▲Slash will forever be associated with the Gibson Les Paul. But the Guns N' Roses guitarist actually used a Les Paul replica built by a luthier named Kris Derrig to record and tour the band's first album, 'Appetite for Destruction.'

▲This model was designed by Nirvana's late front man. It was essentially a hybrid of two Fender guitars: a Mustang and a Jaguar.

▲Who can forget Page playing Led Zepplin's 'Stairway to Heaven' on his double neck Gibson?

▲It may look like a Telecaster, but the guitar used by The Boss on the cover of his classic album 'Born to Run' was, in fact, a modified 1950s Esquire.

▲Eric Clapton's 'Blackie' is a customized Fender Stratocaster built from parts of three separate guitars. It was sold at an auction for US$959,500 in 2004. The profits went to the guitarist's rehab center, Crossroads.

▲The first 'Cloud' guitar was built by luthier Dave Rusan for the movie 'Purple Rain.' Prince's quintessential axe was later reproduced by Schecter guitars.

▲This is probably the most iconic guitar used by Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society's six-string man. Interestingly, the design was supposed to be a swirl, inspired by the Hitchcock film 'Vertigo,' but there was a mistake in the paint job.

▲Reportedly, after rescuing his guitar from a burning dance hall in Arkansas, B.B. King found out that the fire was set by two guys fighting over a woman called Lucille. Ever since 1949, the late bluesman named all his guitars 'Lucille.'

▲Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix was mostly seen playing Fender Stratocaster guitars. He also liked to set them on fire!

▲Richards' 'Micawber' is an early '50s Fender Telecaster with the sixth string removed and tuned to open G. The guitar was named after a character in the Charles Dickens novel 'David Copperfield.'

▲Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai is known for his Ibanez model, which features a handle. Apparently, the handle is used to swing the guitar around on stage.

▲Les Paul and Gibson joined forces to create one of the most popular guitars of all time: the Gibson Les Paul. The first ones went on sale in 1952.

▲You cannot think of the Gibson SG without AC/DC coming to mind. Angus Young has been playing them for decades.

▲The Beatles guitarist could be seen playing a 12-string Rickenbacker 360. Reportedly, Harrison's first 360 was the second 12-string Rickenbacker ever made!

▲Country legend Willie Nelson has been playing his Martin N-20 for over 40 years. The guitar has a hole in the body and was named after Western movie star Roy Rogers' horse.

▲The man behind the innovative guitar sounds of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave is known to play a number of custom guitars. 'Arm The Homeless' features a Kramer neck, EMG pickups, and an Ibanez Edge whammy bar.

▲McCartney has played the Höfner "violin" bass since The Beatles days.

▲Joe Satriani's most original Ibanez guitar model features a transparent body. How cool is that?

▲Neil Young's most iconic guitar is a customized 1953 Gibson Les Paul that he bought in 1969.

▲Bo Diddley built his first guitars at home from cigar boxes.

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The Van Halen guitarist wanted to combine a Gibson sound with a Fender body, so he created his own monster. The paintwork is truly remarkable too!

▲When you think Motörhead, Lemmy playing his Rick usually springs to mind. This was his bass guitar of choice and one that will forever be associated with his image.

▲Also known for his 'Punisher' bass, the man with the longest tongue in KISS made his 'Axe' bass a weapon desired to be handled by many fans.

▲If you thought that Jimmy Page's double neck Gibson was too much, how about five necks?! Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen rocks this guitar.

▲The Muse front man's Black Kaoss Manson features a pad connected to a MIDI controller that allows him to do a variety of effects while playing live.

▲The original 'Red Special' was designed and built by Queen's Brian May and his father in 1963, mostly using old firewood.

▲Inspired by a Gibson SG, the 'Old Boy' was built in England by Jaydee Custom Guitars. It features the trademark cross inlays, and was made famous by Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi.

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The Valco Airline's design and color scheme was a key element in the image of The White Stripes.

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Grateful Dead's late front man used his 'Tiger' guitar for over 10 years. The guitar was custom-built by Doug Irwin, and was quite heavy.

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Guitars have shaped music history. Without them, there would be no blues, jazz, and certainly no rock 'n' roll, so it's appropriate that they receive celebrity status equal to their players.

In this gallery, we pay tribute to this amazing instrument and bring you a selection of iconic guitars played by famous musicians. Take a look!

The most iconic guitars of all time

Epic axes in the history of music

09/06/24 por StarsInsider

MUSIC Guitarists

Guitars have shaped music history. Without them, there would be no blues, jazz, and certainly no rock 'n' roll, so it's appropriate that they receive celebrity status equal to their players.

In this gallery, we pay tribute to this amazing instrument and bring you a selection of iconic guitars played by famous musicians. Take a look!