He described the restructuring as "like finding a broken Stradivarius cello and building a new semi-electric instrument without spoiling the design".

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Electric guitar collecting also focuses on an instrument's provenance (past ownership) whereas acoustic guitar collectors emphasize the importance of tonal quality and craftsmanship.

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The electric guitar is still seen as a male instrument, despite great exponents in recent years like Nancy Wilson of Heart and Charlotte Hatherley of Ash, she says.

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Fairly or not, Blackshaw has come to represent the "academic" side of the acoustic guitar (as opposed to the raw American Primitive sound of the late Jack Rose), so it's a surprising and somewhat ballsy move to put aside the full, resonant sound of a 12-string acoustic for the staccato feel of the electric guitar, with all the rock baggage that instrument carries.

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The tutorial book begins with simple illustrations of acoustic and electric guitars, before showing the reader how to hold the instrument.

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