Rhinestones and Twanging Tones

Country may be the plainspoken music of rural America, but it certainly got gussied up on its way to the hit parade. Rhinestones and Twanging Tones: The Look and Sound of Country Music shows in glittering detail how most classic country stars traded in their overalls for sequined and spangled outfits that shone from a mile away, and strummed guitars that were often just as ornately bedecked, or customized by decades of road wear. These musical accoutrements demanded attention, and certainly captivated young country fan Mac Yasuda as he was growing up in Japan. A Hank Snow record set Yasuda on a musical path that led to him becoming friends with many of his heroes and performing alongside them on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Along the way, he amassed the unique collection shared here of their signature guitars and suits (most of the latter made by the famed "rodeo tailor" Nudie), including ones played and worn by Hank Snow, Porter Wagoner, Jim Reeves, Ferlin Husky, and other classic country stars. Those include Snow's famed "Snow Job" custom Martin D-45, Hank Thompson's Paul Bigsby-modified Gibson SJ-200, Carl Smith's Gay guitar, and others, depicted here in lavish detail. Rhinestones and Twanging Tones is a unique bundling of the sartorial and six-stringed equipage that defined the look and sound of a generation of country music.