From the Gibson Flying V and Explorer to the Jackson Randy Rhoads, Dean ML, B.C. Rich Warlock, and Ibanez RG, pointy guitars helped define the look and sound of hard rock and heavy metal. But how did these outrageous designs go from being dismissed as oddities to becoming some of the most iconic instruments in rock history?

Author and musician Sean Kelly joins Booked On Rock to discuss his new book, Battle Axes: A Hard Rockin' History of Pointy Guitars. We explore the stories behind the guitars, the builders who created them, and the legendary players—including Randy Rhoads, Michael Schenker, Eddie Van Halen, Billy Gibbons, Paul Stanley, Twisted Sister, ZZ Top, Def Leppard, and more—who turned these instruments into rock icons. 

🎸 Topics include:

• The surprising origins of the pointy guitar
• Why the Flying V was initially a failure
• How Dean Guitars exploded during the MTV era
• The influence of Randy Rhoads and Grover Jackson
• Twisted Sister, B.C. Rich, Ibanez, Kramer & ESP
• Sean Kelly's pick for the greatest pointy guitar ever made

Purchase a copy of Battle Axes: A Hard Rockin' History of Pointy Guitars

Follow Sean Kelly: 
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