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December 19th, 2006
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Playing guitar for over a year.
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Last Online: 1 Day Ago 12:49 AM
Location: NJ
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Axe Trivia Question?
Who gets credit for using the term 'Axe' for a guitar? Inquiring minds need to know!
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December 19th, 2006
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Playing guitar for over 5 years.
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Last Online: 9 Hours Ago 08:11 AM
Location: Sydney
Posts: 1,591
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Other than suggesting a lumber jack with musical ablility I have no idea
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December 20th, 2006
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Administrator
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Last Online: 13 Hours Ago 04:46 AM
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,793
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I've wondered about this too... I've even asked a few people when they have called a guitar an axe why it is so... I got one response that maybe it was because an axe and a guitar were similarly shaped (really?) another response had something to do with chops... good chops with his axe... makes sense, but then where did chops come from... and maybe chops came from axe and not the other way around...
Someone must know, or even have some kind of believable theory.
Clancy
"I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours". Jerome K. Jerome
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December 20th, 2006
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Member
Playing guitar for over a year.
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Last Online: 1 Day Ago 12:49 AM
Location: NJ
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Clancy
I've wondered about this too...
Someone must know, or even have some kind of believable theory.
Clancy
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I'm wondering if Hendricks had something to do with it when he would annihilate his 'axe' on stage? Maybe it comes from there...
I guess we can throw this into the urban legend category.
John
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December 20th, 2006
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Location: Australia
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by tonedeaf
I'm wondering if Hendricks had something to do with it when he would annihilate his 'axe' on stage? Maybe it comes from there...
I guess we can throw this into the urban legend category.
John
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I don't know about that... care to elaborate? 
Clancy
"I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours". Jerome K. Jerome
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December 20th, 2006
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Grand Member
Playing guitar for over 5 years.
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Last Online: 9 Hours Ago 08:11 AM
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found this googling
ax/axe
O.E. æces, later æx, from P.Gmc. *akusjo (cf. O.S. accus, O.N. ex, O.Fris. axe, Ger. Axt, Goth. aqizi), from PIE *agw(e)si- (cf. Gk. axine, L. ascia). Meaning "musical instrument" is 1955, originally jazz slang for the saxophone; rock slang for "guitar" dates to 1967
So maybe it was a sax player who coined it
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December 20th, 2006
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Last Online: 10 Hours Ago 07:26 AM
Location: South Africa
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Must have been the earlier rock/metal bands... That "chopped" up their amps with their "axes", at the end of a show... 
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December 20th, 2006
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Full Member
Playing guitar for what seems like forever.
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Last Online: 1 Week Ago 07:04 AM
Location: Phillip Island....Au
Posts: 948
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I think it was "The Who's" antics on stage that caused the guitar to be refered to as an axe.
I got blisters on my fingers........!
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December 20th, 2006
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Administrator
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Last Online: 13 Hours Ago 04:46 AM
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,793
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Clancy
I've wondered about this too... I've even asked a few people when they have called a guitar an axe why it is so... I got one response that maybe it was because an axe and a guitar were similarly shaped (really?) another response had something to do with chops... good chops with his axe... makes sense, but then where did chops come from... and maybe chops came from axe and not the other way around...
Clancy
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I forgot to add there was something about woodshedding in the explanation too. (going off to practice) So woodshedding, chopping, chops, axe? Maybe...
Clancy
"I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours". Jerome K. Jerome
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December 20th, 2006
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Full Member
Playing guitar for what seems like forever.
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Last Online: 18 Hours Ago 11:22 PM
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 655
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by mattz196
found this googling
ax/axe
O.E. æces, later æx, from P.Gmc. *akusjo (cf. O.S. accus, O.N. ex, O.Fris. axe, Ger. Axt, Goth. aqizi), from PIE *agw(e)si- (cf. Gk. axine, L. ascia). Meaning "musical instrument" is 1955, originally jazz slang for the saxophone; rock slang for "guitar" dates to 1967
So maybe it was a sax player who coined it
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yeh, I've heard other "old guys" (way older than me!) that played different instruments use that term for their own instruments other than guitars. In a union hall in Columbus many years ago. So it wasn't just in ref to guitars. Hmmm.good question though.
Andy S.
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December 21st, 2006
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Newcomer
Just started playing guitar.
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Last Online: March 3rd, 2007 07:26 AM
Location: USA
Posts: 26
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Don't know the origin but I do remember it being used way before 1967. "Yakety Axe" was released in the late '50s and I had heard the term used well before that.
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December 22nd, 2006
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Playing guitar for over a year.
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Last Online: 1 Day Ago 12:49 AM
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Thanks guys for trying, great answers! Come to think of it maybe the 'old timers' referral to other instruments and union shop talk it could be an 'axe' is looked upon as a tool of the trade. Mechanics tools and the like for example. Just thinking out loud.
Hey skinnybloke, nice avitar axe wise that is!
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December 28th, 2006
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Playing guitar for what seems like forever.
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Last Online: September 6th, 2008 03:30 PM
Location: Fallston, PA
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I have heard that it dates back to the twentys and thirties and acoustic blues players like Robert Johnson,Blind Lemon Jefferson and others.
It is referring to where they would practice and play, The woodshed on the farms in the south.
It's also responsible for the term "Woodshedding" as in practicing, and the term "Axe" for the guitar.
I'm not sure if it's true but I kinda like to think so! 
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January 6th, 2007
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Join Date: May 2006
Last Online: October 7th, 2008 02:45 PM
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is was thinking that maybe its because axe's split wood, and some people do ear splittin solo's. coincidence? very probable, but who knows
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