In a recent poll of practicing art critics; 75 percent reported that rendering judgments on artworks was the least significant aspect of their job. This is a troubling statistic for philosopher and critic Noel Carroll; who argues that that the proper task of the critic is not simply to describe; or to uncover hidden meanings or agendas; but instead to determine what is of value in art. Carroll argues for a humanistic conception of criticism which focuses on what the artist has achieved by creating or performing the work. Whilst a good critic should not neglect to contextualize and offer interpretations of a work of art; he argues that too much recent criticism has ignored the fundamental role of the artists intentions. Including examples from visual; performance and literary arts; and the work of contemporary critics; Carroll provides a charming; erudite and persuasive argument that evaluation of art is an indispensable part of the conversation of life.
#1389210 in eBooks 1999-06-01 1999-06-01File Name: B002C74K1E
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Gruhns is like a dictionary. Its meant to be "Used" not "Read". Theres no finer reference for Vintage instrument enthusiastsBy CrackedAxesIf youre looking for a book to read about vintage instruments Gruhns Guide is probably not what youre looking for.This is a reference book full of data and specifics intended to help collectors and dealers identify. date and verify the authenticity of vintage American instruments. Not every manufacturer is represented in this book but its amazing how much information Mr. Gruhn has compiled in one place. As reference material I give it five stars. Ive seen a number of reviews stating they would rather the book be laid out by date of manufacture but I wonder if some of those folks are putting the cart before the horse. What I mean is if you "know" that the guitar in your hands is a 1991 Gibson Les Paul Classic. why do you need to look it up in a book? If on the other hand youre trying to verify what the guitar in your hands actually is. then structuring the book as Gruhn does. by Maker and model is a way better approach.Imagine you are like me and youve been playing guitar for forty years and at some point you decide that after all the time invested and love for the instrument you are worthy of a true vintage instrument. An investment grade masterpiece "tool-of-the-trade that might just give you the inspiration to elevate your playing to the next plateau. Youve got your heart set on a 1962 Stratocaster like the one your hero played when you were a kid sitting in the cheap seats of that sold out show. The thing is. youre not a kid anymore and while your heart is longing for the dream guitar you couldnt have way back when. your grown up brain is rationally saying:"Thats a serious investment. How am I ever going to convince the wife that I know what Im doing!???...."So you comb the internet looking for slab rosewood fret boards and sunburst finishes until you find just the right one but the sticker price is $17K.... Gulp!... Being level headed you realize that you need to do some checking to authenticate that this holy grail is not actually a counterfeit so where do you start? Do you start by assuming that the guitar in question is in fact a 1962 Stratocaster and work your way backwards? Or do you start with no assumptions and compare what the guitar in hand actually is to what a 1962 Strat is supposed to be? For my $17K and my wifes peace of mind. Ill go with the latter approach and any deviation for what "should be" to "what is" will peg my BS detector. Thats what Gruhns Guide is for.As I stated in the beginning of this review. this book isnt meant to be a story book. Its a reference guide. That matters to you if youre considering the purchase of the book because it is laid out in a way that assumes the reader has some basic knowledge. Much like a dictionary requires the user to understand spelling. Gruhns Guide requires a basic knowledge of manufacturers. model names and features. If terms like "p-90". "Split-Coil" and "1-Ply 5 Hole Guard" are Greek to you. this book might not be of much use. Then again. if youre considering the purchase of this book. youre probably well along the rabbit trail of "guitar geek" and those requirements are not an issue.Overall. Gruhns guide is the finest reference available to vintage guitar enthusiasts. If you are looking for deep dive information about Fender Telecasters or Gibson Les Pauls. there are plenty of books available you can read and enjoy. Gruhns guide is meant to be "used" not "read".Enjoy!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A HANDY GUIDE (that could be more helpful)By GuitartecWhile I believe this book is the "holy bible" of vintage guitar info. I truly wish it would help decipher the mysteries of Gibsons disordered serialization process of the early 70s. I was hoping this book would better decode more precise manufacture dates than the internet using facets like neck tenon lengths. pickup cavity routing shapes. neck woods. bridges used. Kalamazoo vs. Nashville differences. etc.For example. the very first two instruments I tried to date with this book were two 1970s Gibson LP black beauties. The first is a beat-up frettless wonder. s/n 9xxxxx. mahogany neck with embossed pickups ( I know. I know. that makes it a 72.... Actually. no! Its an early 73. The books net dont mention that "gold" emboessed covers lasted until early 73 when they finally ran out of them. Chrome and nickle embossed pup covers were only in 72. but gold was on higher end instruments that sold slower). While Im positive the fretless wonder is an early 1973. the other all-original black beauty is slightly more of an enigma. It shows an older 8xxxxx USA s/n. pancake body with a maple neck. Schaller harmonica bridge with what looks like a rocker tenon (were still in debate about the tenon).Was the rocker tenon ONLY made in Nashville starting in 74? Exactly when was the SGs Schaller harmonica bridge used on the LP Customs? When exactly did LP Customs go from 1 pc. mahogany necks to 3 pc. maple? I wish this "bible" answered these questions as I dont trust the DATA highway as far as I can throw it.Other than the Dimarzio SD in the lead position with its mini series/paralell switch and the removal of the rhy pup gold cover. its stock. It has the exact same tenon style as the fretless wonder when looking into the rhy pup cavity. I had hoped the Gruhn book would help date this guitar closer than the guestimate of 1975. It didnt.Even so. the book is very well laid out to verify most mass-produced American guitars. although its slightly outdated. Its definitely worth the $20. and if youre a serious guitar flipper or just want to increase your knowledge of vintage guitar facets. this is a handy guide.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good info but arranged in a difficult to use wayBy Johnny B. GoodeGood but things are arranged within a manufacturer in a strange way. Guitars are listed first by style instead of year (for example. to find a 1988 Martin OM-28 it doesnt list all Martins by year first then size as most guitar lists do; instead the book begins listing by style. So you find the style 28 listed year 1 period in every combination and size. then on to the next year in all combinations and sizes. and so on. There may be a section of the book listing custom runs (not the 1 offs. but runs the maker did) but youd have to search through each time period year by year again.Trying to find a set of custom manufacturer runs or special sets of guitars is even more confusing. For example; Gibson may have run a Custom Series of J-45s with Rosewood back and sides in the 70s hypothetically. Finding the listing in any kind of alphabetical way by size. year. or characteristic (searching by J. or Rosewood. or Custom\special\limited\ ...) doesnt work. So you must plow through all of the 45s from year 1 and hope you stumble upon it.
