Senseless Guitar Deaths

Demon-Dave · 2011-05-03T15:43:12+00:00

This is based on true events, and some of the images may disturb you. We are all proud guitar owners, but how many of us have had the misfortune of loosing one of our most beloved instruments in a horrid, senseless accident. This is the story of my 1985 Fender Santa Cruz. In October 2009, I was on my way to work, teaching guitar at the American International School of Johannesburg, where is was involved in a terrible car accident. I was stationary, indicating to turn and got hit from behind at about 100kph! My fender was in the boot: Here are the pictures of my guitar, I have never been the same since I lost her… ☹ I thought we could all commiserate the loss of our instruments here, together…

Demon-Dave

Yeah, its still very much a rock/metal thing! It really makes me sick watching something beautiful being destroyed. I can honestly say, even when I was playing metal, I never had an urge to smash my Gibson or whatever else I was using at the time!

arjunmenon

Sad stories...i recall seeing a PRS (custom 24, i think) being smashed in an Avril Lavigne MTV video.
This happened at a time when i used to fantasize over a McCarty on the back of a Guitar Techniques magazine.
Totally senseless death IMO :'(

Norman86

Demon Dave wrote Yeah, its still very much a rock/metal thing! It really makes me sick watching something beautiful being destroyed. I can honestly say, even when I was playing metal, I never had an urge to smash my Gibson or whatever else I was using at the time!

At least the fenders took abuse before coming apart.. hell, that one fender bass only the head snapped off, otherwise the rest of it was in tact!
Poor show on yngwie though... meh... people with too much money i suppose :-\

costafonix

Arjun Menon wrote Sad stories...i recall seeing a PRS (custom 24, i think) being smashed in an Avril Lavigne MTV video.
This happened at a time when i used to fantasize over a McCarty on the back of a Guitar Techniques magazine.
Totally senseless death IMO :'(

NooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO >☹ >☹ >☹ :'( :'( :'(

aubs1

I don't know. It's like Pete Townend and Jimi Hendrix (actually, I don't think he smashed guitars, he set one alight), way back, and then it becomes: "Monkey see, monkey do!!!" And the stoned fans thinks that's so cool ....... ???

Well, MJ did not play guitar, so he burnt his hair ....... funny no one else tried that trick!!! ?

Averatu

Our band did a gig with a 'prominent' local metal band in the late 90's(sadly they're still going strong). They brought 2 cases of beer into the back stage area. About half a case was sprayed all over everything and everyone, and the rest was consumed. The one guitarist was completely drunk and disorderly, and he decided to just launch onto our pile of equipment as a joke, as in look Ma no brain. My guitar in a gig bag took the full force, headstock clean off, neck bent!! The promoter had it repaired. They thought it was Hilarius.

IceCreamMan

Averatu wrote Our band did a gig with a 'prominent' local metal band in the late 90's(sadly they're still going strong). They brought 2 cases of beer into the back stage area. About half a case was sprayed all over everything and everyone, and the rest was consumed. The one guitarist was completely drunk and disorderly, and he decided to just launch onto our pile of equipment as a joke, as in look Ma no brain. My guitar in a gig bag took the full force, headstock clean off, neck bent!! The promoter had it repaired. They thought it was Hilarius.

If some one did that to my gear ,joke or not, i would launch into him ...its that simple ...

aja

IceCreamMan wrote
Averatu wrote Our band did a gig with a 'prominent' local metal band in the late 90's(sadly they're still going strong). They brought 2 cases of beer into the back stage area. About half a case was sprayed all over everything and everyone, and the rest was consumed. The one guitarist was completely drunk and disorderly, and he decided to just launch onto our pile of equipment as a joke, as in look Ma no brain. My guitar in a gig bag took the full force, headstock clean off, neck bent!! The promoter had it repaired. They thought it was Hilarius.
If some one did that to my gear ,joke or not, i would launch into him ...its that simple ...

Or do as Tommy Emanuel's father did to him and make him resonate ?

stu

Well when Im a rich famous musician Im going to have a stockpile of Mexican Strats that I will use for smashing.
there is no point in smashing good guitars.......... ?

Norman86

stu wrote Well when Im a rich famous musician Im going to have a stockpile of Mexican Strats that I will use for smashing.
there is no point in smashing good guitars.......... ?

:-\

stu

Norman86 wrote
stu wrote Well when Im a rich famous musician Im going to have a stockpile of Mexican Strats that I will use for smashing.
there is no point in smashing good guitars.......... ?
:-\

HaHa

I only said that to wind you up Norman. I would actually really love to own a mexican strat. I was hoping to buy the one you have when it was for sale but I didnt have the money at the time.

singemonkey

stu wrote
Norman86 wrote
stu wrote Well when Im a rich famous musician Im going to have a stockpile of Mexican Strats that I will use for smashing.
there is no point in smashing good guitars.......... ?
:-\
HaHa

I only said that to wind you up Norman. I would actually really love to own a mexican strat. I was hoping to buy the one you have when it was for sale but I didnt have the money at the time.

Just when I think you Fender people are getting into a fight, you start playing nice. >☹ What's up with that?

Norman86

stu wrote
Norman86 wrote
stu wrote Well when Im a rich famous musician Im going to have a stockpile of Mexican Strats that I will use for smashing.
there is no point in smashing good guitars.......... ?
:-\
HaHa

I only said that to wind you up Norman. I would actually really love to own a mexican strat. I was hoping to buy the one you have when it was for sale but I didnt have the money at the time.

No dude, the only guitars worth smashing are those chinese fakes, sold as the genuine thing! especially as gibsons, which they'll never be!
its seriously not cool to see a guitar smashed! i dont like it!

Kalcium

singemonkey wrote
stu wrote
Norman86 wrote
stu wrote Well when Im a rich famous musician Im going to have a stockpile of Mexican Strats that I will use for smashing.
there is no point in smashing good guitars.......... ?
:-\
HaHa

I only said that to wind you up Norman. I would actually really love to own a mexican strat. I was hoping to buy the one you have when it was for sale but I didnt have the money at the time.
Just when I think you Fender people are getting into a fight, you start playing nice. >☹ What's up with that?

MIM vs MIA is the new Tokai vs Gibson ?

strataxe

Demon Dave wrote Yeah, I ended up in hospital for about 4 hours with severe whiplash and a bad concussion, some minor cuts and bruises. The scary thing was, the front seat, ended up on the back seat, I had to get out using the back right door.

@Slyd: A hard case wouldn’t have made any difference. The guitar was wedged in like an accordion.

I agree, don’t smash a guitar on stage, it really breaks my heart. Somebody went through a lot of effort to build it. If you are sponsored and get a large quota that you can afford to break them willy-nilly, then hell, sign the thing, and auction it off for a charity or something, but there is no need to waste something that some people would love to own but can never afford.

smashing them ... really, hat does one get out of that, the Who(townsend), Pearl Jam, Kirk Hammet(though he has a guitar with a bolt on neck that he has replaced) he uses for smashing. I agree, or JUST GIVE THE GUITAR YOU WANNA SMASH TO ME...

GaryMac

Here you go.
A Stunning Hollow Drop Top Tom Anderson.
This now resides at the Tom Anderson factory in L.A.

It is lovingly refered to as "THE GIRLFRIEND GUITAR"

That speaks for itself really!!!!!

"HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED"

GaryMac

arjunmenon

GaryMac wrote Here you go.
A Stunning Hollow Drop Top Tom Anderson.
This now resides at the Tom Anderson factory in L.A.

It is lovingly refered to as "THE GIRLFRIEND GUITAR"

That speaks for itself really!!!!!

"HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED"

GaryMac

Terrifying and painful at the same time. :'(

VellaJ

A slightly happier story... My tutor owns a 1960's American Strat, fantastically awesome guitar... After a gig one night he got into a bit of an altercation with a concrete barrier on the highway (we suspect a towtruck driver had removed the warning signs, he arrived 30 seconds later...). Anyways, the guitar case was trashed, the car was a write off, but he was ok and the good old Strat lived to play another day... Thanks to a Kia Sportage ?

aja

Arjun Menon wrote
GaryMac wrote Here you go.
A Stunning Hollow Drop Top Tom Anderson.
This now resides at the Tom Anderson factory in L.A.

It is lovingly refered to as "THE GIRLFRIEND GUITAR"

That speaks for itself really!!!!!

"HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED"

GaryMac
Terrifying and painful at the same time. :'(

Why, does it bring back memories? ???

?

Bob-Dubery

There's a famous record cover

The photographer just happened to be there - Paul Simenon, for whatever reason, was under pressure and just let it all blow up in a spontaneous way.

Hmmm.... OK, so he's human and all that.

The Clash didn't make a habit of smashing guitars on stage. Goings on like those by Kiss in that earlier clip, should be classified as gratuitous guitar smashing. Clearly orchestrated for an audience that is demanding it. Meh.

Musicians are human with their own passions and a need to let off steam occasionally, but premeditated guitar smashing seems a bit bogus to me. It may have been genuine theatre at some point in the 60s, but it's just silly now.

I suspect the ones they smash, if they're smashing routinely, are cheap replicas that the roadie hands them just in time.

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