
$0
Random House of
Canada Ltd, Random
House UK Ltd, Random
House Mainstream
(Scotland), Random
House Mondadori
$74,875 (Mexico)
$2,500
$0
$373,581 GROSS REVENUE
SUM(D5..D47)
Gross Rev /
Sales & Marketing Notes
Channel
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Book Design Specs / 4-26-10
1
BINDING PLAN
Cloth (hardcover) or
Paperback (softcover) Hardcover
Trim size (inches x
inches) (width by
height)
9 x 12
TEXT PLAN
MS.
words per page
BOOK
words per
page
250
# pages total
# pages
total text
in Book
67
# words total Ms.
16,960
500
33
33
16,960
Word breakdown: #
pp and # words
running text; # words
FM, captions, credits, sort out on separate
BM
TOC or spreadsheet
ART /
ILLUSTRATION
PLAN
full page
half page quarter page eighth page
Photos, b& w
3
Photos, color
30
15
50
65
33
7.5
12.5
8.13
Drawings
Maps
Sidebars
Tables
Charts
Graphs
Timelines
Subtotal pages
Total pages - Art /
Illustrations
61.13
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Book Design Specs / 4-26-10
2
TOTAL PAGES BOOK (raw)
94
2.9
# of 32 pp signatures
Rounded to even
signatures; divisible
by 32 or 16
New Total Book
Pages (signatures x
32, or 32s + 16, or +
8)
of which xx pages are
on coated stock for 4color printing
8
256
61
COVER PLAN
# colors (1, 2, 3, 4)
Print outside only:1 &
4
Print inside also: 2 &
3
Dust jacket
French flaps
End papers
4
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
SHIPPING /
PACKAGING
PLAN
shrink wrap single
books?
shrink wrap multiple
books?
ship with other
related products?
Yes
No
No
1
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / RFQ / 4-26-10
Request for Quote
Date:
4/25/10
To:
Sean Stanford, Sales Rep., World Color Printers
___________________________________
Please estimate the following title for us:
Title:
15 Guitars that Rocked the World and the Artists who Made Them Famous
Month to Arrive at Printer:
May 2012
Expected Print Date:
October 2012
Quantity:
20,000
Trim Size:
9 x 12
Number of Pages:
256
Number Hardback:
20,000
Stock:
Text pages:
Endpapers:
Jacket/Cover:
63
No
________
Text pages:
Endpapers:
Jacket/Cover:
4-color
No
4-color
Ink:
Number Paperback:
0
Binding:
Perfect:
Adhesive Notch:
Smythe:
Other:
____ ___
________
X
________
Case Material:
Stamping:
Headbands:
No
No
Cover coating:
UV Coating: Yes
Film Laminate: ________
Gloss: ________
Miscellaneous:
Preparation:
Freight: $5,000
FOB Warehouse?
CIF Warehouse?
Carrier:
________
Special Requirement:
_____________________
______________
Manufacturing:
Web:
________
Sheetfed:
X
Cameron/Belt: ________
Packing:
Carton Specification, Size,
Weight, Labels & Marking:______
Shrink Wrapping: YES; overseas
Pallet Specifications:
______________________
Payment Terms:
________________________________
________________________________
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / RFQ / 4-26-10
Estimate from Printer:
$1.20/bk, + 10 cents per book for shrink wrapping =
$1.30 x 20,000 bks = $26,000
$26,000 + $5,000 freight =$31,000
2
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Publishing Timeline / 4-26-10
1
BOOK
PUBLISHING
OVERVIEW
EDITORIAL
PHASE
BIG BANG
PRODUCTION
PHASE
SALES
DEVELOPMENTAL
LINE
ACQUISITIONS ESTIMATE
BUDGET CONTRACT EDITING
EDITING
1-May
5/1/2010
1-May
Jun-10
Dec-10
Feb-11
ART,
MAPS,
COPY
DESIGN
ETC.
EDITING LAYOUT
May-11 Jun-11
Jun-11
Aug-11
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Publishing Timeline / 4-26-10
TYPESETTING
Oct-11
MANUFACTURING
PHASE
MARKETING
PHASE
3 months
6 months
PRINTING
PUB
MARKETING DATE
PUBLICITY
Dec-11 Oct-12
Apr-10
May-12
SALES AND
DISTRIBUTION
PHASE
2
ANALYSIS
PHASE
IN
FINANCIAL
DISTRIBUTION
BOOKSTORES REVIEWS
ANALYSIS
Aug-12
1-Oct
Nov-12
Feb-13
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Marketing Activities / 4-26-10
Marketing Activities
Budget: $31,577
PREPUB
• Include in catalogs
• Full-color BLAD
• Advances Reading Copies
• Countertop Display
• Floor stand display boxes
• Online social networking campaign
• YouTube trailer (15 seconds, with a few teasing images, rock guitar music, title,
authors, and pub date)
• Free MP3 releases from book and publisher Web sites, social media pages, and
iTunes
AT PUB DATE
• Press release (digital)
• Press kit (print) with author headshots and bios, pull-out poster, and MP3
download codes (already included in production costs)
• Release party at Seattle Experience Music Project (expenses shared)
AFTER PUB
• Radio tour for authors as available
• Free advertising and featured chapters in Rolling Stone
• Free advertising on Jack White band Web sites
• Cross promotion with video games Rock Band and Guitar Hero
1
Random House / Guitar / Fricke / Budget Summary / 4-26-10
Budget Summary
Author royalty: $56,037
Freelance editorial: $6,048
Plant costs: $15,940
Printing/Binding/Shipping: $31,500
1
Random House / Guitar / Fricke/ P&L / 4-26-10
AUTHOR: David
Fricke & Greil
Marcus
PUBLISHER: Random House
TITLE: 15 Guitars that Rocked the
World
DATE OF BUDGET/REVISION: 4-12-10/4-26-10
ISBN:
PUB DATE: 10/1/2012
SPECS
TRIM SIZE (WIDTH/HEIGHT)
BINDING (CLOTH OR PAPER)
TEXT PAPER
TOTAL PRINTED PAGES
COVER COLORS (NUMBER)
COVER/CASE STOCK
JACKET STOCK
# COVER/JKT PHOTOS
# PHOTOS (b&w, Color)
# ILLUSTRATIONS
# MAPS
# WORDS
1
NOTES
9 x 12
Cloth Hardcover
UV Coated
e.g., 6 in x 9 in
uncoated (1-color printing); coated (i.e., varnished; 4-color printing)
256
4
4
163
1
0
0
COSTS
A) PLANT COSTS
1) EDITORIAL COSTS
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
LINE EDITING
VETTING
Yes 8hrs for 4 weeks
No
No
COPYEDITING
Yes, extra for specialist
TEXT PERMISSIONS
PROOF GALLEYS
PROOF PAGES
PHOTOCOPYING
POSTAGE/FREIGHT
TOTAL EDITORIAL COSTS:
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
2) ART COSTS
ILLUSTRATIONS (DRAWINGS)
PHOTOS
PHOTO RESEARCHER
PHOTO PERMISSIONS
MAPS
TIMELINES
CHARTS, etc.
TOTAL ART COSTS:
3) DESIGN COSTS
TEXT DESIGN
PB COVER DESIGN
DUST JACKET DESIGN
PHOTOS (COVER)
TOTAL DESIGN COSTS:
$4,000 if needed; $25 / hour
if needed; $20 / hour X 10 pp. / hr.
if needed; $150 per reader; 3 vettors / book
$800 for all books; $20 / hour; 8 pp. / hour
$50 (+/-) X # of pieces of text if © owned by other sources
$512
$435
$51
$250
$6,048
new art commissioned for this book
$50 each if drawn for this book
$150 x each photo taken for this book
1—included in photo research
None taken specifically for book
110—includes photos from Rolling
Stone and museum partnerships
$1,000
55
No
No expense
No expense
$20 / hour; 10 pp / hour
15% less than proof galley
4 x # of ms. pages (# words / 250) X $.05 / pg.
$250
$2,750 $50 (+/-) X # of photos, illustrations, maps if © owned by other sources
$100 each if drawn for this book
$3,750
Yes
4—included in cost of “photo
researcher” line above
$2,000 interior pages:$750 all text; up to $2500 very complex design
$500 simple; $1500 complex
$1,500 $1,500
$350 X each photo used on cover
$3,500
4) TEXT COSTS
TYPESETTING / LAY OUT PAGES
RUN OUT GALLEYS
SET GALLEY CORRECTIONS
flow into Quark or InDesign; $5 / book pg simple text; $15 / book page if
1280 heavily illustrated
$100 for proofreading and editorial review; $10 per copy x 10
$512 avg. $2 per book page
TOTAL TEXT COSTS:
Random House / Guitar / Fricke/ P&L / 4-26-10
$1,892
5) COLOR SEPARATIONS & PROOFS already have printing cost
COLOR SEPARATIONS (proofs)
PAGE PROOFS
TOTAL SEPS & PROOFS COST:
# of color photos and color illustrations X $75
$500 $150 if all text; $500 if heavily illustrated
$500
POSTAGE/FREIGHT
$250 $250
TOTAL PLANT COSTS:
B) PRINT/BIND/SHIP COSTS
PRINT & BIND
FREIGHT IN
BROKERAGE/CUSTOMS
TOTAL PRINT/BIND/SHIP:
$15,940
20,000
Printing overseas w/ shrinkwrap
Printing overseas
A) TOTAL PLANT COSTS
B) TOTAL PRINT/BIND/SHIP
TOTAL COST (PLANT + PRINT-BINDSHIP)
GROSS REVENUE
1ST YEAR SALES REVENUE EST.
2ND YEAR SALES REVENUE EST.
3RD YEAR SALES REVENUE EST.
TOTAL GROSS REVENUE
2
# copies first printing; matches Total Sales 1st Year
$26,000.00 1st press run only; from Printer's Estimate
$5,000 from printer to warehouse; $.10 / copy
$500 $500 if printing overseas
$31,500
$15,940
$31,500
$47,440
sales channels sheet
$373,581 from "Sales Channels" spreadsheet
ignore unless making multi-yr plan
$373,581
ADJUSTED REVENUE
1) PLANT COSTS
2) COST OF PRINT - BIND - SHIP
3) COST OF MARKETING
4) COST OF ROYALTIES
AVG NET RECEIPT / COPY SOLD
# OF RETURNS
5) COST OF RETURNS
6) COST OF WAREHOUSE & ORDER
FULFILLMENT
7) COST OF OVERHEAD
GROSS REV LESS COST OF # 1 - 7:
PLANT + PRINTING + MARKETING +
ROYALTIES + RETURNS +
WAREHOUSE & FULFILLMENT +
OVERHEAD = PROFIT / LOSS
PROFIT / LOSS
Total P/L by % of Gross Revenue
MISC. INFORMATION
LIST PRICE
BASE ROYALTY RATE ( net %)
FIRST YR. ROYALTIES (EST.)
ADVANCE
AUTHOR FEES
UNIT COST
$15,940
$31,500
14.5% of net sales, industry avg. (or from Marketing
$31,577 worksheet)
assume base royalty of 10% of net receipts applies to all
$37,358 1st year sales
$37 Gross Rev / # copies sold
# copies sold less 35% (trade books) or 15% (scholarly
7000 books)
# of returns X avg. net receipt per copy (Total Gross Rev. /
$130,753 # copies sold)
$33,622 avg. 9% of Gross Revenue
$37,358 assume 10% of Gross Revenue
$55,472
55,472
many trade books lose money, at least in Yr. #1; a good
15% profit is 10%
$29.95
15% See Contract Terms Summary
$56,037 Based on Sales Estimate ("Channels" spreadsheet)
$28,018 Not an Expense; usually a percentage of 1st year's royalties
In lieu or in addition to royalty and advance against
royalties
Total Cost (excluding Advance Against Royalties) / #
$5.17 printed (1st press run)