Battle Axes
A Deep Dive into the Wildest Electric Guitars of â70s and â80s Hard Rock
From Flying V to Firebird, Explorer to Warlockâthis is the untold story of the most outrageous guitars in rock history.
Why did rockâs greatest guitarists choose instruments that looked like weapons, spaceships, and abstract art?
In Battle Axes, guitarist and music historian Sean Kelly explores the cultural and musical evolution of the worldâs most iconic âpointy guitarsââand how they helped define the sound and image of â70s and â80s hard rock and heavy metal.
From the Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, and Moderne, to the rise of aggressive 1980s designs from Jackson/Charvel, Kramer, B.C. Rich, Dean, Ibanez, Hamer, and Lado, this is the story of how guitar design went from odd curiosity to arena-rock essential.
Through deep research and interviews with legendary players, builders, and insiders, Kelly reveals how these instruments became more than toolsâthey became symbols of rebellion, speed, volume, and attitude.
Featuring insights from members of: KISS, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Guns Nâ Roses, Skid Row, Autograph, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Savatage, Megadeth, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Stryper, Racer X, MSG, Triumph, and more.
Inside this book:
- The origins of pointy guitars in the 1950s Space Age design era
- How the Flying V, Explorer, and Firebird went from failures to legends
- The explosion of shred culture in the 1980s and the rise of âsuperstratsâ
- How companies like Jackson, Kramer, Dean, B.C. Rich, and Ibanez changed rock forever
- Why visual shock value became as important as sound in arena rock
- The gear, tone, and attitude behind some of rockâs most iconic moments
Sean Kellyâwho has performed with artists including Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Nelly Furtado, Lee Aaron, Coney Hatch, Helix, Gilby Clarke, Rough Trade, Glass Tigerâs Alan Frew, Harlequin, Honeymoon Suite, and Crash Kellyâbrings an insiderâs perspective to the guitars, players, and culture that defined a generation.
Careful with this book⊠it might just poke your eye out!
Original: $30.95
-65%$30.95
$10.83
Description
A Deep Dive into the Wildest Electric Guitars of â70s and â80s Hard Rock
From Flying V to Firebird, Explorer to Warlockâthis is the untold story of the most outrageous guitars in rock history.
Why did rockâs greatest guitarists choose instruments that looked like weapons, spaceships, and abstract art?
In Battle Axes, guitarist and music historian Sean Kelly explores the cultural and musical evolution of the worldâs most iconic âpointy guitarsââand how they helped define the sound and image of â70s and â80s hard rock and heavy metal.
From the Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, and Moderne, to the rise of aggressive 1980s designs from Jackson/Charvel, Kramer, B.C. Rich, Dean, Ibanez, Hamer, and Lado, this is the story of how guitar design went from odd curiosity to arena-rock essential.
Through deep research and interviews with legendary players, builders, and insiders, Kelly reveals how these instruments became more than toolsâthey became symbols of rebellion, speed, volume, and attitude.
Featuring insights from members of: KISS, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Guns Nâ Roses, Skid Row, Autograph, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Savatage, Megadeth, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Stryper, Racer X, MSG, Triumph, and more.
Inside this book:
- The origins of pointy guitars in the 1950s Space Age design era
- How the Flying V, Explorer, and Firebird went from failures to legends
- The explosion of shred culture in the 1980s and the rise of âsuperstratsâ
- How companies like Jackson, Kramer, Dean, B.C. Rich, and Ibanez changed rock forever
- Why visual shock value became as important as sound in arena rock
- The gear, tone, and attitude behind some of rockâs most iconic moments
Sean Kellyâwho has performed with artists including Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Nelly Furtado, Lee Aaron, Coney Hatch, Helix, Gilby Clarke, Rough Trade, Glass Tigerâs Alan Frew, Harlequin, Honeymoon Suite, and Crash Kellyâbrings an insiderâs perspective to the guitars, players, and culture that defined a generation.
Careful with this book⊠it might just poke your eye out!
