George Gruhn knows your guitar.

You may have just bought it, owned it for years, or even if you don’t own it yet. Especially if you don’t own it yet. George Gruhn knows your guitar. And this is why Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars is the bible of identifying American string instruments.

If you are a seasoned collector, you know this already. You’ve probably used it. For casual enthusiast or newbies to the vintage guitar collector’s game, you need to know.

George Gruhn is a guitar hero.

While in university in 1963, George was looking for a guitar that would help him sound like the folk musicians he was in to. He went through a number of guitars before landing on a Gibson L-5.

And here is where George Gruhn fell into a hobby that would earn him a living for the rest of his life. While searching for his guitar, Gruhn came across quality instruments that he didn’t necessarily want, but he knew he could flip for a profit.

All this was before the Internet, e-bay or anyone was interested in vintage Stratocasters.

George Gruhn didn’t invent vintage guitar collecting, but for most of his adult life he has been the go to guy when someone wanted an elusive axe. Eventually he set up shop in Nashville opening Gruhn’s Guitars in 1970. For 49 years now, the shop has been servicing guitar enthusiast from all walks of life and musical tastes. Customers of the now famed instrument shop include Dylan, Clapton, McCartney and Swift. That would be T Swift as in Taylor.

The knowledge Gruhn amassed over the years is unsurpassed.

In 1991, George with the help of Walter Carter put together the 1st edition of Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars. The second edition was expanded by 25%. The current and 3rd edition was published in 2010. It was not only expanded once again, but the categorization of the information has change. The change has mixed reviews on the amazon’s listing, but overall this guide has excellent user reviews.

No Picture. No Prices.

This is not a catalogue, but a tool to help collectors identify what they are looking at. Don’t expect things to be served to you on a platter. Gruhn’s Guide is for those who love the thrill of the hunt.

Say your uncle from London, knew a guy who knew a guy, who shagged a girl who was a groupie for John Mayall and the Bluebreakers. Story has it that the girl got bored of waiting as the band rehearsed and left with a Gibson Les Paul which she traded for some heroin and a shag. Years later your uncle won the guitar in a poker game. At first, he tried to learn how to play, but couldn’t master an F bar chord and the Les Paul soon found itself under his bed collecting dust.

Could this be Eric Clapton’s long lost Beano Sunburst? Well no, the story I just told you is a fabrication. If the story was true could Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars identify this as a Clapton Les Paul. No again. The guide cannot trace DNA.

But Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars could help you identify if the guitar is a rare ’59 Les Paul. At which point ka-ching, you’ve got something worth $500,000+. The guide will also let you know if your uncle is full of crap and the guitar was built in Gibson’s lacklustre mid-70s.

Is Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars for you?

If you’re interested in investing in a vintage axe and don’t have a personal buyer, the answer is yes. If you like to sniff around garage sales the guide is a must. If you’ve got an Uncle with a great story and a dusty guitar, well that all depends on how well you know your uncle.