[justinthyme]

Anyone know how this term came to mean a guitar?

[coldethyl]

I can't say I know the answer to that one myself. But I'd be interested if anyone knows too.

[krissovo]

Probably due to something like this, pick it up by the neck and swing like a mad viking (AKA Pete Townsend from the who).

[Fong]

Nah term arrived before the Hendrix years of smashing the crap out of guitars in the manner of swinging an axe.

Some people seem to think it stems from the fact that a guitar looks a bit like an 'axe' perhaps an old double headed axe for instance. Though obviously it was around before BC Rich, its a good example of how close the resemblence can be.

[GotDeeBlues]

The term "axe" was used long before Hendrix. I remember a song from the 50's called "Yakety Axe"(there was also one "yakety sax"). I have heard the origin of the phrase but cannot recall it right now.

[6string]

I read that it was related to woodshedding (playing guitar in the wood shed)

[knight46]

I found this:

Issue of April 10, 2007 -- Page 3
The use of "axe" as slang for a musical instrument dates back to 1955, i.e., in the edenic pre-Kiss days. The instrument to which "axe" was first applied, however, was not the guitar, but the saxophone. The logic may have been simply the "sax/axe" rhyme, but another theory ties "axe" to the "swing" of a jazz sax player in full stride. "Axe" was also later applied to the trumpet before becoming accepted as slang for the guitar, a use which has probably persisted in part because of the instrument's resemblance to an actual axe.

[Stratrat]

I posted this link in another thread too, but I think the term "axe" came from the guitar being used like this.

[knight46]

Rock and Roll, you gotta love it

[6string]

Originally Posted by Stratrat

I posted this link in another thread too, but I think the term "axe" came from the guitar being used like this.

Was there any difference when he was and wasn't playing?

[justinthyme]

Originally Posted by knight46

I found this:

Issue of April 10, 2007 -- Page 3

Thanks for the link - interesting.