This category includes guitars that are homemade, custom-built by independent builders, or made by lesser-known brands that don’t have enough models to warrant a separate category.

Custom-Built (No-Brand) gear is used by Tom Petty, Hillel Slovak, Kirk Hammett, Kurt Cobain, Billie Joe Armstrong, John Squire, Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, James Hetfield, Mark Knopfler, Malcolm Young, Bob Marley, Tom Morello, Syd Barrett, Mac DeMarco, and 18 more.

Electric Guitars

1980 Torucaster

Tom Petty bought this Tele-style custom guitar from Norman’s Rare Guitars in...

1967 Musicraft Messenger

Hillel was seen playing this guitar in his early years, with his...

Montgomery Ward Catalog Guitar

Kirk’s musical journey began with a guitar that his brother, Rick, had...

1984 Fernandes Stratocaster

Hammett got this guitar around 1984, coinciding with the Ride the Lightning...

Veleno Aluminum Guitar

According to Steve Albini, Kurt Cobain used a Veleno aluminum guitar to...

2009 Maton Model 1958 MS500

Billie Joe Armstrong was seen playing a Maton MS500 during Green Day’s...

Custom Telecaster

This guitar is a custom-made Telecaster built by Billie’s guitar tech to...

Fernandes RST-50 Stratocaster “Blue”

Billie Joe Armstrong got his first electric guitar – the now-famous “Blue”...

1990s Lindert “Thumbs Up” Locomotive

This quirky guitar saw most of its use during John Squire’s time...

Custom Hybrid Jaguar (White)

In early 1990, Stuart Palmer built two guitars for Squire. This one...

Custom Hybrid Jaguar (Sunburst)

This guitar was one of two custom-made instruments built for John Squire...

Nash S-63

According to a 2013 interview with MusicRadar, Noel used a Nash Guitars...

Satellite 96/L (Les Paul)

According to Johnny’s book, Marr’s Guitars, he owned a Satellite Les Paul...

Roger Giffin Telecater (Green)

This was likely the first Telecaster-style guitar Johnny Marr ever purchased. Before...

1960s Vox Ace

Johnny Marr’s first electric guitar was a red Vox Ace, which he...

Kenneth Lawrence Explorer "Carl"

This custom-built guitar by Kenneth Lawrence holds a special piece of Metallica’s...

1996 Ken Lawrence Explorer

This guitar was custom-made for James by Ken Lawrence in 1996. It...

Tom Anderson ProAM

In a 1991 interview with Guitar World, James noted that he recorded...

Pens-Suhr Synth Guitar

This guitar was most notably used on the song “So Far Away”...

Electra 2236 Flying Wedge

James bought this guitar in 1980, and it was his second (or...

Unknown Guitar

Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the first guitar that James used....

Duesenberg Starplayer TV (Gold Leaf)

Malcolm was seen playing a gold-colored Duesenberg Straplayer guitar when he and...

JayDee Jet Custom

Malcolm owned two Jaydee guitars that were custom-made for him as backups...

JayDee Jet "White Arrow"

This guitar was made by Jaydee sometime around 1977 as a backup...

2000s James Trussart Steelcaster

This is the second of at least two James Trussart guitars Tom...

1960s St. George MP-2 “Creamy”

Tom bought this guitar at a pawn shop in Toronto for around...

Performance "Arm the Homeless" Custom

Tom Morello bought his custom guitar at Performance Guitar in Hollywood in...

Kay K-20T

This is the first electric guitar that Tom ever bought. The story...

1960s Framus 5/59 Sorella

Syd bought this guitar presumably sometime after joining the band Tea Set...

Selmer Futurama III

This was Syd’s first electric guitar which he bought for £25 sometime...

Carvin CT6M California Carved Top

Joe appeared with this guitar in a video and in some photos...

Bill Lewis Custom

David acquired this guitar sometime in the early 70s, upon visiting Bill...

Double-Neck Custom Stratocaster

This guitar was assembled by David (or someone hired by him) around...

Teisco/Kingston Custom Guitar

Mac DeMarco bought this guitar when he was around 15 years old...

1967 Vox Phantom XII 12-String

Jimmy Page acquired this guitar while he was working as a studio...

1950s Futurama/Grazioso

This 1950s Futurama/Grazioso was Jimmy Page’s first electric guitar. According to Jimmy,...

Erlewine Automatic Custom

Mark used this guitar during the Brothers in Arms tour in 1985/86...

Pensa MK-90

This is one of Mark’s more recent guitars. It’s basically a modified...

1990s Pensa MK-2 Custom

This is the second version of the MK model produced by Pensa....

1987 Pensa-Suhr Prototype

This guitar was among the Pensa-Suhr instruments made for Mark. He was...

1988 Pensa-Suhr Custom

In 1987 Mark met with Rudy Pensa at a small coffee shop...

1985 Schecter Stratocaster (White)

Mark acquired this guitar sometime in 1985. It was put together by...

1982 Schecter Telecaster

Mark bought this guitar sometime in the early 80s and first used...

1980s Schecter Dream Machine (Sunburst)

This was Mark’s second most used Schecter guitar during the 80s. There...

1980s Schecter Dream Machine (Red)

This guitar was purchased sometime in the early 80s at Rudy Music...

Guyton "Badger" Replica

This is one of the more recent replicas that Andrew Guyton made...

Guyton "Green Twin" Replica

This is a replica of the Red Special built by Andrew Guyton....

Fryer Red Special Replica "George Burns"

This is one of three Red Special replicas built by Greg Fryer...

Fryer Red Special Replica "John"

Greg Fryer made this guitar for Brian in 1997, and ever since...

Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci BFR 6

Tim was seen playing this guitar in a few of his earlier...

Acoustic/Bartell "The Black Widow"

Jimi Hendrix acquired this Acoustic/Bartell “Black Widow” guitar in October 1968. According...

1977 Matao Les Paul Copy

In 1977/78 at the age of 11, Mike, with the help of...

2000s Performance Corsair Custom

John used this guitar to record the song “Wayne,” which he released...

Charley Custom Stratocaster

This guitar was made in 1984 by Charley Wirz – the owner...

Hamiltone Custom Stratocaster “Main”

This guitar was made for Stevie by James Hamilton, a guitar builder...

Tokai AST-56

Stevie was photographed playing this Tokai on March 24, 1985, in Worcester,...

Tokai TST-50 (Rosewood, Black Pickguard)

Stevie was photographed with this guitar on a promotional poster for Tokai...

Tokai Springy Sound 

Stevie was photographed holding a maple-neck Tokai on the cover of his...

Lindell Electric Guitar

This was Kurt’s first electric guitar. As the story goes, in 1981,...

Parker Fly Deluxe

Eddie used this guitar to play Spanish Fly live in 1993, on...

Peavey EVH Wolfgang

Around late 1995 Eddie signed a deal with Peavey and continued where...

Music Man EVH Doubleneck

Eddie used this guitar when performing “Spanked” live in 1991/92, or during...

Music Man EVH 5150

Anticipating Kramer’s bankruptcy, after the company lost a lawsuit brought by Floyd...

Music Man Albert Lee

According to Eddie, he used a Music Man Albert Lee guitar on...

Unchained/Rasta Guitar

This is perhaps one of the less known guitars of Eddie’s. It...

Petschulat Little Guitar (#16, Red)

This is the second”little guitar” that Eddie bought from the builder David...

Petschulat Little Guitar (#13)

Eddie bought this guitar for $1,100 in 1981 from David Petschulat, the...

Charvel/Sandoval Megazone

This guitar was seen in the famous “pickaxe” photo, of Eddie standing...

Charvel Star

This guitar was first seen in the famous “pickaxe” photo taken by...

DragonSnake

After becoming disappointed with the sound of his old Destroyer, mostly due...

Bumblebee

Eddie made this guitar sometime before the release of the Van Halen...

Frankenstein

Around early 1977, Eddie purchased a Stratocaster body from Boogie Bodies shop,...

Teisco Del Ray WG-4L

This was Eddie’s first guitar. He initially bought a pair of drums...

Unknown Stratocaster

John’s first-ever electric guitar was a Stratocaster—or more precisely, a Stratocaster copy...

Gallotone Valencia

Keith bought this guitar sometime in the early sixties, and it was...

Maton SE777

This is the guitar that Keith used for the recording of Gimme...

Ibanez/Greco Firebird

This guitar was seen sitting on stage behind Kurt on a gig...

Fritz Brothers Super Deluxe (Blue)

Gary was seen using this guitar during a concert at the Royal...

Fritz Brothers Bluesmaster (Sunburst)

Based on the info posted on the auction of this guitar in...

SynthAxe

This guitar was most famously used in the Out in the Fields...

Charvel Custom “Leopard”

Seen around 1980 on a few photoshoots and in the video for...

Charvel/Jackson Custom (Red)

After leaving Thin Lizzy during the band’s US tour in 1979, Gary traveled to Los Angeles...

Custom Mustang (Pink)

This Mustang was played on the last three songs during the set...

Memphis Les Paul

When Jeff was around 13 years old, he received a Paul guitar...

Rosetti Solid 7

This was Rory’s first electric guitar, bought about two years after he...

1981 Jaydee Custom SG

This guitar was built around 1981 by UK guitar luthier John Diggins,...

Ferrington Custom

This guitar was custom built by Danny Ferrington, who allegedly met with...

Memphis (Matsumoku) Stratocaster

This guitar was seen only on one occasion, at the “No More...

Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature Model

This guitar is probably one of the lesser-known ones since you’d be...

Jackson 30th Anniversary Soloist

According to a post that John made on his Instagram profile, he received this...

Alembic Further Jerry Garcia Tribute

John was first seen using this guitar in 2013 while playing a...

Duesenberg Double Cat

John used this guitar on the Battle Studies album to record the song...

Ernie Ball Music Man 25th Anniversary

This guitar was seen during the 2010 Battle Studies World Tour on various...

Moog E-1

John used this guitar to record War of My Life and Assassin...

Duesenberg Mike Campbell Signature

This guitar seems to have been used occasionally on a couple of gigs...

2003 Vinetto Legato

John was photographed using this guitar only once – at the PNC...

Rick Turner Model 1

John first used this guitar in 2003 to play Bigger Than My...

Novax Expression

This guitar was featured on the cover of John’s 2001 album Room for...

Series 10 "Flower" Telecaster

According to a post made over at JBCommunity forums, Jeff got this guitar...

Unknown Guitar

Jeff was first seen using the guitar around 1985, during his time...

1960s Bartell St. George XK12

This 1960s Bartell St. George XK12 is one of John Frusciante’s lesser-known...

1980s Performance Custom

This 1980s Performance Custom, previously misidentified as a Kramer Pacer, was likely...

Mosrite Joe Maphis 12/6 Doubleneck

This guitar was displayed at the EMP (now MoPOP) museum in Seattle...

1982 Roland G-505

This guitar can be heard on Never Make You Cry from the...

1983 Roger Giffin Stratocaster (Green)

According to the info available on the Giffin Guitars’ website, Clapton not...

1983 Roger Giffin Stratocaster (Blue)

This guitar was built by Roger Giffin, an English guitar luthier, as a...

1957 Supro Ozark 1560s

This was Jimi's first electric guitar, purchased by his father at Myers...

1960s Kay Jazz II

Eric used this guitar prior to joining the Yardbirds circa 1962, while...

Acoustic Guitars

1994 Larrivée LS-10

John Squire acquired this acoustic around the time The Stone Roses were...

Kay(s) Hummingbird

In a 2021 interview with The Pedal Show, Noel mentioned that the...

Unknown Hummingbird Acoustic

The first guitar Noel Gallagher ever played was one he discovered in...

Unknown Acoustic

This guitar was Johnny Marr’s first real instrument, though, unfortunately, the brand...

Line 6 Variax 700

James used a Line 6 Variax 700 modeling guitar during Metallica’s WorldWired...

Unknown Nylon-String

This was Bob Marley’s first guitar. There’s no official information on when...

Applause AA-31

Tom got this guitar around the time he was heading off the...

Sigma DR-41

Mac played this guitar in a video posted over at Indie88 YouTube...

1957 Silvertone

According to Joe himself, his first guitar was a Silvertone acoustic that...

1979 Jose Maria Vilaplana

David used this guitar most famously on “High Hopes” at the Royal...

1970s Simpsons-Sears Model 26148

This is one of the early acoustic guitars owned by Mac DeMarco....

Giannini GWSCRA12-P Craviola

Jimmy Page used this guitar to record “Tangerine” from Led Zeppelin III,...

2008 Monteleone Isabella

This Monteleone was made for Mark by John Monteleone, a guitar builder...

Hallfredth Acoustic Guitar

Brian received this guitar from Dave Dilloway in exchange for his Egmond...

Egmond Student

This was Brian May’s first guitar ever, which he got from his...

Alvarez Acoustic Guitar

Tim used this guitar in an old video posted on his YouTube...

Roy Rogers Six-String Guitar

Stevie’s first guitar ever was a Ray Rogers toy guitar, which he...

Unknown Acoustic Guitar (Josephina, 1998)

Eddie used this acoustic guitar during a live performance of the song...

Tacoma JR55 Jumbo

Eddie was seen playing this guitar on the bonus DVD that came...

Framus 5/98 King Jumbo

Seen on the ABC’s Thank Your Lucky Stars TV pop music show...

Rosetti Classical Guitar

This was Keith’s first-ever guitar. Prior to this, he could only practice...

Kay K-230 (VPRO Interview)

In the aftermath of his house burning down, John was living at...

Lowden 022 Custom

This guitar (serial no. 3617) was used by Gary around the Baker...

1977 Juan Alvarez

Most notably, Eric used this guitar for the recording of Tears in...

Maton CW80C

John played this Maton acoustic guitar during part of the Californication tour....

1950s Kay Archtop K6868

This guitar was featured in the music video for the song Come...

Godin Multiac

John was seen using this guitar only in one video clip dating back...

Thornward Parlor Guitar

All that is known about this Thornward parlor guitar is that it...

1940s Kalamazoo KG-12

Duane was photographed playing this guitar on October 7, 1970, the day...