Members evh1984 Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Seems to me that so many famous guitarists use modded and mongrel guitars instead of off-the-shelf models. I remember that quote by EVH, which went something like: "I can never get a guitar off the shelf to do what I want it to do, which is bitch and scream." Even those with signature models seem to have a little something extra under the hood when it comes to the guitars they themselves play. A few that came to mind are: EVH - The king of guitar modders. Most of his guitars were self-modded. Even his current Wolfgang is the product of years and years of mods. SRV - His beloved and famous Number One was made from at least two different Strats Clapton - The Strat he was most associated with, Blackie, was a mongrel, assembled from parts of three different Strats. Hendrix - Most of his Strats were reassembled from parts of the ones he'd smash onstage. Muddy Waters - repainted his Tele and added a bigger neck off another Tele to "increase the tone" Who else can you think of that are famous for using non-stock guitars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Larry the Dog Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Jake E Lees #1 Charvel was actually a Fender Yngwie has modded his stuff Steve Morse and Danny Gatton(RIP) both played heavily modded Teles Before his Ibanez endorsements, Steve Vai was a big parts guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Hendrix - Most of his Strats were reassembled from parts of the ones he'd smash onstage. I call BS. The few guitars Hendrix smashed were on the most part junk that he had marked so he wouldn't get them mixed up. . He pretty much played off the rack strats.Well a backwards nut could be a mod I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CoqBelliqueux Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 The Iron Maiden blokes all have pimped-out StratsYngwie : nut, pickups, scallopsMatthias Jabs : Bill Lawrence pickup on the old Explorer 90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phreddy Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Gilmours black strat from DSOTM had a floyd put in it, then it was removed and wood was added to the body. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faber Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Robbie Robertson - besides moving the middle strat pickup down to the bridge he had one of those Last Waltz guitars bronzed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sale83 Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Rorry Gallagher-tuners,pickups,neck(for a few years) Ritchie Blackmore-neck scallop,no middle pickup,pickups Gilmour-the red one.(black one was mentioned) ,Dave Murray-HSH stratocaster ,Jimmy Page-#1 and #2......almost everyone modded their stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Robbie Robertson - besides moving the middle strat pickup down to the bridge he had one of those Last Waltz guitars bronzed Yeah it was so heavy it almost broke his back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkwire Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Les Paul? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Alvin Lee had a strat pickup between the humbuckers on his 3555. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faber Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Ry Cooder - this one is particularly sweet but does he even have one unmodified instrument? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkwire Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Steve Morse FTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Dimebag and Vai both had a piece of electrical tape on the front pickup. Seriously though; Brian May made his own guitar out of an old fireplace mantle, knitting needles and motorcycle valve springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evh1984 Posted July 8, 2010 Author Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 I call BS. The few guitars Hendrix smashed were on the most part junk that he had marked so he wouldn't get them mixed up. . He pretty much played off the rack strats. Well a backwards nut could be a mod I guess. "He [Hendrix] often saved parts from guitars he smashed in performance, and reassembled them into new guitars." Chris Gill, Guitar Legends: The Definitive Guide the to World's Greatest Guitar Players. Harper Perennial, 1995, p. 66 You stand corrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jelloman Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Joe Perry's "Tele-rat"...LH black strat with the finish removed and replacement Barcus Berry pickups... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 ZZ Top. All custom made guitars and bases. John Fogarty is another. I could probibly think of another 50 but the guitar isnt what makes the man, it simply allows the man to perform his art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IamBurnout Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Waylon Jennings leather covered tele Steve Vai's Flo, floral pattern, painted white, added sustainer. Beck's oxblood les paul, painted, humbuckers added Buckethead's Les Paul baritone, no inlays, EMGs Jimi Hendrix' Flying V, awesome paint. Roger Fisher's Strat, carved body and neck, inlays, pickups, stereo output Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members imbuedblue Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Thom Yorke's Tele Deluxe had loads of electrical mods. The neck volume control was converted into a master volume with all other control pots removed, the pickup selector was moved to the open hole where the neck tone control lived, and the output jack was moved to the open hole where the bridge tone control lived. Neil Young's Old Black is a 1953 Goldtop Les Paul that is poorly refinished in black, the neck P90 has a metal cover, the bridge pickup was replaced with a Firebird mini-humbucker, the bridge was replaced with a tune-o-matic, a Bigsby was installed, the pickguard was replaced with an aluminum one, the machine heads were replaced with Schaller M6, the tone control capacitors were changed to 47nF Orange Drops, and a switch was added to bypass the volume and tone controls. Wes Montgomery had a custom Gibson L5 with only a neck pickup that was reversed so that the pole pieces were on the bridge side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neon Soul Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 often saved parts from guitars he smashed in performance, and reassembled them into new guitars." ...to smash again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar Heel Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Jerry's guitars are my favorite (famous) one-off customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrChitlins Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Robbie Robertson - besides moving the middle strat pickup down to the bridge he had one of those Last Waltz guitars bronzed I emailed Warmoth recently asking them to offer their strat bodies in a bronze based on that guitar. They said no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar Heel Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 I emailed Warmoth recently asking them to offer their strat bodies in a bronze based on that guitar. They said no. He said that thing weight a freaking ton, but it was kick ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Carroll Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 Scott Lucus of Local H adds bass pups to his Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yogi_Sizzle Posted July 8, 2010 Members Share Posted July 8, 2010 often saved parts from guitars he smashed in performance, and reassembled them into new guitars." Chris Gill, Guitar Legends: The Definitive Guide the to World's Greatest Guitar Players. Harper Perennial, 1995, p. 66 You stand corrected. Yeah but most of the ones he smashed or burned were the early Pre-CBS small headstock guitars that he played in the early days. The guitars he was most known for playing were pretty much stock AFAIK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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