Slash performing with his band Velvet Revolver. His solution? He’s a rock star he just bought a new one. After repeated abuse, the six-string was eventually damaged beyond repair on tour because of a stage malfunction. That guitar, the Manson Red Glitter, was heavily used by Bellamy, in part because it had a built-in MIDI touch pad. Occasionally, though, he breaks a guitar he really likes. Muse’s Matthew Bellamy, in the meantime, smashed 140 six-strings druing a 2004 tour, setting a Guinness record. Problem was, it was a Gibson ES-325, a guitar with massive sentimental value that he frequently plays at shows.įortunately, Gibson helped him out and repaired it for him, ensuring he’d be able to play “Sex On Fire” for another day. Others, meanwhile, destroy a guitar they love in a moment of anger.Īfter a frustrating bout with busted sound, Caleb Followill tore apart his vintage Gibson guitar on stage.Ĭaleb Followill on stage with his band Kings of Leon. The smashed guitar is currently on display at the EMP Museum in Seattle. The guitar was eventually repaired, but around the time Nevermind was released, he smashed the guitar again during a live performance of “Endless, Nameless” in Chicago.
Perhaps the most famous guitar the Nirvana frontman destroyed was a Fender Stratocaster built in Japan, which he smashed while in the studio recording “Endless, Nameless” on Nevermind. Cobain was a notable user of cheap guitars of all sorts, and he left a trail of busted amps that went back for miles. Some, like Kurt Cobain, made an artform out of guitar destruction. And yes, they do get their broken guitars repaired, generally. Townshend learned not to throw a lot of sentimental value into his rock machines, but every axe-grinder has their own approach to the guitar-destruction process. (In case Bryan Adams is reading this, one other factoid: During the summer of ‘69, Pete broke just three guitars.)
But the crowd’s response to his guitar-smashing capabilities led him to eventually start cracking six-strings at almost every show.Īccording to an analysis by, Townshend broke more than 35 guitars in 1967 alone.
#ROCK BAND CALLED INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION CRACKED#
The first time he broke a guitar on stage, it was basically an accident-working on a stage with a low ceiling, he cracked the headstock on his Rickenbacker, then decided to follow through with the destruction. The story of guitar damage, of course, starts with Pete Townshend, The Who’s world-smashing guitarist. Herein: A history of broken guitars, from the accidental to the stage-smashing intentional. It’s not often that we get to say, “Poor Bryan Adams,” but a recent experience he dealt with at an Egyptian airport was definitely worthy of that phrase.Īdams, the artist behind most of our important schmaltz-rock, had most of his instruments tagged by Egyptian customs officials who couldn’t care less whether they were handling a 1957 Martin guitar or a guitar promoted by the guy from Maroon 5.Īdams was heartbroken, but in his honor, we’re gonna cut him off a little slice of heaven.Īdams is far from the first artist to have a damaged guitar, and he’s certainly not the first to get it damaged at the airport. (Photo: Jmann7702/Public Domain)Ī version of this post originally appeared on the Tedium newsletter.