Gretsch Bo Diddley Twang Machine

Frequently referred to as "that rectangular guitar", Bo Diddley’s "Twang Machine" is the one most closely associated with the very early days of rock music on this list. The greatly influential blues / rock musician first created the rectangular-shaped guitar with Gretsch in 1958. He drew his inspiration from old homemade instruments by folk musicians, who made guitars out of cigar boxes. According to Diddley himself, the necessity for an instrument with a smaller body came after an incident with a Gibson L5, where he jumped around the stage a bit too much and eventually hit his groin with the guitar. We're not sure how the Twang Machine’s sharp corners are any safer, though.

Bo Diddley built his first guitar from a rectangular piece of wood fitted with a pickup made from Victrola turntable parts. He was one of the first electric guitarists to collaborate directly with instrument makers on adventurous designs, including this “Twang Machine” and other radically shaped guitars based on the modernistic curves of luxury automobiles. Diddley introduced the “hambone” rhythm to American popular music through his eponymous 1955 hit single. The “Bo Diddley beat” strongly influenced other early rock and roll musicians, including Buddy Holly, whose hit “Not Fade Away” features the rhythm prominently.