5 Expensive Guitars Rock Legends Say Are Absolutely Worth The Money

If there's one thing anyone who has ever shopped for a guitar knows, it's that the instruments can get pretty expensive. With different models ranging from a few hundred dollars to many thousands, it can be hard to suss out which are actually worth the money. Sure, a few of the most iconic models might be reliable choices, but even then, an expert opinion would be helpful when choosing between them. There are no better experts than the undisputed legends of rock, and fortunately, most of them tend to love talking about guitars.

For anyone out looking for their next guitar, a bunch of the all-time greats have gone on record singing the praises of a certain model, and many have been happy to explain in detail why. Legends of all styles, from Santana to Slash and Joe Bonamassa to B. B. King, have their own recommendations, which we've compiled here to determine which expensive guitars are truly worth the money.

Few guitar brands are as respected as Fender, and none of their models are as beloved and iconic as the Stratocaster. Throughout the company's 70-plus-year history, the manufacturer saw more than one so-called golden era for its instruments, but none topped the period from the late '50s to early '60s. Alongside producing holy grail models like the '57, that period also introduced the '62, which has been the favorite of more than a few legends. One is Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, whose signature guitar offered by Fender is a painstaking recreation of his own '62.

Getting one of Frusciante's signature Strats new will cost you over $20,000, but Fender also has more general reproductions that run in the range of $4,000 to $5,000 new. Either way, the instruments are an expensive buy, but there are legends who swear by them. As Frusciante explained to Guitar World, "[the '62] was the one that spoke to me off the wall. And ever since then, I've had many other Strats — from that period of time, generally — and that one that happened to be there that day, I've never found one better than that." Other guitarists who favored a '62 were Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose iconic guitar "Number One" was part '62, as well as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, who used '62s often.

Easily one of the biggest among popular guitar lines, the Gibson ES series also boasts a thick sound to match. The ES series is Gibson's main line of electric semi-hollowbody guitars, with a whole slew of different models, though by far the most famed is the ES-335 and those most similar to it, like the ES-355. They're known for an exceptional warmth, much of which comes from the semi-hollow body, and a generally huge sound, which comes with a price. Most models tend to range between $3,000 and $6,000 new, with a few that reach even higher, but some legends swear that they're worth it, most notably B. B. King and Dave Grohl.

King's most famous guitar was "Lucille," a name he actually applied to a number of guitars through the years, but the most famous among them were the ES-335 and ES-355. Gibson has released King signature lines for both models, and the king of blues is not alone. Grohl also has a signature ES-335 (though it's stylized as a DG-335 after his initials) based on his own longtime go-to guitar. 

As Grohl explained when showing his own ES-335 to NME (via Far Out), "This guitar I've made every single Foo Fighters record with ... this is the sound of the Foo Fighters, this guitar. On every record, I might use other guitars every now and then. For the most part, it's just this."

There aren't many guitars as instantly recognizable as Gibson's Flying V; its body profile alone makes it a genuine icon among the instrument's many styles. It has come to be known as one of the most stereotypical metal guitars, though a number of legends from other genres call it a favorite. Among them is modern blues rock icon Joe Bonamassa, who once went so far as to pay over $400,000 for a well-preserved '58 Flying V. Gibson also offers a reproduction '58 Flying V, and even at 1/40th the price of Bonamassa's, it's still a major investment — though if you ask Bonamassa, it's worth it at any price.

Speaking about his massive purchase to Guitarist, Bonamassa argued, "... it's the most money I've ever paid for a guitar in my life ... But what's a Flying V worth? It's worth what someone's willing to pay for it." Bonamassa isn't alone in his love of late '50s Flying V's, either. Speaking about blues legend Albert King's love of the Flying V with Vintage Guitar, Billy Gibbons (a blues legend himself) once gushed that "I think anyone lucky enough to play the Gibson Flying V from the late 1950s would concur that it is not only one of the most exotic instruments, but came from the zenith of Gibson's manufacturing expertise." 

If you don't have almost half a million dollars to spend on one guitar, not to worry: Gibson also offers reproduction '58 Flying V's for about $10,000 and modern V's in the $2,000 to $3,000 range.

If you've seen Latin and blues legend Carlos Santana play guitar at any point in the last 50 years or so, there is a good chance you saw him playing a PRS, the brand he has consistently sung praises about. Despite his large guitar collection, many of which are in regular rotation for live performances, he has long favored his PRS guitars over the rest. Santana explained his devotion to Guitar World, saying, "I always go back to my PRS models. Paul Reed Smith has mastered creating an instrument that behaves. No matter what the weather is like, it will stay in tune and always give you that great tone."

In the same interview, Santana said of his signature PRS model, "I think it's the most fluid. It's the easiest instrument for me to materialize my inner-vision, thoughts and emotions. There's not much struggle translating myself onto that guitar." That's high praise from a guitarist as famously emotive in his playing as Santana. For someone who sings so eloquently through their instrument to label one specific brand the most expressive is an expertise worth considering. With PRS guitars ranging from the high hundreds for beginner models to the tens of thousands for limited runs and custom shop pieces, it's important to know that a legend of such talent and discerning taste swears by them.

Among the many coveted vintage guitars, the '59 Gibson Les Paul stands alone. It has been called the holy grail of vintage guitars and certain pieces have sold for millions, making them some of the most expensive guitars in history. Luckily, you don't have to stump up a million or so dollars — the alleged price that the legendary "Greeny" piece once fetched — in order to own one, or at least a Gibson-approved reproduction. The company offers various '59 reproductions, and ironically, one of the cheapest is the "Greeny" model, which retails for around $3,000. If that price tag is a deterrent, there is a veritable army of legendary guitarists willing to vouch for the magic of the '59.

As Slash once said to Guitar World, he used a '59 reproduction for most of "Appetite for Destruction" because "It just sounded f***in' perfect, man ... like a gift from on high." Along with Slash, other legends who consistently relied on '59 Les Pauls include Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Joe Perry. 

Kirk Hammett once explained part of his love for the '59 to Guitar Interactive, saying, "There are some guitars that have the tone inside but you kinda have to bring it out, you have to find the sweet spot in the amp. This guitar, you plug it in and it's already there." The sound quality of the '59 Les Paul is routinely cited as unparalleled by a host of legends, meaning that its expensive price tag may be absolutely worth the money.