Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith's Ibanez Destroyer has survived breakages and acts of god but, over 40 years after he got it, is still going strong.

Following his journey across a decade-long arc, he takes in Les Pauls, Stratocasters, Ibanez’s answer to the Explorer in the Destroyer, and plenty more as he searches for his holy grail instrument.

The instrument, which has an asking price of $18,500 (approx. £15,900), is the unique result of a brief from Gilbert for a custom pink Ibanez Destroyer. The story runs that, having become acquainted ...

“Bernie had a huge love for futuristic guitars, particularly Explorer guitars, or Gibson Explorer guitars. This isn’t quite a Gibson, though. This is an Ibanez Destroyer from around 1976 and Bernie ...

By this point a fascination for modding guitars had taken hold, with an Ibanez Destroyer turned into The Shark and a hybrid Strat toyed with. This set him on a more direct path toward his eventual ...