17 Watts?

[Mikey]

Someone mentioned Mo Foster's celbrated book "17 Watts" in a recent thread so i decided it was about time a bought a copy.
Here's a useful tip which I'm sure many of you are already aware of.......Mo's other book, "Play like Elvis" is identical apart from the title and the foreword which instead of coming from our esteemed Hank Marvin come from no less a player than Duane Eddy. Other than that it's the same great book but aimed at the American market. But here's the thing, on Amazon you can get "17 Watts" for £12 but I got "Play Like Elvis" for one penny (plus £2.74 postage). Bargain! I've just started it and have had to force myself to put it down to see what's happening on Shadowmusic.
Duane did a good job with his foreword but I would like to have read Hank's. I guess that's serves me right for being a cheapskate!

[alewis41]

Funniest book I have ever read.

[Tone]

Hi Mikey

The last time I checked Amazon for 17 Watts it was going for silly money. A copy together with Roberto's "That Sound" was recently advertised on eBay but I lost out on the bidding (they went for £52).

In the light of your post I've just checked Amazon again and they do indeed have 17 Watts for £12 plus postage. I've ordered it so thanks for leading me to it.

Now, does anyone have an unwanted copy of "That Sound"?

Cheers.

Tony

[JimN]

Malcolm Addey may have a few copies of "That Sound" for sale, as may the Pistolesi family. There were certainly some unsold copies around at the time of Roberto's death four years ago.

JN

[Tone]

Thanks, Jim. Do you have any contact details?

Tony

[RogerF]

My wife bought "17 Watts" for me for my birthday (at my request of course!).
I haven't finished reading it yet, enjoying a bit at a time. I love the book and the way it's written.
My copy is the posh hardback - cost a fortune I hope seeing as how I didn't pay for it!

I went on to buy his book "A Blues For Shindig" which is a novel about a street-wise girl in the Soho of the 1950s.
I must say I have seldom enjoyed a book so much and the humour is what we've come to expect from Mo, an absolute gem of a book centered around the comunity of small-time criminals, girls, clubs, TVs and artists and musicians that worked and lived there.
You get a real feel for how the place must have been back then and I can recommend it to anybody without reservation.

Kind regards

Roger

[JimN]

Thanks, Jim. Do you have any contact details?

Tony

I have sent an email to Alessandro Tonini in Tuscany, who can make enquiry of the Pistolesi family. I will ring Malcolm in New York (when it's a reasonable hour there!)

More in due course.

JN

[Tone]

Hi Jim

That's greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.

I've now received my copy of 17 Watts and I'm about a third of the way through. A very nostalgic and interesting trip down memory lane. Reading the many tales of home made guitars, amps etc in those pioneering days makes me realise how lucky we are today to have such a wide choice of quality equipment available at affordable prices. Not to mention all the websites and forums such as this one that tell you how to use it. If it was possible to transport the whole internet scenario back in time to 1960 I wonder what those guys would make of it.

Cheers.

Tony

[Pedro]

I obtained a copy direct from Mo Foster for very reasonable money.

[JimN]

For "Tone":

I spoke to Malcolm Addey today.

He does have some copies of the "That Sound!" book available. Obviously, you'd need to discuss the price and mail charges with him. He had no objection to my posting his email address here:

maladdey@earthlink.net

HTH,

JN