“The people I’ve met, the stories I’ve heard and the places I’ve wound up in has been an absolute odyssey”: Exhibition featuring life-sized photos of 100 legendary artists' guitars to open in London

A photo exhibition featuring life-sized photographs of some of the world’s most-famous guitars will open in London this month.

The brainchild of award-winning Australian photographer Kane Hibberd, Scale documents 100 acoustic and electric guitars from some of the biggest names in music, and showcases them front and back, alongside some personal testimony from their owners as to what they mean to them.

Those owners include the likes of Tom Morello, whose Arm The Homeless guitar is pictured at the top of the page, and Kerry King, with the Slayer thrash icon putting his BC Rich V forward for a portrait [see below]`. Guitars from Johnny Marr, Dave Grohl, Joan Jett, Ed Sheeran and Jack White’s collections will also be featured.

The exhibition opens on 12 June at Unlocked, in Shoreditch, and will run until 31 August. And it won’t just be six-string guitars; you’ll see a portrait of Paul McCartney’s Höfner bass guitar there, too.

Hibberd has been working on the project for 12 years. The idea for it started in 2011. The first guitar he photographed for Scale was shot in August 2014. Hibberd’s work has been done largely in secret, and absolutely offline. It is only now that he can talk about it.

“This has been an incredible journey, a real labour of love,” says Hibberd. “It feels like a lot of photography is now created and consumed within a short amount of time. I wanted to work on something that took years, rather than days or weeks and keep it all offline.

“The people I’ve met, the stories I’ve heard and the places I’ve wound up in has been an absolute odyssey and I’m so glad to be finally sharing it with the world.”

With the strict rule that the artist could only choose one, it also offers an insight as to which might be their favourite – or at least their most historically significant. No prizes for guessing which guitar Brian May chose, or Nile Rodgers for that matter.

Marr’s choice might surprise you. Paul McCartney’s might technically disappoint you; his legendary 1961 500/1 Höfner was still missing when he had Hibberd around with his camera, and was only returned to him last year. The former Beatle’s 1963 bass had to stand in. That in and of itself is a story – and this exhibition has plenty of stories to share.

Tickets are onsale now, priced £19.50 for adults, £12.50 for concessions, 12 to 18 £10. You can get an AAA pass for £29.50. Booking fees will apply.

Find out more over at Scale Exhibition.