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Battle Axes: A Hard Rockin’ History of Pointy Guitars is a love letter to the wildest shapes and designs of rock ’n’ roll’s most beloved instrument, the electric guitar. Sean Kelly, who has played with some of Canada’s most iconic recording artists, dives deep into the evolution of famous “pointy” guitar designs like the Flying V, the Firebird, and the Explorer through careful research and conversations with renowned guitarists, designers, luthiers, fans, and social media influencers. Battle Axes features in-depth interviews with past and present members of KISS, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Guns N’ Roses, Skid Row, Stryper, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Triumph, MSG, Racer X, Autograph, BulletBoys, and many more. Along the way, Kelly explores how the Space Age guitar designs of the ’50s, once deemed too wild, odd, and just too ugly for mass consumption became talismanic weapons of mass distraction. We learn how outlier companies like Hamer, Dean, B.C. Rich, Kramer, Ibanez, Charvel/Jackson, and Lado capitalized on the ’80s trend toward faster, louder, and more outrageous guitar playing by creating instruments that offered visual shock value that matched the hot-rodded modifications necessary to compete in the arena rock era.
Battle Axes: A Hard Rockin’ History of Pointy Guitars is for any musician or fan of classic ’70s and ’80s hard rock. Careful with this book … it could poke your eye out!
Available August 25, 2026. PRE-ORDER NOW!
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Sean Kelly is a Juno-nominated Canadian musician who has performed with Nelly Furtado, Dee Snider, Coney Hatch, Helix, and Crash Kelly. In 2023, he was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame as a member of Lee Aaron’s band. By day, Sean is a music teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.
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Published: August 2026
ISBN: 9781770417946
Dimensions: 6 x 9 in.
Pages: 376
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