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Guitar Smashing: Love it, hate it, indifferent?

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 41,716
edited November 2011 in All Encompassing Trip
While posting a few times about Stone smashing his guitar years ago I thought about asking this in Musicians and Gearheads but I'm just as curious about the non-musicians take on this topic.

I have to admit to having thoroughly been thrilled to watch a few guitars get smashed. I saw the Who in 1968 (San Jose Civic Auditorium) but Pete only bounced his Gibson SG off the stage floor a few times. This was in the Who's earlier years so maybe he didn't have as many back ups. Then in 1970 I saw Jimi Hendrix at Winterland. His Marshall stack kept acting up so at the end of the show, in the middle of Foxy Lady he flashed the audience the peace sign and charged headstock first into his speaker cabinets and tore everything up. Thrilling to see! The last time was again an unplanned, equipment-failure provoked incident. It was at a Paul Westerberg show at SF's Great American Music Hall in 2005. Paul was playing a beautiful (both looks and sound) double cutaway Les Paul and his amp kept cutting out. In one very swift movement he whipped the guitar over his head and shattered it on top of his amp. Again, thrilling to see but really sad too because that guitar just sang and Paul received a nasty cut over his temple. A friend in high school had the right idea- he played his Les Paul Jr. and switched to an old beater for the last song of each gig that he smashed and repeatedly glued back together. It got easier and easier to smash!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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Comments

  • dcfaithfuldcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    The fact that you saw Jimi Hendrix is just simply fucking awesome. :shock:

    I can't describe my jealousy right now.

    The unexpected smashing from Paul Westerberg is cool too.

    I'm all for it! :)
    7/2/06 - Denver, CO
    6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
    8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
    9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
    9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
    9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
  • he.who.forgetshe.who.forgets Posts: 4,593
    while it surely is pretty cool to see live and it definitely amps up the crowd, imagine how cool it would be to give the guitar to a fan instead...that could make someone's day, week, month, year, life!!! Especially from Pete or Jimi...you've seen some epic musicians in the flesh btw
    We were but stones your light made us stars
  • DS1119DS1119 Posts: 33,497
    edited November 2011
    he.who.forgets wrote:
    while it surely is pretty cool to see live and it definitely amps up the crowd, imagine how cool it would be to give the guitar to a fan instead...that could make someone's day, week, month, year, life!!! Especially from Pete or Jimi...you've seen some epic musicians in the flesh btw


    All that would lead to is more people bitching about the Ebay flippers. :lol:

    And btw I'm for the guitar smashing if it's an in the moment type of thing. If it becomes too scripted then not so sure. This guitar smash was pretty much a fail. A for effort...F for results.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDzL_WU3mmE
    Post edited by DS1119 on
  • dcfaithfuldcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    DS1119 wrote:
    he.who.forgets wrote:
    while it surely is pretty cool to see live and it definitely amps up the crowd, imagine how cool it would be to give the guitar to a fan instead...that could make someone's day, week, month, year, life!!! Especially from Pete or Jimi...you've seen some epic musicians in the flesh btw


    All that would lead to is more people bitching about the Ebay flippers. :lol:

    Anybody who owns a guitar given to them by Jimi Hendrix and flips it has absolutely no soul whatsoever.
    7/2/06 - Denver, CO
    6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
    8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
    9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
    9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
    9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
  • markin ballmarkin ball Posts: 1,075
    Eh, Its been done. I'm over it.
    "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win ."

    "With our thoughts we make the world"
  • vanisle09vanisle09 Posts: 33
    Love it. Nobody better than Pete!
  • SatansFutonSatansFuton Posts: 5,399
    Sometimes I think it's cool, but it seems like such a waste.

    I think the lamest thing I have ever seen was when I saw Smashing Pumpkins back in '97 and after the set the rest of the band left the stage and Billy was walking around swinging his guitar like he was about to smash it. He strutted around, swinging it over his head for a good 1-2 minutes, and finally he doubled fisted it around the neck and swung down like the fucking thing was an axe.... and stopped right before it hit the ground, stood up straight and placed it on a guitar stand then walked off stage. So dumb.
    "See a broad to get dat booty yak 'em, leg 'er down, a smack 'em yak 'em!"
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain Posts: 31,123
    I dig it.

    Agree with some of the posts that timing can make or break it as far as how cool it is.

    The first time I saw NIN I had never heard of them. (Lolla 1 in 1991) I was fucking blown away at their set and knew I was going to like this band -- damn was their lead singer f'd in the head! The topper was seeing him demolish, piece by piece, every instrument his band was using as part of their last song. I had no idea if they could even afford new instruments it just seemed to be the pinnacle of his anger and it went so well with the set they had just rocked us out with. They totally stole the day up until Jane's melted the entire place with an epic closing set.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • 12345AGNST112345AGNST1 Posts: 4,906
    I never liked it. I had a horrible childhood experience relating to that. I was watching a MTV Nirvana performance and I saw Kurt smashing his guitar into his amp and all I remember hearing were these horrible distorted guitar noises. the sound and act of him doing it frightened the shit out of me. I don't really know why other than the fact that I was like 4-6 yrs old.

    It still slightly disturbs me.

    edit: yea... this shit

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HO2bhaHHcM

    Just yet another reminder why I don't like Nirvana. Kurt was such a disturbed human being. can't even watch that shit
    5/28/06, 6/27/08, 10/28/09, 5/18/10, 5/21/10
    8/7/08, 6/9/09
  • vanisle09vanisle09 Posts: 33
    I just watched that and I thought it was awesome. Look at the how crazy the crowd is going. What a great finish to a really hard concert!!!
  • 8181 Posts: 58,276
    Smash it....as long as it is the moment
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    I can see being swept up in the moment. But it does seem like a waste of a perfectly good instrument.

    Seeing Jimi is amazing, how lucky!

    I'd want to smash a xylophone...that'd be my big rock n roll moment. AH YEAH
  • neilybabes86neilybabes86 Posts: 16,057
    i would love to personally break one

    its also been cool to see mikey do it a few times
    i post on the board of a band that doesn't exsist anymore .......i need my head examined.......
  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    the classics like jimi, and nirvana, the who are all great. but seeing someone do it live, and in person is a hell of a buzz. i saw ed and mike smashing their guitars during the finale of San Fran III in 2006, Ed riding on the smashed guitar like a surfboard.

    i also saw a local band, in a small venue, a band of teens, and at the end of the show, they had confetti thrown around the stage, and they smashed their instruments and then did some insane guitar effects with the remnants.

    as i said, seeing that type of stuff is a rush
  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    12345AGNST1 wrote:
    I never liked it. I had a horrible childhood experience relating to that. I was watching a MTV Nirvana performance and I saw Kurt smashing his guitar into his amp and all I remember hearing were these horrible distorted guitar noises. the sound and act of him doing it frightened the shit out of me. I don't really know why other than the fact that I was like 4-6 yrs old.

    It still slightly disturbs me.

    edit: yea... this shit

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HO2bhaHHcM

    Just yet another reminder why I don't like Nirvana. Kurt was such a disturbed human being. can't even watch that shit


    thats odd, this to me is symbolic of why i love nirvana.
  • dcfaithfuldcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    neilybabes86 wrote:
    i would love to personally break one

    Ah, me too. It might be worth going to the pawn shop to get one and then smash it to hell. :lol:
    7/2/06 - Denver, CO
    6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
    8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
    9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
    9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
    9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    Do what you want to do, but I personally am against abusing my own stuff. I abuse it, but it will be back to play another day.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

    https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
  • Thoughts_ArriveThoughts_Arrive Posts: 15,165
    12345AGNST1 wrote:
    I never liked it. I had a horrible childhood experience relating to that. I was watching a MTV Nirvana performance and I saw Kurt smashing his guitar into his amp and all I remember hearing were these horrible distorted guitar noises. the sound and act of him doing it frightened the shit out of me. I don't really know why other than the fact that I was like 4-6 yrs old.

    It still slightly disturbs me.

    edit: yea... this shit

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HO2bhaHHcM

    Just yet another reminder why I don't like Nirvana. Kurt was such a disturbed human being. can't even watch that shit

    Serious? I love this!
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • uninnocent-uninnocent- Posts: 5,959
    If an artist is into their music enough that they want to express themselves through a good smash, all the power to 'em. I've seen it happen a couple times at shows and I've felt the intensity.

    On a personal note, I smashed my first acoustic guitar eight years ago while camping. It was a cheap garage sale guitar, nothing special. Some days I miss it, others I don't.
  • Dru_CortezDru_Cortez Posts: 953
    dcfaithful wrote:
    Anybody who owns a guitar given to them by Jimi Hendrix and flips it has absolutely no soul whatsoever.
    Word.

    As for this particular thread,
    the only equivalent I have is
    seeing Mike Dirnt (sic?) of Green Day
    destroy his drum kit with a hospital crutch.
    Outdoor festival in Winnipeg,
    summer of '96 I think.

    Cheers.
    'Cause you don't give blood and take it back again.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,138
    If McCready ever tried to smash his 59 stratocaster, I would jump in front of it like a secret serviceman taking a bullet for the president.

    2599251361_30d86033d6.jpg
  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    or try and knock someone's head clean off their shoulders with keith richards's telecaster?
    http://youtu.be/KyK0y02HvVc
    http://youtu.be/GODaPVTvYKs
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    Jason P wrote:
    If McCready ever tried to smash his 59 stratocaster, I would jump in front of it like a secret serviceman taking a bullet for the president.

    2599251361_30d86033d6.jpg
    That reminds me of the SF show in '06 when Mike smashed the guitar and Ed surfed on it (for like 2 seconds....our Ed is not very graceful :lol: ) MIke then grabbed the 59 Strat, and Ed said oh how about that one next? Mike was hugging it like noooooooooooooo :lol:
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 41,716
    chadwick wrote:
    or try and knock someone's head clean off their shoulders with keith richards's telecaster?
    http://youtu.be/KyK0y02HvVc
    http://youtu.be/GODaPVTvYKs

    I love Keith Richards and his attitude here is so cool- "Don't mess with me or my mates... but I'll bail you out later." Too cool, Keef!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    never liked it... guitars are beautiful
  • mfc2006mfc2006 HTOWN Posts: 37,412
    not a fan at all.

    i would love to play the guitars that others throw away & demolish. what a waste.
    I LOVE MUSIC.
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    www.cluthe.com
  • Gary CarterGary Carter Posts: 14,067
    LOVE THEM
    Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
    Sammi: Wanna just break up?

  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    mfc2006 wrote:
    not a fan at all.

    i would love to play the guitars that others throw away & demolish. what a waste.
    i am w/ ya. i wonder what it must feel like to go from rags to riches as most musical acts do. maybe it's a good idea not to destroy one's shit in regards to respecting one's art. so yeah, i never really understood smashing instruments. but when it is choreographed that is when someone (or someones) is a dumb asshole.

    thank you
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • SomethingCreativeSomethingCreative Posts: 3,371
    I smashed my gibson firebrand a few years back...I don't know how, but I dropped it toward the end of the last song of our set...the head stock snapped off and the neck was split down the middle. On top of that...I'd gotten in a few arguments with my drummer and his idiot friends that he put in charge of the door (they were kicking people out for no reason before the show even started)

    anyways...I went berserk and smashed the hell out of it.
    "Well, I think this band is incapable of sucking."
    -my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
  • Thorns2010Thorns2010 Posts: 2,200
    In regards to San Fran III in '06 I thought it was pretty lame. Only because I saw Mike with a guitar I had never seen him with, so it was obvious to me that it was going to be smashed.

    But I think spur of the moment or out of frustration is no problem. Just not when its clearly staged.
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