Signature Guitars
As I was writing about my favorite guitarists, it occurred to me how many guitars and guitarists out there are associated with one another, whether they're playing true "signature models" or not.  I tried to compile a list of guitars most people would picture in the hands of the following players.  Sorry, I didn't have time to compile photographs of everyone with their favorites' guitars.

It is interesting to see what a players choice of instrument says about his playing style.  For instance, players of vintage guitars tend to be traditionalists.  Those who play broken-down axes approach their playing with a rougher chops.  Guitarists who play the most abstract or "cutting-edge" instruments are usually the same ones putting out the most experimental records.  Consider the following....

Note: Those marked with an asterisk are official signature models released in the respective guitarist's name.  Sometimes these are indistinguishable (on casual inspection only, of course) from guitars played early in a given guitarist's career that inspired the official signature model.  I don't always separate these two if the latter model isn't significantly different than the former.


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The Guitarists
 
Alan Holdsworth
  • Carvin signature model*
Alex Lifeson
  • Gibson ES-335 (for the first three albums)
  • Various Stratocasters (including Floyd Rose-equipped models)
  • PRS guitars
Angus Young (AC/DC)
  • Gibson SG (red)
  • Gibson SG w/ tremolo (red)*
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
  • Gretsch "corvette" style (presently reissued as the "Billy Bo")*
  • Various custom Bolin guitars
B.B. King
  • Gibson ES-355 (black, no soundholes; aka "Lucille")*
Bo Diddley
  • Gretsch "corvette" style (presently reissued as the "Billy Bo")*
  • Gretsch "box"*
Bono (U2)
  • Gretsch Irish Falcon
Brian May (Queen)
  • Burns signature model*

 
Brian Setzer (Stray Cats, Brian Setzer Orchestra)
  • Gretsch White Falcon
  • Gretsch signature model 6120 (orange) (My Gretsch 6120-1960 is essentially this guitar without his name on the pickguard.)*
  • Gretsch signature Hot Rod*
  • Many other Gretsches both vintage and customized versions of his signature models.
Bruce Springstein
  • Fender Telecaster (butterscotch blonde) (This is similar to my Telecaster.)
Buddy Guy
  • Signature Fender Stratocaster with Lace Sensors (polka dot)*
Carlos Santana
  • Various PRS models (including an actual signature model)*
Charlie Christian
  • Gibson ES 150
Chet Atkins
  • Gretsch Country Gentleman
  • Gretsch 6120*
  • Gibson Tennessean*
  • Gibson (SST) solid body acoustic*
Chuck Berry
  • Gibson ES 335 with Bigsby
Cliff Gallup (Gene Vincent)
  • Gretsch Duo Jet
Dave Matthews
  • Chet Atkins signature acoustic SST*
Dave Navarro (RHCP)
  • PRS signature model*
Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
  • Jackson signature flying V*
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
  • '50s reissue Fender Stratocaster with EMG SA pickups and EXG and SPC preamps (red) (This is what I designed my red Strat to emulate.)
  • Vintage Telecaster (sunburst)
  • Gretsch Duo Jet (black)
Django Reinhardt
  • Selmer Maccafferi D-hole (My Saga D-500 Gitane is a modern copy of this guitar.)
  • Selmer Maccafferi oval hole
  • Various electrics of the time.  He was photographed playing Gibsons on several occasions, but I have also seen him with a Gretsch and other hollowbodies that I did not recognize.)
Duane Allman (Allman Brothers)
  • '59 Gibson Les Paul (darkburst)
  • '68 Gibson Cherry SG
Duane Eddy
  • Gretsch 6120 (w/ Dynasonics)*
Eddie Van Halen
  • Frankenstrat v.1 - White with black stripes*
  • Frankenstrat v.2 - Black with yellow stripes*
  • Frankenstrat v.3 - Red with black & white stripes (This is what my Frankenstrat is mostly based on.)*
  • 5150 Kramer (red with black & white stripes)
  • 5150 Steinberger GL (red with black & white stripes)
  • Mini-Les Paul (aka "Little Guitar")
  • Shark (modified Ibanez Destroyer)
  • Ernie Ball/Music Man signature model (red) (This is what my Axis copy is based on.)*
  • Peavey Wolfgang (black, red, etc.)*
The Edge (U2)
  • Gibson Explorer
  • Stratocaster (black)
Eric Clapton (solo, Cream, everyone else)
  • "Blackie" Stratocaster (black)
  • Original Fender signature model Strat with Lace Sensor pickups (This is what I designed my black Strat to emulate.)*
  • Modern Fender signature model Strat with Vintage Noiseless pickups*
  • Many other Strats (red, etc.)
  • Various hollowbodies, including a few Gibson 335s
  • Various Gibson Les Pauls
  • Martin acoustic signature model*
  • Gibson SG ("Fool," custom artwork, used during the Cream years)
Eric Johnson
  • '57 Stratocaster (sunburst)*
George Harrison (The Beatles)
  • Gretsch Country Gentleman (brown)
  • Stratocaster (psychedelic paint job)
Jeff Beck
  • Signature Fender Stratocaster with Lace Sensor pickups (green)*
  • Gibson Les Paul with open-face humbuckers
  • Numerous Telecasters with humbuckers installed
Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead)
  • Alembic signature (mahogany, aka "Rosebud"; now sold as the Tribute model)*
  • Gibson SG
Jimi Hendrix
  • Inverted right-handed Fender Strat (white)*
Jimmy Page (Led Zep)
  • Les Paul with coil taps, series/parallel switching, and a phase switch (burst)*
  • Double-neck SG (red)*
  • Danelectro U2 (black and white)
  • Various Telecasters (He even did the Stairway solo on one, believe it or not!)
Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
  • Gibson Les Paul (several signature models) (He has incorporated the Tone X circuit into some of his instruments which is something I have used on, for example, this Les Paul.)*
Joe Satriani
  • Ibanez signature model (chrome or red)*
John Lennon (Beatles)
  • Rickenbacker jet 6/12 (black)*
  • Gibson J-160 acoustic*
  • Epiphone Casino*
 
Johnny Ramone
  • Mosrite (white)
Johnny Winter
  • Erlewine Lazer (black or white)
  • Gibson Firebird (white)
Keith Richards (The Stones)
  • Fender Telecaster (butterscotch blonde)
Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
  • ESP signature models (black)*
Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
  • Fender Mustang (among others)
Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac)
  • Rick Turner Model 1
Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
  • Gretsch Rock Jet (amber) (This is what my Gretsch Rock Jet is partially based on.)*
  • Gretsch White Falcon
Mark Knopfler (Dire Staits)
  • Pensa Suhr w/ EMGs (transparent amber)
Melissa Ethridge
  • Ovation acoustic (black)
Mike Rutherford (Genesis)
  • Steinberger GM (black or white)
Pete Townshend (The Who)
  • Stratocaster with Lace Sensor pickups (red)
  • Rickenbacker 316 (black)
Prince
  • Hohner Tele copy (butterscotch)
  • Auerswald Cloud guitar (white)
  • Auerswald Artist symbol (gold)
Randy Rhodes (Ozzy Osbourne)
  • Jackson Flying V (polka dots)*
Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie/Tin Machine)
  • Steinberger GM
  • Steinberger GL
  • Parker Fly
  • Various Fernandez models
Roger McGuinn (the Byrds)
  • Rickenbaker 360-6/12*
Scotty Moore (Elvis)
  • Gibson ES-295 (gold)
Slash (Gun's 'n' Roses)
  • Les Paul copies (burst)
  • Gibson Les Paul signature (purple)*
Steve Howe (Yes)
  • Gibson ES-175 (sunburst)
Steve Vai
  • Ibanez Jem 7 string (smeared/streaked dayglow rainbow)*
  • Ibanez 777 (white with vine inlay)*
  • Ibanez 777 (black with mirrored pickguard and pyramid inlay on body)*
  • SRV
    • Sunburst (barely) Strat w/ gold hardware (aka "Number One")*
    Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
    • Gibson SG*
    Yngwie Malmsteen
    • '70s Strat (aged yellow)
    Zack Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne)
    • Bullseye LP w/ EMGs (black and white)*
    • Bullseye LP w/ EMGs (camo)*
    • Rebel flag LP

    Just a few bass players
     
    Bootsy Collins (James Brown, then Parliament-Funkadelic)
    • Custom "Star" bass (he has several versions of this, actually)
    Chris Squire (Yes)
    • Rickenbacker bass
    Flea (RHCP)
    • Ernie Ball/Music Man Stringray
    John Entwistle (The Who)
    • Status Series 1 Buzzard 
    • Alembic bass
    Les Claypool (Primus)
    • Custom-built Carl Thompson
    Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead)
    • Rickenbacker bass
    Paul McCartney (oh, come on.)
    • Hofner violin bass
    Stanley Clark
    • Alembic signature model*
    Tony Levin (He's worked with damned near everyone ever recorded)
    • Chapman Stick
    • Ernie Ball/Music Man Stringray

    An observation
    It's remarkable how some guitarists stick with one axe through much of their careers (e.g., Garcia, SRV, Brian May, B.B. King, etc.) whereas others are hard to pin down to even a single class of instrument (e.g., The Edge, Clapton, Townshend, etc).  As I indicated at the top, I suspect this a reflection of a deeper personality trait that informs all aspects of a musician.


    Copyright Alexplorer.
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