Yet another guitar guide hits the shelves and whilst you may think Haynes should stick to doing what they are best known for - car self-help manuals - they broke this mould with the well received Fender guide published in 2006.

This latest tome will primarily appeal to Les Paul guitar owners but Epiphone (the cheaper cousin) is also covered. For guitar enthusiasts it does provide a good insight to these classic guitars and much of the advice and tips apply more widely and not just to the Les Paul.

As you would expect, this book is very well illustrated and comprehensive in coverage. There's a chapter on setting up and tuning and a detailed repair and maintenance section. And of course there's the ubiquitous guide to the 'key' players and a foreword by Les Paul himself.

It is also useful for the prospective buyer and highlights potential pitfalls by way of case studies. Given that a new Les Paul could set you back at least £2000, and a vintage model much more, this book will more than pay for itself as part of any preliminary research.

Much of the information painstakingly and lovingly collected by Paul Balmer is of course scattered through a myriad of other guitar books, as you'd expect, and Tony Bacon's Les Paul books  are also worth a look. But I reckon Gibson owners would want all, whilst other guitarophiles will relish this minute dissection of an iconic brand. One for the sagging Christmas stocking, then.

****

Review by David Randall