7 of the Most Iconic Guitars Ever in Rock Music History

Rock music history is riddled with iconic guitars, signature sounds, and legendary partnerships between artists and world-class guitar brands.

Slash’s enduring status as a Les Paul player is nearly 40 years in the making. The handcrafted tone of Brian May’s DIY build, the Red Lady, made him one of the top rock guitarists of all time. And The Beatles’ early Rickenbacker era lives on as one of the most stylish moments in Brit-rock memory.

Our list collects 7 of the most famous rock guitarists in history, diving deep into the guitars that captured their swift ascent to fame and revealing the stories behind the legendary axes used at the height of each icon’s heyday.

1. Slash: The “Gibson” Les Paul

Slash certainly played some Jacksons and B.C. Richs was back in his early days, but for most rock fans, it’s impossible to imagine the legend wielding anything other than a Gibson Les Paul. That is until you find out that Slash’s iconic Les Paul isn’t a Gibson at all. It’s a knock-off replica of a 1959 Les Paul, bought just as Guns ‘N’ Roses were tracking their debut album, Appetite For Destruction. This iconic guitar is known as the “Derrig Les Paul,” named after its creator, Kris Derrig.

Stamped with a Gibson headstock logo, it’s easy to see why so many fans assume Slash’s legendary Derrig Les Paul is genuine, especially after releasing a range of signature Gibson guitars and adding a selection of genuine Gibsons to his early armory. As he told Guitar World in 2023, “I bought a couple of factory second Les Paul Standards from Gibson. I took those on the road and retired the Derrig from touring. But I always use it, […] that’s always been my main recording guitar. Why? Because it’s always the best-sounding Les Paul in the room.”

2. Jimi Hendrix: The Fender on Fire

White Fender Stratocasters were Jimi’s means of changing guitar music forever. But the infamous white Strat Jimi burned on stage at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival wasn’t picked out from his regular rotation. This guitar was one worth sacrificing to the rock gods: a 1963-64 Fender Stratocaster custom painted psychedelic graffiti-style in nail polish by Hendrix only the night before his infamous gig.

While the sound of this iconic guitar is easily replicable (assuming you can play a stock-standard ‘60s Fender as well as Hendrix), the “Monterey Strat” was truly one of a kind in aesthetics until 2017, when Fender reproduced Hendrix’s custom design on some limited edition replicas, paying tribute to the 50-year anniversary of Jimi’s career-defining stunt.

3. Kirk Hammett: Gibson vs. Jackson Flying Vs

It’s no secret that Metallica’s lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett, has an affinity for V-shaped guitars. Kirk adopted two Flying Vs into his golden-age artillery, the first being a 1979 Gibson Flying V in jet black. Die-hard Metallica fans will already know that this ‘79 Gibson V was used across Metallica’s early albums, specifically taking the spotlight on their debut, Kill ‘Em All.

Meanwhile, the Jackson “Randy Rhoads” Flying V was the main guitar Kirk used to record Metallica’s legendary LP, Master of Puppets. In 2020, Kirk recalled the guitar set up which catalyzed the distinct voice of its title track, stating, “I used my Jackson Randy Rhoads V for [the Master of Puppets’] solo […] Most of Master of Puppets was tracked with Boogie heads and Marshall heads combined, and I used my Gibson Flying V and my Jackson.”

4. Jimmy Page: The Double-Necked Gibson EDS-1275

Jimmy Page’s Gibson EDS-1275 is a Frankensteined beauty featuring a 12-string neck on top and a regular 6-string neck beneath. It soon became synonymous with Led Zeppeling’s illustrious live renditions of Stairway To Heaven, despite not actually featuring on the studio recording.

As Jimmy Page told Guitar World way back in 1977, “I didn’t use a doubleneck on [Led Zeppelin IV], but I had to get one afterward to play Stairway to Heaven.” The Gibson EDS-1275’s extensive range of tones ingeniously fulfilled Page’s need to perform the vast range of sounds present on the original ‘71 recording of Stairway To Heaven live, without swapping guitars mid-song. 

A bit of digging reveals the true sound of Stairway To Heaven’s studio recording: an acoustic ‘60s Harmony Sovereign H1260, with a twelve-string 1965 Fender XII to play the electric overdubs, finished by a 1959 Fender Telecaster for the solo. Fun fact: this ‘59 Telecaster, which Jimmy Page used for Stairway To Heaven’s solo, was a gift from Jeff Beck;.

5. Eddie Van Halen – The Frankenstrat

Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat was a custom-built icon of 70s-80s metal. This axe underwent a constant evolution, modified time and again by Van Halen himself to craft the perfect signature sound.

This sound came in the form of a Fender Stratocaster clone. The body was an unfinished and “cosmetically unfit” Strat replica Eddie bought for just $50. According to legend, Eddie would “cannibalise his 1961 Stratocaster” to bring the Frankenstrat to life, transferring its neck, pickguard and humbuckers to his new mutation. 

Just about every element of this guitar was modified many times during its six years in the spotlight, including the neck, bridge, and pickups. The Frankenstrat was all about experimentation, a sly mix of anarcho-punk DIY mentality, instinct, and imagination. Its paintwork shows it; its sound personifies it.

6. Kurt Cobain – The Jag-Stang

Kurt Cobain’s Jag-Stang was another mix-matched custom icon. After Kurt patchworked its design together from cut-up polaroids of Fender Jaguar and Mustang guitars, Fender custom-built the world’s first Jag-Stang especially for the Nirvana front-man, crafting an axe that soon defined his anti-hero persona.

Kurt explained the inspiration behind having a guitar custom-built for him, stating, “Ever since I started playing, I’ve always liked certain things about certain guitars but could never find the perfect mix of everything I was looking for. The Jag-Stang is the closest thing I know.”

Despite Fender commercially producing Kurt’s Jag-Stangs for a handful of years after Kurt Cobain’s death, the Jag-Stang remains exceptionally rare and collectible. But this didn’t stop Fender building another custom Jag-Stang for My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero after mourning the loss of his original edition, sleekly leading us to the final iconic guitar on our list.

7. Frank Iero – “Pansy” 

My Chemical Romance’s early days were riddled by the sight of “Pansy” — a snow-white, Japanse-built Epiphone Les Paul Custom Elitist played by rhythm guitarist, Frank Iero, crowned by circus-style letters stickering its name punk rock-style across its body.

Played predominantly on the studio recordings of the band’s cult hit record, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, Frank Iero’s iconic guitar was stamped into every alternative kid’s mind in the mid-2000s, featuring in the music videos of Helena and I’m Not Okay (I Promise), and across MCR’s 2004-05 live shows. But this guitar swiftly fell off the scene, allegedly “destroyed” by an MTV guitar tech in an unrevealed accident, leading Frank to retire Pansy shortly after she became one of the most iconic guitars of the emo rock era.