Clapton's Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument

Allen St. John

Oct 2005 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Allen St. John started off looking for the world’s greatest guitar, but what he found instead was the world’s greatest guitar builder.

Living and working in Rugby, Virginia (population 7), retired rural mail carrier Wayne Henderson is a true American original, making America's finest instruments using little more than a pile of good wood and a sharp whittling knife. There's a 10-year waiting list for Henderson's heirloom acoustic guitars—and even a musical legend like Eric Clapton must wait his turn. Partly out of self-interest, St. John prods Henderson into finally building Clapton's guitar, and soon we get to pull up a dusty stool and watch this Stradivari in glue-stained blue jeans work his magic. The story that ensues will captivate you with its portrait of a world where craftsmanship counts more than commerce, and time is measured by old jokes, old-time music, and homemade lemon pies shared by good friends.

Ratings and reviews

the details are great, very readable.

About the author

Allen St. John is the co-author of the New York Times best-selling book The Mad Dog 100: The Greatest Sports Arguments of All Time, with radio personality Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, published in May 2003 by Doubleday. St. John is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal’s Weekend section and a contributing editor at The Village Voice. He has written for a wide variety of national publications including The New York Times Magazine, Playboy, Salon, National Geographic Adventure, Men's Journal, Men's Health, and Maxim.