As Made Famous By
1970 Gibson ES-355TD-SV,
Cherry,
as made famous by Bernard Butler
Loves this guitar so much, he even named his studio after it. And he's not the only one - Chuck Berry, B B King, Johnny Marr, Noel Gallagher, to name only a few, put this right up there among their own gods.
1972-75 Epiphone EA-250, Cherry,
as made famous by
Robert Smith and Noel Gallagher
From the original run of Epiphone Supernovas, this guitar screams "Britpop". Noel Gallagher's original is now a museum piece, so it's models like these that keep the glory days alive.
1974 Hofner 500/1 Bass,
Brunette Sunburst,
as made famous by Paul McCartney
As if it needed saying, that bass guitar, that bass guitarist. Played with The Beatles from October 1963 to January 1969, resurrected in 1987, and played ever since. This one's 11 years younger than that 1963 Hofner 500/1, but a perfect bloodline descendant!
1975 Gibson Marauder,
Natural Satin,
as made famous by Thurston Moore
It's not just Jazzmasters and Jaguars for Thurston Moore. But it's always going to be something edgy. And Gibson's Marauder with its Flying V headstock, plate-mounted controls, and humbucker/single coil combination ticks all the boxes.
1976 Ibanez 2459 Destroyer,
"Korina" Natural,
as made famous by Dave Keuning
There's no more iconic a guitar in Dave Keuning's hands than his 1976 Ibanez Destroyer. And no surprise that Eddie Van Halen built "The Shark" from his Destroyer. From indie to full-on metal, it looks sharp, and cuts like a knife. Quite literally, this is an axe!
1972 Fender Precision Bass,
Classic Sunburst,
as made famous by everyone!
The first ever electric bass, and still #1 today. If I had to be specific, the 1972 date would make me say "as made famous by Roger Waters". But what's the point? This one is really "as made famous by pretty much any bassist". Solid-gold classic!
1974 Gibson Ripper L9-S Bass,
Natural,
as made famous by Krist Novoselic
Come As You Are. The utterly iconic Gibson Ripper bass, as made famous by Krist Novoselic, and the indie rock family tree of close relatives and distant cousins that followed... Queens Of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Green Day, and many more.
1974 Martin D-28,
Natural,
as made famous by Jimmy Page
Such an iconic guitar, it's really as made famous by 100s of guitar gods. But Jimmy Page gets the laurels here. A D-28, "Going To California", and Led Zeppelin's 5-date run at Earl's Court in 1975. Legendary!
1976 Fender Jazz Bass,
Olympic White,
as made famous by Flea
Fender's second bass, and its most versatile. An absolute beauty from 1976, Olympic White naturally faded to Ivory . . . OK, it's not shell pink, but get it in the right light, strip off your top, and you're centre-stage in Stadium Arcadium.
1977 Gibson ES-335 TD,
Walnut,
as made famous by Johnny Marr
The exact model Johnny Marr played when The Smiths got together for the first time, to record demos of Handsome Devil, What Difference Does It Make? & Miserable Lie. History in the making.
1972 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe,
Cherry Sunburst,
as made famous by Scott Gorham
The Les Paul Deluxe. Probably most famous in the hands of Pete Townshend throughout the 70s. But for me it's Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy, and Live And Dangerous - the first live album I ever bought, and still the best! This glorious 1972 Cherry Sunburst Deluxe brings it all back!
1974 Hayman 3030H,
Black,
as made famous by Graham Coxon
Woo hoo! You know the riff, now here's the guitar. A 1974 Hayman 3030H, made famous by Graham Coxon on Blur's Song 2. A classic British guitar from the Jim Burns bloodline - the Leo Fender of the UK.
1974 Rickenbacker 4001 Bass,
Jet-glo,
as made famous by Bruce Foxton
The utterly unmistakeable Rickenbacker 4001 Bass, in classic Jet-glo. Famous in the hands of so many great bass guitarists, but for me it's Bruce Foxton that brought it into the modern world, when The Jam exploded into our consciousness in 1977.
1976 Guild S-100 Standard,
Aged White,
as made famous by Gary Kemp
In truth, my first grown-up guitar - but also a favourite of Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet, on their first album, before the big ballads took over. Check out "Musclebound" on TOTP in 1981.
1979 Fender Stratocaster,
Black,
as made famous by The Edge
As close as it comes to one of The Edge's many 1970s maple-fretboard CBS-era Black Strats. An absolute beauty, loved and roadworn, with a weight and sustain that matches a Les Paul. Perfect for every New Year's Day.