From tonight until the 3 March, Harrods in London will be hosting Born To Rock, a fantastic exhibition dedicated to the electric guitar - celebrating the huge impact the instrument has had on popular culture.
The store will have some priceless instruments on display including the world´s first-ever electric guitar, the Frying Pan, which is travelling outside the US for the first time. The Born To Rock Exhibition includes instruments played by Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Oasis, Franz Ferdinand and Kasabian. And a Rock Couture section features guitars customised by stars and top designers - examples from Philippe Starck, Bono, Jennifer Lopez and Graham Coxon will be displayed and eventually auctioned, and there are also rare instruments from Fender, Gibson, PRS, Rickenbacker et al to drool over.
Friday sees free performances by the Mattt Schofield Trio, at 1pm and 7pm, and there will be a range of masterclasses taking place throughout the exhibition´s run. Plus there´s still time to join in with Sunday´s audacious attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest assembly of guitarists simultaneously playing one song - and yes it is Smoke On the Water! Register at the Born to Rock site to take part, and to keep an eye on what's on.
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![Ben Eller wears a black Dunlop Tortex T-shirt [left] and holds a double-cut electric guitar; [right] Troy Sanders and Bill Kelliher perform onstage with Mastodon.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8HfaUNyCy7anC4ZXA2TJwR-840-80.jpg.webp)
