The Birth of Loud : Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll
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Original price
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"A hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history" (The New York Times Book Review), this one-of-a-kind narrative masterfully recreates the rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar's amplified sound-Leo Fender and Les Paul-and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built. In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock 'n' roll-and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender's tiny firm marketed the first solid-body electric guitar, the Esquire, musicians immediately saw its appeal.
Not to be out-maneuvered, Gibson, the largest guitar manufacturer, raced to build a competitive product. The company designed an "axe" that would make Fender's Esquire look cheap and convinced Les Paul-whose endorsement Leo Fender had sought-to put his name on it. Thus was born the guitar world's most heated rivalry: Gibson versus Fender, Les versus Leo.
While Fender was a quiet, half-blind, self-taught radio repairman, Paul was a brilliant but headstrong pop star and guitarist who spent years toying with new musical technologies. Their contest turned into an arms race as the most inventive musicians of the 1950s and 1960s-including bluesman Muddy Waters, rocker Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton-adopted one maker's guitar or another. By 1969 it was clear that these new electric instruments had launched music into a radical new age, empowering artists with a vibrancy and volume never before attainable.
In "an excellent dual portrait" (The Wall Street Journal), Ian S. Port tells the full story in The Birth of Loud, offering "spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars" (The Atlantic). "The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new" (The Washington Post).
Shipping Pricing Guide
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Standard Delivery for Small Parts & Accessories + Vinyl Records (2-3 Day) - £3.50
Standard Delivery for Small/Medium Items (3-5 Working Day) - £4.99
Standard Guitar & Amp Delivery (3-5 Working Day) - £9.99
Express Small/Medium Item Delivery (Next Working Day) - £9.99
Express Instrument & Amp Delivery (Next Working Day) - £14.99
Setup & Ship Service - £25.00 Professional setup service worth over £50! Lead times typically +2 days for this service.
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International Shipping
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Online Orders – 14-Day Returns (Distance Selling Regulations) Customers who make a purchase online or via distance selling are entitled to return an item within 14 days of receipt, in accordance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations. Items must be in unused condition and returned with all original packaging and documentation.
Refunds will be issued to the original payment method once the item has been inspected and confirmed to be in resalable condition.
Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer unless the item is faulty or supplied in error.
In-Store Purchases Items purchased in-store are not eligible for a refund. However, we do offer exchange or a store credit (gift card) for in-store purchases returned within 14 days, provided they are in their original condition with proof of purchase.
Exclusions Please note that custom orders, modified items, B-stock, clearance items, and goods obtained through part exchange are non-refundable, unless faulty.
Partial Refunds There are certain situations where only partial refunds may be granted, at our discretion. These include, but are not limited to:
Guitars returned with protective plastic film removed from pickguards or pickups.
Items showing signs of use or handling.
Missing or damaged original packaging, tags, or accessories.
All returns are inspected upon receipt. If a return does not meet the conditions above, we reserve the right to refuse it or issue a partial refund.
Founded in 2017 as a physical store, we pivoted to e-commerce during the pandemic. Serving customers throughout the UK, we maintain our traditional storefront while thriving in the online space. A guitar store created by and for guitar enthusiasts.
