Ten Telecaster Tales

Liner Notes for a Guitar and Its Music

By: Rik Emmett

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Paperback | 24 April 2025

At a Glance

Paperback
208 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.78

Paperback

$47.99

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“Eloquent, erudite, entertaining, and enlightening, this is a thoughtful meditation on art, creativity, and the human species.” — Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Leacock Medal for Humour.

Ten Telecaster Tales remakes the idea of the “concept album.” This book about guitar music is arguably the most comprehensive attempt at liner notes in the history of electric instrumental fingerstyle guitar albums.

In his latest offering, Rik Emmett delves into the creative process — the roots, influences, philosophy, and spirituality involved in writing and recording. Even the story behind these stories explores creativity: Emmett dreamed of, then commissioned, a one-of-a-kind Telecaster-style guitar — wrote for it, then recorded with it.

Playfully, beautifully, Ten Telecaster Tales goes on a journey of artistic revelation: The storytelling inherent in solid musical composition translates into an entertaining narrative about the process behind the songs, and how compositions turn into recordings. A generous amount of fairytale mythology is sprinkled throughout — despite the whole project’s assimilation by digital technology. The notion of a “telecaster tale” implies something “vintage” at its heart. Humanity glues the layers together.

Ten Telecaster Tales became the next logical step for Emmett after publishing his memoir, Lay It On The Line. It represents the evolution of his life story into a combination of musical composition, guitar playing, and prose. After all, writing has always been the solid backbone and lifeline of his multifaceted journey.

Industry Reviews

“When you witness the mastery of Rik Emmett on stage, playing his guitar, singing his songs, it’s hard to fathom that you have not yet seen the limits of his talent. You can’t imagine that he could also be a brilliant writer and cultural explorer, too. Yet, you’ll understand when you start reading Ten Telecaster Tales. Whether with a pick or a pen, Rik Emmett feels and thinks deeply about the creative process and how the heart and the mind come together in the work of a true artist. Eloquent, erudite, entertaining, and enlightening, this is a thoughtful meditation on art, creativity, and the human species.” — Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Leacock Medal for Humour.

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