is smashing a guitar cliche?

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The look on this fan's face at that Who concert is how I feel about smashing guitars:

UpsetGuyatWhoConcert.JPG
 
The look on this fan's face at that Who concert is how I feel about smashing guitars:

UpsetGuyatWhoConcert.JPG

Haha, great shot.

I've heard that Townshend would go out and like buy these $2000 guitars the day of the show, basically on loan from a local shop. Then at the show the owner of the shop shows up and watches with horror how Townshend destroyed the guitar.

Apparently he was always like 2/3k in debt.

Someone told me about this through a DVD they watched on the who. So I'd say it's pretty credible.
 
Ok, here's the fundamental problem with this guitar destruction thing. When the body separates from the neck, you end up with this clunky hunk of body sort of wobbling around in the air haphazardly while the guy still has the neck (which obviously weighs nothing) still in his hands and both parts are still connected with the strings.

I still think the ultimate guitar destruction has to be a guitar that explodes on that first hit - and I mean into a cataclysmic display of dust, light and sound.

What us guitarist need is a perfect playing, yet explodable, solid exotic body, set neck, Shaller tuners, Floyd Rose trem, custom bone nut, chromium wammy bar, pure ceramic caps, solid gold hardware, groupie butt-cheek-smudge-on-the-back guitar that provides the ultimate in show ending pyro emergency room headline catching class action law suit congressional hearing Evangelical damning crescendo of historic proportions. Now, THAT would be cool.

Maybe something in a nice Silvertone?
 
Ok, here's the fundamental problem with this guitar destruction thing. When the body separates from the neck, you end up with this clunky hunk of body sort of wobbling around in the air haphazardly while the guy still has the neck (which obviously weighs nothing) still in his hands and both parts are still connected with the strings.

I still think the ultimate guitar destruction has to be a guitar that explodes on that first hit - and I mean into a cataclysmic display of dust, light and sound.

What us guitarist need is a perfect playing, yet explodable, solid exotic body, set neck, Shaller tuners, Floyd Rose trem, custom bone nut, chromium wammy bar, pure ceramic caps, solid gold hardware, groupie butt-cheek-smudge-on-the-back guitar that provides the ultimate in show ending pyro emergency room headline catching class action law suit congressional hearing Evangelical damning crescendo of historic proportions. Now, THAT would be cool.

Maybe something in a nice Silvertone?

Rosewood or maple?
 
i'm going to agree with some others

i don't think it really makes you look cliche so much as it makes you just look stupid.
 
Is smashing a guitar cliche?

No, not smashing a guitar is cliche.
 
It's not cool unless it's your main axe and worth alot of money.

Otherwise it's just lame deluxe.
 
It's been done.
To do it again would require a new reason for doing it.
Townsend did it when he was cranky and then because he was expected to.
Hendrix did it as part of a pyrotechnical show that doesn't seem to have been done before him and he got passed doing it pretty quickly.
Since then has anyone advanced to a new way or reason.
I guess it's exciting for some strange solo isolated singular person who's not seen/heard/known of it before but like it's been aisd - if it's not a decent, real expensive instrument then it's a hollow pastiche - to that end why not use a nice papier mache' jobbie or go the whole hog and develop the guitar piniat solo that ends up with lollies for everyone.
It's also not good for the world, what with repair, reuse, recycle et al.
 
Get an old photocopier machine, and a baseball bat. At the end of the show beat it to pieces office space style.
Or, even better, grab the guitar of the band that played right before you and smash that one up, make akward sexual advances on the dudes girlfriend while you're at it, and then have the decency to offer him your crappy epiphone you were gonna smash up in the first place.
Lots of ways to be creative without smashing up your own guitar:p Smash up your bass players bass without telling him before. Then you'll have a whole lotta drama on stage.
 
Only POSERS smash guitars because they are too stoned and frustrated to express themselves with riffs.
 
I'm cliche disadvantaged & I accept that - came with the genetics and the place of birth. There're plenty of programs being run to supply me with cliche vouchers and there's also the Maccain votes for cliche exchange fund.
Breaking wind is slightly less cliched - though using a match to light it is beyond passe (unless lined up as a BBQ fire starter that is).
Let's apply the Bauhaus Design School principle of "form follows function" to the situation: The form - breaking a guitar. The function - repetition based on failing creativity.
 
For all the people who are against smashing it...Have you ever smashed a guitar? Or like destroyed anything on stage?

I used to be WAY against smashing guitars.
I still haven't smashed a guitar...But part of mine and my buddies act (we're a two piece me-guitar him-drums) is that at the end I run in the drumset basically beating the shit out of the drums with my guitar.

Nothing that has ruined either my guitar or his drums yet. One show I tackled him too. I've done more damage to my self than to the instruments. But yeah.

People always compliment us after the show and really dig the crashing of the set. And also, it's Amazingly fun. Like, I look forward to it every gig. So I can't wait to get a hold of my old crap guitar to smash the living hell out of it.

Cliché? Maybe. But I haven't seen anyone do it for a long time. And it sure is going to be fun.

So there are my thoughts.

Or ... got anything explosive handy? :D
 
What's lame is when the guy smashes it about 10 times before anything happens and he's running out of juice to keep the show going.

Most of the times that I've seen a band smash their instruments, this has happened to the bassist.

It's hilarious. The guitarist has long since busted his guitar and is busy helping the drummer kick over his set. And there's the bassist, flailing away and failing to break his instrument.
 
Rosewood or maple?

Richie Blackmore used to break the neck on a maple necked Strat during every show. He hated maple necks that much, he said once in an interview I read. The show I saw, he broke the neck on the Strat but left the body alone; I surmise that he bought a bunch of necks and replaced them every show.
 
I'm not sure Planning to destroy your guitar is the way to go, either. Just seems Very contrived. If something pisses you off that much, and you're that drunk, then yeah, go ahead, I'll laugh along with you. But I think to expect the sort of energy at a gig that means you plan to destroy a guitar? Unlikely. I've played quite a lot of gigs, and maybe only once has there been that sort of buzz amongst the band and the audience, where just about anything goes. And I still play the guitar I was holding :rolleyes:. I wouldn't do it, and I certainly wouldn't encourage it.

Andrew
 
Is cliché really the correct term? "cliché" seems to be used all the time now for all the wrong reasons. I thought it meant that a well known saying like "the grass is always greener on the other side" was old and tired and over used. Football pundits and managers in particular seem to completely misunderstand the word cliché. "I know it's a cliché but were just going to have to work harder on the pitch" eh? I might be wrong & hope someone corrects me as this has been pissing me off for ages (i listen to sportsound every night:p)

I would never even scratch my guitars, why not sell the guitar and send the proceeds to charity if you don't want to keep it in it's current condition. You could also give it to me if you want - I need the money. To be honest I think it's a complete lack of respect smashing your instrument. It may feel good, but so does jacking off, do that instead it's cheaper. (not infornt of audiences though:D)
 
Smashing a guitar would be, for me, like throwing away a perfectly good torque wrench or the 3/8 drill that I seem to use every other day. What's the point?

I didn't get it when Townsend busted his shit up regularly, or Keith Moon kicked all his drums off the riser.

Hendrix was more artful. At least there was fire involved. :) And as someone mentioned, he got past that stage pretty quick.

Mostly it seems contrived.
 
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