Kirk Hammett Says His New Gibson Book Is a 'Tribute' to the 'Wonderful' and 'Awe-Inspiring' World of Guitars (Exclusive)

Kirk Hammett is giving fans a rare glimpse into the entirety of his extensive collection of guitars.

The legendary Metallica member, 62, tells PEOPLE that his new book, The Collection: Kirk Hammett, written by Chris Vinnicombe, Gibson's Editor-in-Chief, and released via Gibson Publishing on Thursday, March 20, is a compendium of knowledge regarding his extensive collection of the brand's instruments and their impact on his career.

"The idea with this book is to just put together the guitars that I love the most and share 'em with everyone out there and hope that there's some cool, unexpected results that come out of this," Hammett says of the inspiration to chronicle his collection in this new format.

And chronicle he did. Across 400 pages, Hammett and Vinnicombe documented the instruments the former has leaned on throughout his career, spanning from his early days with the group Exodus to his revolutionary work with Metallica, with special nods to storied instruments such as Hammett's well-known 1979 Gibson Flying V and "Greeny," the iconic 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard that was formerly owned by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac and Gary Moore.

"I love guitars, and I know there are people out there who love guitars just as much as I do and will just stare at a picture of a guitar forever. So this book is for those people who just have a real passion for the greatness of electric guitars, or guitars in general," he continues.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

That passion shines through in The Collection's pages, which feature imagery from lauded photographer Ross Halfin, who Hammett calls a friend and "one of the best photographers out there," shot on location in both Los Angeles and Hawaii.

The latter of which, he says, his The Collection offering is also a love letter to, as it has become a second home and place of solace.

Hammett hopes the marriage of nature and music gives fans a sense of "how much I appreciate [Hawaii's] beauty, how it's such a huge part of me and how I've integrated myself into the whole Hawaiian landscape."

Looking back on his early experiences with the guitar as a whole, Hammett notes, "The first time I saw an electric guitar, it looked like a f---ing hot rod to me. It was all shiny and metallic looking and brightly colored ... and it exuded motion, exuded activity. It wasn't just a static thing that just sat there, it was a vehicle."

"So this book, it's a tribute to that," he continues. "It's a tribute to how wonderful and how awe-inspiring electric guitars are and how life-changing electric guitars can be for an artist. They definitely have changed my life."

The Collection: Kirk Hammett is available via Gibson Publishing now.