The guitar is arguably the most played and most beloved instrument out there and it’s extremely popular with teenagers who pick it up as they gradually discover cool music like rock n’ roll and heavy metal. Kids are easily impressionable at the age of 15, the age when I picked up a guitar, so it’s no wonder that their desire to play this six-stringed instrument (or 4 stringed if it’s the bass guitar) comes from the burning desire to be like the rock stars they admire and look up to. Many people will become so infatuated with rock stars that they will buy the same guitar they play. In this article I’ll write about various rock musicians and the gear they used during their long and sometimes short and tragic careers.

Let’s start with Jimi Hendrix, probably the greatest rock guitarist that ever lived. Hendrix owned and used a huge selection of guitars over his short career. But his favorite of them all was the Fender Stratocaster which became highly associated with the man himself. In addition of using the Fender Stratocaster Jimi also played on Fender Jazzmaster, Duosonic, Gibson and Gretsch guitars. It’s interesting to know that two of his most well-known songs, Hey Joe and Purple Haze were recorded by using a Fender Telecaster.

Another huge guitar player of that era was and is Eric Clapton. The British guitarist had a big love for Fender Telecasters and Fender Jazzmasters, popularizing them during the time. He also loved the slim design on the Gibson Les Paul which he used on various occasions. It was 1969 when he made the big transition to the guitar he’s widely known to been using: the mighty Fender Stratocaster or the Strat as it’s also known among guitar lovers.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stone has said to own a collection of almost 3,000 guitars. That’s absolutely amazing. The guitars he’s widely known to be using on tours and during recording sessions are the 1959 Gibson Les Paul, the Epiphone Casino, the Gibson SG, the Fender Telecaster and finally the Fender Stratocaster. His love for Fenders is so big that he thanked Leo Fender, the creator of the guitar, on numerous occasions, especially during Rolling Stones’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If you’re fan of either one these three or of all of them, the smartest move would be to buy a Fender Stratocaster as it seems that this guitar was loved by the greatest and is still being loved by the world’s biggest rock stars. To make the process of learning a highly enjoyable one make sure to buy a guitar that you love and which you envision playing. There’s no sense on picking a guitar you don’t really feel comfortable with as in time you’ll get bored and abandon it. Make sure to practice almost every day even if it’s for 10-15 minutes only. This will build up over time and the results will show up sooner or later. You’ll soon find yourself with a greater dexterity and also with a bigger understanding on how the chords work.

And once you know the easy and intermediate chords there’s nothing stopping you from playing songs from the bands you love.

There are many ways to learn how to play the guitar, one of them being the Internet. Head out to Google and search for keywords like learn to play guitar, learning guitar, or how to learn guitar. These keywords will lead you to sites full of text or video tutorials that will help you develop a style and pace. All it takes it’s a good guitar and determination to learn.

Another method of learning is by ear. Do you have a good ear in music? Many people learned to play the guitar by re-playing songs they heard on the radio. This can be quite daunting for some and very simple to others. People who were born with a good ear can become masters at guitar without even knowing the theory. John Frusciante for example, the ex-guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers could play you anything by ear and I find that truly remarkable.

But if you’re not among the lucky ones who could learn songs simply by carefully listening to them you should know that there are many books and DVD’s with lessons, ranging from the most elementary basics to advanced things. Are you a beginner? No problem, head out to YouTube and search for guitar tutorials. Hundreds if not thousands of people have already uploaded videos with lessons on chords, tabs, arpeggios, picking and so forth. As I said, all you need is time, determination, patience and the rest will come naturally!

Let’s see what other guitarists of the modern age of rock play and why.

Kirk Hammett, the lead guitarist of Metallica has a big love for ESP guitars and the company behind these guitars has released custom made guitars just for him. Besides the famous ESP Flying V he also uses a Gibson Les Paul Custom, Ibanez RG and Jackson Randy Rhoads. James Hetfield, also of Metallica has a big love on ESP guitars as well.

Kurt Cobain, probably the most influential rock star of the last 3 decades was an avid Fender user. During the later parts of his career he alternated between a Fender Jaguar and a Fender Mustang. He and his band were so huge he designed a custom guitar for Fender, which was named Fender Jag-Stang, a new type of guitar made from the two above mentioned classic Fender guitars. But unfortunately he never really finished working on it as he was dead a year later. Kurt Cobain, unlike his contemporaries, never used a Fender Stratocaster or any type of Gibson. He preferred the more classic and vintage guitars, many of which we’re long out of production. Needless to say he popularized everything he laid his hands on.

Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins is widely known for him playing the Fender Stratocaster. He even has a custom made series named after him. These are readily available for the consumer market. Die-hard fans love these types of things. He’s also a frequent user of the Gibson ES series. He even endorsed a not so well known brand of guitar, the Reverend which he played himself during his tenure in Zwan.

Joh Frusciante, mainly known for his playing in the California band Red Hot Chili Peppers is also an avid vintage guitar collector and player. He’s widely known for the fact that he won’t play a guitar that’s not a vintage one. His most favorite instrument is the 1962 Fender Stratocaster, a guitar he has used on virtually every recording of his. Another very beautiful yet extremely expensive guitar he uses is the Gretsch White Falcon. He used this guitar to record two of the band’s greatest hits: Californication and Otherside.

Dave Grohl, formerly of Nirvana and now the lead singer and guitarist for the Foo Fighters plays a variety of guitars while touring or in the studio but his 3 most notable instruments are the Gibson DG-335, the Gibson Trini Lopez and Gibson Firebird. He’s an avid Gibson lover and rarely uses another brand of guitar.

There you have it, the world’s greatest rock stars and their never ending love for beautiful and well-known guitars. Which rock star do you prefer? Would you choose the same guitar he’s playing? While many of these are pretty accessible for almost anyone, there are quite some guitars that can cost up to 20-30 thousand dollars apiece. Of course, I’m talking about the Gretsch White Falcon, the one owned by John Frusciante.

But you don’t need a White Falcon to learn how to play a guitar. A Stratocaster is more than advised for any beginner out there. Whether you’re teaching yourself in a room how to play it or you’re seeing an instructor it’s you who makes the music and not the guitar.

More and more kids are picking up the guitar, the real thing and not the Guitar Hero console type, and that’s a wonderful thing. It has been proven that kids who are interested in playing music are overtly more social and they do better in school.

Owning and playing the guitar can save a life and it also can keep you disciplined and give a whole new meaning to living.