Ultimate Heavy Metal Guitars

Sure to strike a chord with guitarists and heavy metal fans, this authoritative and photo-filled volume surveys more than 80 of the genre’s greatest axe-slingers from the 1970s to present.

From metal pioneers like Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, and Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore to today’s hottest shredders, thrashers, and riffers, Ultimate Heavy Metal Guitars is your guide to the instruments and musicians that made metal. Author and guitar journalist Pete Prown presents his subjects by metal-defining eras and subgenres, including: early metal, hard rock and arena rock, prog rock, Euro metal, hair metal, shred, thrash, and more.

Prown’s knowledgeable discussions examine specific noteworthy guitars each player made famous, as well as effects pedals, amplifiers, and career overviews that include the players’ first-person revelations and insights.

Illustrated with photos of the guitarists in action, the book features an early chapter on influencers who set the stage for the genre (think Clapton, Hendrix, and Beck), plus sidebars so you don’t miss out on any of metal’s nooks and crannies, touching on grunge, math metal, nu metal, doom metal, and the genre’s roots in blues and early rock.

Guitarists profiled:

Eric Clapton

Jeff Beck

Jimi Hendrix

Pete Townshend

Jimmy Page

Tony Iommi

Ritchie Blackmore

Leslie West

Martin Barre

Mick Box

Johnny Winter

Joe Perry & Brad Whitford

Brian May

Robin Trower

Don “Buck Dharma” Roeser

Rick Derringer

Ronnie Montrose

Frank Marino

Mick Ralphs

Eddie Van Halen

Ace Frehley

Tom Scholz & Barry Goudreau

Nancy Wilson

Neal Schon

Angus & Malcolm Young

Pat Travers

Michael Schenker

Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson

Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing

Rudolph Schenker, Uli Jon Roth & Matthias Jabs

Dave Murray & Adrian Smith

Randy Rhoads

Kerry Livgren & Rich Williams

Alex Lifeson

Michael Wilton & Chris DeGarmo

John Petrucci

Phil Collen & Steve Clark

Gary Moore

Joan Jett

Lita Ford

Brad Gillis & Jeff Watson

Mick Mars

John Sykes

Vernon Reid

Yngwie Malmsteen

Steve Vai

Joe Satriani

Vivian Campbell

Jason Becker

Paul Gilbert

George Lynch

Tony MacAlpine & Vinnie Moore

James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett

Dave Mustaine

Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman

Scott Ian

Slash

Zakk Wylde

Dimebag Darrell

Ty Tabor

Jerry Cantrell

Tom Morello

Kim Thayil

Mark Tremonti

Alexi Laiho

Herman Li

Brent Hinds & Bill Kelliher

Nita Strauss

Nili Brosh