Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Battle Axes: A Hard Rockin' History of Pointy Guitars

Battle Axes: A Hard Rockin' History of Pointy Guitars

Kelly, Sean

Paperback

General SociologyMusic Instruction: GuitarPop/Rock

Publisher Price: $25.95

ISBN10: 177041794X
ISBN13: 9781770417946
Publisher: ECW Press
Published: Aug 25 2026
Pages: 376
Weight: 1.15
Height: 1.20 Width: 6.20 Depth: 9.10
Language: English
A Deep Dive into the Wildest Electric Guitars of '70s and '80s Hard Rock

From Flying V to Firebird, Explorer to Warlock--this is the untold story of the most outrageous guitars in rock history.

Why did rock's 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 world's most iconic pointy guitars--and how they helped define the sound and image of '70s and '80s 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 tools--they became symbols of rebellion, speed, volume, and attitude.

Featuring insights from members of:

KISS, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Guns N' Roses, Skid Row, Autograph, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Savatage, Megadeth, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Stryper, Racer X, MSG, Triumph, and more.

Inside this book:

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Music Instruction: Guitar

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