Where other best-selling guitar histories look at the rank-and-file models, Ultimate Star Guitars is unique in profiling the specific favorites of famous players--oftentimes million-dollar babies, such as the 1968 Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix burned at Woodstock and which sold at Sotheby's in 1993 for $1.3 million. Among the stars and their guitars:

• Kurt Cobain: 1969 Competition Series Fender Mustang
• B. B. King: Gibson "Lucille"
• Prince: Hohner HG490
• Edward Van Halen: "Frankenstrat"
• Neil Young: 1953 Gibson Les Paul "Old Black"

Guitar journalist Dave Hunter explains the stories behind each: the important sessions on which they were used, landmark tours and gigs on which they were played, modifications made by their owners, and more.

From twangy country to scorching metal, from full-throttle punk to sophisticated jazz, and from gut-punch blues to lo-fi indie rock, Ultimate Star Guitars is illustrated with performance and candid photography of the artists with their star guitars, relevant memorabilia, and more often than not, studio shots of the guitars or signature models based on them. It's an information-packed visual feast for guitar enthusiasts