Guitar Gods: Play It Loud

Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll explores the musical function, visual presentation and cultural importance of the instruments of rock & roll

Musical instruments are as visual as they are sonic -- from the freedom of movement afforded by electric guitars and the attention-grabbing quality of decorated or iconic instruments to the set-design framework provided by large drum kits and keyboard rigs. Instruments are often a musician's most personal and beloved items, providing the means to express their art and serving as an extension of their identity.

Rebellious and unpredictable, rock & roll has inspired generations of music lovers to pick up their own instruments and contribute to rock's continuous momentum. The instruments and artists here are a small sample of those featured in the 2019 joint exhibit by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which explored the deep connections between rock instruments, musicians and their audiences.

Jimi Hendrix, 1968 (February 1, 1968)Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Guitar Gods

In 1966, graffiti began appearing across London proclaiming, “Claption is God.” Guitarist Eric Clapton was a musical phenomenon with followers drawn to the artistry, speed and intricacy of his playing. Many musicians have received the “guitar god” moniker, among them Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and Steve Vai. These musicians share similar attributes of virtuosic playing, creativity and swagger – and they are almost exclusively men, as women are often overlooked as instrumentalists.

Gallery Talk: Jimi Hendrix's Guitars (2012) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Gallery Talk: Jimi Hendrix's Guitars, 2012

The story behind two of the guitars featured in the Rock Hall's Jimi Hendrix exhibit: the 1967 Gibson Flying V and the 1960s 12-string Zemaitis acoustic made famous when Hendrix played it in the 1973 movie A Film About Jimi Hendrix.

Jimi Hendrix "Love Drops" Electric Guitar, 1967 Gibson Flying VRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Jimi Hendrix "Love Drops" 1967 Gibson Flying V

Hendrix is thought to have used this Gibson Flying V on his 1967 BBC Radio 1 sessions and 1968's Electric Ladyland, notably for his solo on "All Along the Watchtower." Hendrix modified the nut and strap button and painted the instrument himself using nail polish.

Hendrix gave the guitar to Mick Cox of Eire Apparent in 1969, who refinished it in black, removing the original design. Session musician Dave Brewis acquired the guitar and restored Hendrix's original paint job.

Ravi Shankar Sitar, Rikhi Ram (c. 1960)Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Raki Shankar Sitar, Rikhi Ram

Ravi Shankar's performances of Hindustani classical sitar music in the West had a profound influence on musicians from John and Alice Coltrane to violinist Yehudi Menuhin to George Harrison and the Beatles.

Shankar's appearances at Monterey Pop in 1967 and Woodstock in 1969 added fuel to the craze for sitar sounds in psychedelic rock.

Ravi Shankar Sitar, Rikhi Ram (c. 1960)Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Shankar owned and played this sitar.

Shankar gave this to Mercury Records executive Shelby Singleton as a gift on a trip to America in the early 1960s.

Jimmy Page Inducts Jeff Beck, 2009 (April 4, 2009) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Jimmy Page inducts Jeff Beck, 2009

Jimmy Page inducts Jeff Beck at the 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Jeff Beck Electric Guitar, 1954 Fender EsquireRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Jeff Beck Electric Guitar, 1954 Fender Esquire

Beck used this Esquire in his brief but influential work with the Yardbirds in 1965 and 1966. While the Yardbirds were on tour with the Walker Brothers in 1965, Beck purchased it from their guitarist, John Maus.

Among other modifications, the Esquire's body was sanded down to imitate the ergonomics of the Fender Stratocaster. On "Heart Full of Soul," a key song in the development of psychedelic rock, Beck played this guitar with a fuzz pedal to simulate the buzzing harmonics of a sitar.

Jeff Beck, 2009 (April 4, 2009) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Jeff Beck Performs, 2009

Jeff Beck performs at the 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony with Jimmy Page. 

Steve Vai "Bones" Electric Guitar, 1987 Performance Guitar JEM Prototype (1987)Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Steve Vai "Bones," 1987 Performance Guitar JEM Prototype

Virtuoso guitarist, songwriter and producer Steve Vai ordered this guitar in the late 1980s. "Bones" has a sharpened Stratocaster-style body, humbucking pickups and a locking vibrato, solidifying the "Superstrat" style that began with Eddie Van Halen's "Frankenstein" guitar.

Vai introduced a pronounced cutaway that allows access to all 24 frets on the fingerboard and a floating vibrato design.

Interview with Steve Vai, 2020 (November 18, 2020) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Interview with Steve Vai, 2020

In an exclusive live stream interview, hosted by the Rock Hall's Senior Director of Museum & Archival Collections Andy Leach, legendary guitar virtuoso Steve Vai will discuss his career, current projects, and legacy.

Joni Mitchell Electric Guitar, 1978 Ibanez George Benson Signature Model GB10 NTRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Joni Mitchell 1978 Ibanez George Benson Signature Model GB10

One of the most important singer-songwriters of her generation, Joni Mitchell is also an inventive guitar player who utilizes a variety of alternate tunings and has influenced rock musicians Bob Dylan, Prince, Bonnie Raitt and Neil Young.

She began her career performing on acoustic guitar, and in the 1970s she began to explore the electric guitar sounds of rock, pop and jazz. 

Joni Mitchell Electric Guitar, 1978 Ibanez George Benson Signature Model GB10 NTRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Mitchell used this Ibanez archtop on the 1979 live album Shadows and Light and on the Refuge World Tour (1983).

St. Vincent Electric Guitar, 2017 Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent HHH (2017)Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

2017 Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent HHH

Hailed by Guitar World magazine as possibly the first true twenty-first century guitar hero, Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, is redefining the music and personae of the electric guitarist through her blend of experimental rock, electro-pop and jazz. 

In 2015, Clark designed this guitar in collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man to suit her highly visual performances and ergonomic needs. It was made for her 2017 solo tour in support of Masseducation and is one of only four in this color scheme.

Nirvana and St. Vincent Perform "Lithium" (April 10, 2014) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame

Nirvana and St. Vincent perform "Lithium," 2014

Nirvana and St. Vincent perform "Lithium" at the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

One of the most important artistic movements in modern times, rock & roll was and continues to be a seismic influence, reverberating across culture and society and affecting fashion, visual arts, racial and sexual politics and free speech. Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll celebrated the iconic musical instruments that gave rock & roll its signature sound, and many artists an extension of their identities. Co-organized with The Met, the exhibit offered a rare, in-depth look at the artists and instruments that made possible many of the songs we know and love.

How does an electric guitar work, and what is its role in rock & roll? This Play It Loud! Guitar Gods video includes demonstrations of the electric guitar, and provides background on its history, design, and use. After viewing the video, the learner will: (1) Understand the development of the solid body electric guitar, (2) Understand when and why guitar effects were first used, (3) Understand how each of these effects are made through the manipulation of sound.

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST What's an artist without an instrument? To make the music we know and love, these artists played their chosen tools passionately, brilliantly -- and more importantly -- played them loud. Hear the signature sounds of rock & roll trailblazers in this playlist created for Play It Loud.

Credits: Story

Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll, presented by Pepsi.

Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll was onsite at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame from November 11, 2019 to January 3, 2021.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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