Billboard has revealed their complete list of "The 100 Most Iconic Guitars Of All Time", as chosen by a panel of ace guitarists across a variety of genres, as well as experts and journalists.
Introduction: From the blues to jazz to rock to folk to country, the guitar is probably the most pivotal instrument of the 20th century, serving as a centerpiece for a variety of genres that changed the course of culture in America and around the world.
In honor of the stringed instrument that has amped up audiences for centuries, we present Billboard’s complete list of the 100 Greatest Guitars of All Time - updated this week in full after revealing the first half (100-51) last week.
No, that’s not a typo. This is not a list of 100 guitarists – though each item on this list is associated with a particular guitar slinger. And it’s not a list of guitar brands or companies. This is a list of actual guitars, played by great guitarists. It puts the shine on guitars throughout modern history that have been a part of the evolution of popular music. Instead of focusing on guitar playing style, we’re looking at the instrument itself as handled by various luminaries across everything from bluegrass to heavy metal.
What is “the greatest”? Iconic, influential, inventive, famous, game changing? Unusual, oddball, beautiful, even whimsical? Just plain cool? It’s all of that and more. Some of the guitars that follow are standard models with minimal modifications; others are one-of-a-kind pieces that have been endlessly tinkered with. Some are technical and auditory wonders; others have been beaten to hell over the years by overzealous owners. But all are important to the guitar’s history and ongoing evolution.
This was a big undertaking that we didn’t want to do alone. We invited a panel of ace guitarists across a variety of genres, as well as journalists and experts, to peruse a lengthy list of guitars, compiled by Billboard, and vote on them. We invited our voters to submit their own picks. After tallying their responses, we sent it back to the voting panel, solicited additional feedback and incorporated that into a final list of the 100 Greatest Guitars of All Time.
In addition to a few voters who wished to remain anonymous, the voting panel included: Duane Betts, Nick Bowcott of Sweetwater, Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket, Larry Campbell, Joanna Connor, Michael Doyle of Guitar Center, Alejandro Escovedo, Pete Evick of Bret Michaels Band, Damian Fanelli of Guitar World, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Slim Gambill who plays for Lady A, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge and Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, Dave Mason, Scott Metzger, Bob Mould, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Orianthi, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Joe Satriani, Chris Scapelliti of Guitar Player, Peter Stroud of Sheryl Crow’s band, Matthew Sweet, Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge, Seth Walker, Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards, Jack White, Nancy Wilson, Andy Wood and Oliver Wood.
This list is far from exhaustive. There are so many legendary guitars that even a list of 100 fails to encompass all of them. Regardless, we hope what follows spurs some excitement, debate, discovery and even, perhaps, someone to pick up a guitar and start playing.
Landing at #1 is Jimi Hendrix - ca. 1965 Fender Stratocaster “Monterey”
“This is for everybody,” Jimi Hendrix said at the end of his cover of the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” before falling to his knees on stage at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, writhing on his Strat, dousing it with lighter fluid, setting it on fire and spectacularly smashing it, one-upping The Who’s Pete Townshend in destructive, sensual fashion. The moment is frozen in rock history, surviving for generations in film, dorm-room posters and a limited-edition Fender replica. Before the gig, Hendrix partially repainted the fiesta-red model white and added flower images.
Rarity Factor: Jimi Hendrix had yet to become a GOAT legend when he played Monterey Pop, so little is known about this (destroyed) Strat, other than he favored Strats made after 1965. Some have theorized that this was because their weaker single-coil pickups, when fed into Marshall stacks, made for a heavier sound.
Talk of the Town: After Townshend witnessed Hendrix’ performance, Mama Cass turned to him in the audience and asked: “Pete, aren’t you supposed to be the guy that smashes the guitars?” Townshend responded, “Everything that I do, everything that I’ve done, everything that I am, everything that I could ever come up with, is his now.”
Talk of the Town, Part 2: “Everybody was talking about how Jimi Hendrix burned his Strat and broke it onstage and How could he?” Carlos Santana wrote in his 2014 autobiography, The Universal Tone. – S. Knopper
Find out where other guitars and artists rank on the list at Billboard.
