This is very rare and expensive original Gibson Les Paul from 1958. Mark got the guitar in 1995.

1. Mark Knopfler Chet Atkins Neck And Neck

It was his favourite guitar during the the Golden heart tour in 1996 and was used on a lot of songs. It can also be heart on the albums Sailing to Philadelphia, Shangri-La, Kill to get crimson, Get lucky and Privateering. Click for a nice magazine cover featuring this guitar.

The Japanese magazine The guitar featured a great article in 2001 listing all of Mark Knopfler's guitars which he used on the Sailing to Philadelphia tour 2001. The article featured seperate photos of each of these guitars. Click for a photo of the Les Paul Standard from 1958. Brand Gibson Type Les Paul Standard Year 1959 Serial number Unknown Additional info. Another rare and expensive guitar is this original 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Neck and Neck - Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler on AllMusic - 1990 - Working with Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler.

Mark bought this guitar in 1995 or 1996. It is used in tours as a duplicate guitar for '58 Les Paul. Recognizable on the red colours on the outside of the edges which are less faded compared to the '58 Les Paul. Live used for Song for Sonny Liston and Why aye man.

The Japanese magazine The guitar featured a great article in 2001 listing all of Mark Knopfler's guitars which he used on the Sailing to Philadelphia tour 2001. The article featured seperate photos of each of these guitars. Click for a photo of the Les Paul Standard from 1959. Brand Gibson Type Les Paul Standard Reissue '59 Year 1983 Serial number 90006 Additional info. This is a reissue of a 1959 Les Paul Standard. Mark got it from Rudy Pensa in 1984. It was Mark's first own Gibson Les Paul Standard.

It was modified to get special sound effects. The guitar was used on Money for nothing, Brothers in arms and on You and your friend. This picture is taken in July 2011 by Guy Fletcher during the recording sessions for Mark's album Privateering. Mark talked about the recording of Money for nothing in the Guitar & Bass magazine from May 2005. Click for an extract of that interview. Brand Gibson Type Les Paul Standard Reissue '59 Year Most likely 1985 Serial number 12849 Additional info. This is a custom made Les Paul Standard reissue.

This guitar was built for Mark by Gibson Custom Shop with his birthdate as the serial number (12th August 1949). Mark used this guitar on stage during the Brothers in arms tour 1985-1986 and on Live Aid, 13th July 1985. In an interview, Mark said: 'That was a nice guitar, but it was all about fancy-looking tops, you know? I think a lot of English players actually prefer the plain top, which I do. My '58s kind of a yellowish top, and I really like that, a pale burst.

I'm not a big fan of all this over-glossy tiger-stripe thing.' Brand Gibson Type Les Paul R9 Reissue Year Most likely 2010-2011 Serial number Unknown Additional info. This is a custom made blue Les Paul R9 Reissue. Mark used this guitar on Brothers in arms during the early shows of European 2011 tour together with Bob Dylan. For that song, it was tuned a bit different compared to the '58 Les Paul that Mark usually uses for this song. Mark decided to go back to his '58 shortly after using it.

Mark kept using this guitar during the European 2011 tour on Why aye man and Song for Sonny Liston. Click for another picture of Mark and this guitar.

Brand Gibson Type Mark Knopfler 1958 Les Paul Year 2016 Serial number Unknown Additional info. In October 2016, Gibson released a new guitar built by Gibson Custom Shop: the. It is a precise replica of Mark's original and very expensive 1958 Les Paul.

Gibson issued of it: (Vintage Original Spec, limited to 150 worldwide), Aged (limited to 75 worldwide) and by Mark Knopfler (limited to 50 worldwide). Mark these in his own British Grove Studios in November 2016.

On the back of the headstock, the serial number can be found. The VOS model simply spells, the Aged version the full name and on the Aged & Signed you'll get the signature and serial number, both in. Mark the new issued model himself live for the first time during the Bill Wyman's 80th birthday party on 28th October 2016 on the song Playtime Deluxe. You can recognize the guitar as being the new model by the that is still on the guitar. Brand Gibson Type SG Year Mid-sixties Serial number Unknown Additional info Mark Knopfler used this guitar on Two young lovers during the Love over gold tour 1982-1983. Click and for another picture of Mark and this Gibson SG. Brand Gibson Type Chet Atkins Year 1982 Serial number A027 Additional info.

This is an electric classical guitar. The guitar has a solid body, a piezo pick-up under the bridge and nylon strings. Mark used it on Private investigations, Love over gold and the outro of Romeo and Juliet during the Love over gold tour 1982-1983. During the Brothers in arms tour 1985-1986, it was used on Your latest trick, Private investigations and So far away (Calypso version) in 1985-1986. Later it was replaced with the Ramirez Spanish guitar. Brand Gibson Type Super 400 CES Year 1953 Serial number A22087 Additional info. A very rare and expensive guitar.

Mark used this guitar on Fade to black on the On every street album (1991). On stage, the guitar was used on Run me down during the 1990 UK tour of The Notting Hillbillies and on Your latest trick during the On every street world tour 1991-1992. In 2004, Mark used the guitar again to play Blue moon of Kentucky and Baby let's play house at the tribute show for Elvis Presley. Click for a picture of this guitar backstage during the On every street tour. And click for another nice picture.

Brand Gibson Type ES-330 Year 1958 Serial number Unknown Additional info This picture was taken by Guy Fletcher on 3rd June 2001 with the comment: 'Mark's 1958 Gibson 330 was let out for the day (as we're in London). Mark insisted I take a shot of it in the dressing room.' Brand Gibson Type ES-330 Year 1960 Serial number Unknown Additional info This picture is taken by Guy Fletcher in the studio in March 2009.

The ES-330 from 1960 is indicated by the red arrow. The guitar was used on Behind with the rent and Madame Geneva's on the Kill to get crimson album. Brand Gibson Type ES-335 Year 1958 Serial number Unknown Additional info On the Sailing to Philadelphia tour (2001), Mark used it on Wag the dog and Baloney again. In March 2009, Guy Fletcher took a in the studio featuring the various 330/335 guitars. After seeing this picture, a guy on a Les Paul forum mentioned: 'That's my old 58 ES-335 in the pic with the LP Special. I sold it to Rudy for a phone # price and I'm sure Mark paid plenty!

It was MINT and a real player - perfect neck set and great playability with a full-size ABR-1.' Click for a picture that was posted by this person who owned this guitar. This early 1958 has no fretboard binding. The Japanese magazine The guitar featured a great article in 2001 listing all of Mark Knopfler's guitars which he used on the Sailing to Philadelphia tour 2001.

The article featured seperate photos of each of these guitars. Click for a photo of this Gibson ES-335. Brand Gibson Type ES-335 Year 1959 Serial number Unknown Additional info This guitar was used on Baloney again on the Sailing to Philadelphia album.

Click for a nice magazine cover of Guitarist, October 2002, featuring this same guitar. Mark Knopfler mentions in the interview that it is the ES-335 (blonde) from 1959. And in Vintage Guitar Magazin from May 2001 this is mentioned. VGM: The picture inside 'Sailing to Philadelphia' shows you in a gymnasium with a Gibson ES-335TDN and a tweed Fender amp. MK: It’s a pretty good combination; I played it on “Baloney again” That’s a ’59 335 – again with a nice, fat neck – that I got through Rudy, and the amp is a ’59 Bassman. Brand Gibson Type ES-335 Year 1960 Serial number Unknown Additional info This picture is taken by Guy Fletcher in the studio in March 2009.

The ES-335 from 1960 is indicated by the red arrow. Brand Gibson Type Advanced Jumbo Year 1938 Serial number Unknown Additional info Mark used this guitar during the Chet Atkins Musician Days in Nashville in June 1998 and during the Sailing to Philadelphia promo tour in 2000 for Baloney again. On the Sailing to Philadelphia album, it was also used on Speedway at Nazareth and Wanderlust. The guitar is later used on Before gas and TV and Remembrance Day on the Get lucky album (2009). It is also pictured on the litho print in the Tracker box-set. Brand Gibson Type Southerner Jumbo Year 1953 Serial number Unknown Additional info Mark used this guitar on Sailing to Philadelphia, All that matters, Back to Tupelo and Sucker row.

It is also pictured on the litho print in the Tracker box-set. Brand Gibson Type Les Paul Special Year 1958 Serial number Unknown Additional info This picture is taken by Guy Fletcher in the studio in March 2009.

The Les Paul Special is indicated by the red arrow. Brand Gibson Type Les Paul Special Year 1959 Serial number Unknown Additional info This is Mark's first Gibson guitar, he bought it in 1971. Mark used it on Cafe Racers and on the first Dire Straits album. The upper picture was taken on a gig with the Cafe Racers in 1976, a few years before Dire Straits. This 1959 edition has two cutaways while the 1958 version has just one. This is what Mark Knopfler said in an old interview: “ We played in pubs in London. I just had this thirty-watt amplifier; we used to stick it up on two wooden chairs,' he recalls nostalgically.

'I used to play a Gibson Les Paul Special with a pick. It was a double-cutaway Les Paul Special that had been refinished black, probably a 1960. I bought it for £80; this would have been around 1971.

My friend Steve Phillips and I painstakingly stripped it and got it back to its original cherry finish, and it was everything to me. I don't know whether I slept with it, but it wasn't far off. I absolutely adored it, and still do.

I used it in the Straits when we started. I was actually just looking at a picture of us when we played on Clapham Common London, 11th September 1977 for Charlie Gillett, and there I am playing the Special. So that's where Gibson started in my life, and that guitar will always have a special place in my heart.” The lower picture was taken before Farrer House, Church Street, Deptford at the very first Dire Straits gig on 26th June 1977. As you can see, by then the guitar was already refinished into the cherry colour and the Bigsby Vibrato was removed. Brand Gibson Type J200 Year Unknown Serial number Unknown Additional info Mark used this guitar on various performances together with Chet Atkins. For example used by Mark at the Secret Policeman's third Ball in 1987 to perform Imagine and I'll see you in my dreams. Brand Gibson Type Dove Year 1965 Serial number Unknown Additional info This acoustic guitar was used on the song Piper to the end.

I have no picture of Mark with the guitar. This picture is taken from the limited edition litho print that could be bought during the Get lucky tour 2010.

Brand Gibson Type Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Year Unknown Serial number Unknown Additional info The upper picture is taken at the Chet Atkins Musician Days in Nashville, June 1998. I s Chet giving this guitar to Mark here? The term Country Gentleman has been synonymous with Chet Atkins since the 1950s. Gibson revived Chet's famous archtop model in 1987. This is taken from the Premier Guitar website, article from November 2009. The lower picture is taken by Guy Fletcher at a soundcheck during the Shangri-La tour, Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, USA, 13th July 2005. The show was in aid of the Chet Atkins Music Education Fund.

Guy mentioned: On a couple of tunes, Mark and Richard used two of guitars which belonged to Chet. These came out of the Hall of fame for the evening. It looks like the same guitar as the upper picture, but the colour of the body and switch are more red. Is it a different guitar or is it just another light that creates a different colour and is it actually the same guitar as above?

Brand Gibson Type Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Year Unknown Serial number Unknown Additional info The guitar Mark is holding on the picture looks very much like the guitar from the picture above, but this one has a darker colour and it also misses the part on the upper left part of the guitar (maybe it can be taken off?). Brand Gibson Type L-5 CES Year 1960 Serial number Unknown Additional info This is a very rare photo featuring Mark Knopfler's Gibson L-5 CES (right guitar). Mark used this guitar on The Notting Hillbillies album Missing. Presumed having a good time (1990). The guitar on the left, a Gibson Super 400, belongs to Steve Phillips and was also used on that album. Click and for a picture of Mark playing that guitar.

Brand Gibson Type ES 175D Year 1960 Serial number 510514 Additional info Mark got this guitar from Rudy Pensa in the 80's and used it on Would you could you on Willy DeVille's album Assassin of love (1987). This picture is taken from the Mark Knopfler Guitar Styles book, so it is Mark's actual guitar. Unfortunately, I have no picture of Mark playing this guitar, but there is a of Richard Bennett playing it during the Get lucky recording sessions, March 2009. Click for a picture taken from the Love over gold tour book which shows the guitars that were used for that album.

The Gibson ES 175D can be seen in the middle. It has also been used on the Brothers in arms album. And you can see the guitar in the background of Mark during the Let it be session in 1987.

Brand Gibson Type ES 5 Year 1951 Serial number Unknown Additional info The picture on the left was taken by Guy Fletcher during the recording sessions at British Grove Studios, February 2014. Click for a picture can be found in both the 'Live in 85' and 'Live in 85/6' tour books. This Gibson has been used for the recording of the Brothers in arms album.

See also a picture of John Illsley in the live room at AIR Montserrat, with a selection of guitars that were used on the album. The Gibson ES 5 is easy to recognize there. Years later, Mark used it again on the 1990 UK tour of The Notting Hillbillies. Click to see a picture of Mark using this guitar on a concert at The Academy, Plymouth, UK, 16th April 1990. Click for another picture taken in 1990 when Mark performed together with The Notting Hillbillies. Brand Gibson Type ES 5 Switchmaster Year 1957 Serial number Unknown Additional info These pictures are taken from the Mark Knopfler Guitar Styles books, so it is Mark's actual guitar.

Unfortunately, I have no picture of Mark together with this guitar. Brand Gibson Type L-3 Year 1926 Serial number Unknown Additional info This is actually Steve Phillips' own guitar and used on The Notting Hillbillies album Missing. Presumed having a good time (1990). Brand Gibson Type J-45 Year Uknown Serial number Unknown Additional info When Mark is asked in an interview about the guitar he used on Iron hand (studio version), he answered: 'That was an old Gibson J-45. I just sang and played. I wasn't feeling too well.' I don't have a photo of Mark playing this guitar and the picture shown on the left is also not Mark's actual guitar, but a similar model.

Brand Gibson Type Chet Atkins SST prototype Year 1999 Serial number Unknown Additional info Mark got this guitar which Chet Atkins for him on the body. It says: For Mark, a great friend and musician, Chet Atkins, CGP '99. It is a one of a kind Gibson 'Chet Atkins' SST prototype which Mark gave away to be on display in the Country Music Hall of fame. This is one of several guitars which Chet gave to Mark.

Click for another picture of the guitar and for the award of appreciation Mark received on 18th April 2002.

The Gibson Guitars of Scotty Moore The Gibson Guitars of Scotty Moore This article was initially published in a UK publication 'Elvis-The man and his music' in the mid 90s. A copy was given to Scotty who then forwarded a copy to me and used here with the approval of its author, Jan-Erik Kjeseth. Some details I've found to be not exact and I'll note where I can but for the most part wanted it to appear as written. The pictures were also not in the original article but I've included them here for visual reinforcement.

Roy by Jan-Erik Kjeseth The majority of the major guitar players associated with Elvis were Gibson oriented. To name a few:, Grady Martin, Barney Kessell and, of course, Scotty Moore. In the case of Scotty, let’s first take the short route. Here’s what he told BBC reporters John Tobler and Stuart Grundy in 1983: “When I came out of the service I bought one of those Fenders, a Telecaster or Stratocaster or something, but I couldn’t hold on to the thing with its little slim body. It might have something to do with it being a feminine shape, but I couldn’t get on with the Fender. So I got a Gibson, a gold, and that was the one I used on the first things we cut. Then I went on to the L5, and I had a blonde one of those.

From there I went to a blonde Gibson, which is here in town, by the way. We had a big instruments trading thing in Memphis one time, trading vibes and guitars and all sorts of things. Chips Moman ended up with the Super 400, and I’ve always wanted a, and that’s the one I’ve still got. I’ve always been partial to the sound of the big body guitars, although people today still say they get problems with feedback and so on. There were problems until they made feedback work for them, I should say. I never used a solid guitar, and I’ve never used small gauge strings – I just bled a lot!” To make sure this article was as accurate as possible; we faxed a draft copy to Scotty in Nashville. Very enthusiastic about it, he sent a return fax full of interesting and relevant comments that we were able to incorporate into the piece.

For example, Scotty now recalls that his first guitar was a Fender Esquire, and he had a very small Champ (actually a ) amp to go with it. (friend) James Lewis and Scotty with his Fender Telecaster (1953) Photo © Scotty Moore Regarding the comment he made above about the instrument exchange in Memphis, only Scotty and Chips were involved. The blonde Super 400 was exchanged for a few things Scotty needed for Sam Phillips’ studio, where Scotty was at that time the manager. VARIOUS MODELS Let’s take a somewhat closer look at the various models used by Scotty over the years. On the first Sun recordings he used the famous ES 295.

I guess the fact that Scotty Moore used it made it famous. The only other famous guitarist that I know of who sometimes used the ES 295 was Danny Gatton, who passed away in October 1994. Scotty with ES 295 and Elvis with Martin D18 (1955) Photo© courtesy of Louisiana Hayride Archives - J. Kent The ES (Electric Spanish) 295 (as well as the other Gibson guitars that Scotty used), belongs to the family of cello-bodied, semi acoustic jazz guitars that helped so much in building Gibson’s reputation in the world of guitar manufacturers. All of this stems from 1924, really, when Lloyd Loar designed and put into production the first Gibson F-hole guitar, the L5 acoustic (there are photos of Elvis playing Tiny Timbrell’s L5 on the set of ‘Loving You’ ). Elvis playing Photo courtesy Jan-Erik Kjeseth The L5 went electric in, when the first L5 CES (Cutaway Electric Spanish) was produced. The big-bodied, semi acoustic jazz style guitar has more or less been the flagship of the Gibson range.

The finest woods, materials and workmanship have always been lavished on these instruments. The semi-acoustic tone is obtained from the interior of the guitar, which is hollow. Jazz and blues guitarists tend to favor the ‘woody’ tone of a semi-acoustic to the bite and volume associated with a solid body guitar. As mentioned earlier, Scotty used an ES 295 on the first Sun recordings – ‘That’s All Right’, ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ etc.

Gibson only built 1770 of this model, so today an ES 295 is rare indeed. Produced from 1951 to 1965 (1952 to 1959), the ES 295 had the same shape and dimensions as the ES 175, but was equipped with two cream single coil pickups as well as a Les Paul type combination trapeze-bridge assembly. The finish was in matt gold and the single cutaway was of the sharp (Florentine) type. Of The Stray Cats has referred to the ES 295 as “the ultimate rockabilly guitar”.

Scotty himself, however, went on to the and he once commented “it was probably the better guitar for our kind of music”. Scotty says he made the transition from the ES 295 to the L5 CES in time for the Sun session that produced ‘Mystery Train’. It was on that session that he also used the for the first time too.

More on that later. Scotty with his 54 L5 CESN This particular version of the L5 CES was of the blonde, rounded (Venetian) single cutaway variety. Scotty played this guitar on some of the final Sun recordings as well as ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’, ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, ‘Any Way You Want Me (That’s How I will Be)’ and ‘Mean Woman Blues’, to name but a few. Elvis borrowed the very same L5 CES during a break in the proceedings when they were trying to cut ‘One Night’, but couldn’t get it quite together until he got hold of an electrified guitar! JAILHOUSE ROCK By the time they reported to MGM for the ‘Jailhouse Rock’ sessions, Scotty had traded in the L5 CES for a blonde, single rounded cutaway Super 400 CES. Production on the Super 400 started in the mid-30s.

It ‘went electric’ in 1951 and thus became the CES (Cutaway Electric Spanish). All models up until 1958 were equipped with two square pole (In 1951 they came equipped with P90 pickups and Alnico V's in 54). Humbuckers were added in 1958. The Super 400s are readily identifiable by several features: the large peghead, split-diamond peg-head inlay, squared bell truss rod cover, split block markers and a unique tailpiece. Scotty used the blonde Super 400 CES on ‘Jailhouse Rock’, ‘King Creole’ and the first post-Army sessions. He was still using it when he accompanied Elvis on stage in Hawaii in 1961.

What makes an interesting postscript to this particular guitar is that it ended up in the possession of Chips Moman and was hanging on the wall of the American Sound studio when Elvis went there to record in 1969. Reggie Young rose magnificently to the occasion.

He put aside his own 1953 Telecaster and took the Super 400 CES off the hook. And the magic worked again. Soundwise the Super 400 CES is as good as any. In addition, I’m sure the cosmetic factor appealed to Scotty. In particular, the Sunburst model was a feast to the eye. When Scotty recorded the album ‘The Guitar That Changed The World’ in 1964 he had obtained the sharp (Florentine) single cutaway Sunburst Super 400 CES that we all know so well from the. Scotty with 63 Super 400 from 'The Guitar That Changed The World' During the two ‘sit-down’ sessions, Elvis handed over his own Gibson to Scotty, and in return was allowed to play ‘Baby, What You Want Me To Do’ (and others) to his hearts content on the very handsome Sunburst Super 400 CES.

It was ‘One Night’ revisited. It was televisions finest hour. Scotty with Elvis' 1960 J200 CHET ATKINS When the BBC visited Scotty in Nashville in 1983, the Sunburst Super 400 CES was still in his possession. These days, however, he’s using a more thin-bodied Gibson – a Chet Atkins model that was a gift from Chet himself. Gail Pollock, Scotty’s secretary, told us “When Chet and were doing their album together in Nashville, they came to Scotty’s office. It seems that Mark wanted to meet the old man. During the course of the visit, Chet commented on an old RCA 77DX microphone that was sitting on Scotty’s desk, mounted as a paperweight.

He said that he would love to have it, and Scotty gave it to him. Chet had some work done on it and now uses it in his personal studio. A couple of months later, Chet came back to the office looking for Scotty, but he was out. Chet said, ‘Give him this – its for the microphone’, and he handed over a beautiful It had been one of Chet’s personal guitars because it had the Bixby attachment. Scotty had that taken off, he’s never used one, and a new tailpiece added. He has been using it onstage since then.

Mark Knopfler Chet Atkins Neck And Neck

It’s a beautiful guitar, has a great sound and he loves it.” These days Scotty Moore is looked upon as being one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time – and rightly so too. The solos he played on those classic early Elvis records will always stand the test of time, and one of the major contributing factors to the famed ‘Scotty Moore sound’ was the now-famous amplifier he used. Built by from Illinois, Scotty obtained one of his amps after hearing Chet Atkins using one.

As he told Tobler and Grundy for the BBC: “Boy, I can tell you that when I first plugged in and turned that thing on I said, ‘That’s it!’.” Scotty still has the amplifier and its still in working condition, but he no longer travels with it. Ray Butts is retired now and lives near Nashville but still insists on looking after the amp as if, as Gail told us, “it was his own child. He gets mad at Scotty if anyone else is allowed to open the back of it.!” ELVIS Finally, then, Elvis.

During the early years – 1953 – 1956 – he played a Martin acoustic, a if my information is correct (a purchased in late summer or early fall of 54, a purchased in January of 1955 and then a by June 55). Scotty with his L5 and Elvis with his D28 The acoustic guitar basically appears in one of two forms: either an arch-top F-hole version, or a flat-top round hole version.

The arch-top rhythm guitar is mainly a big band-type of instrument. Players such as Tiny Timbrell, Harold Bradley or Ray Edenton might favor the arch-top. Elvis, however, always used the flat-top, whether he used Martin or Gibson. In January 1957, Elvis was introduced to guitarist Tiny Timbrell.

Timbrell was also a representative of the Gibson company. He handed Elvis a round-shouldered, big flat-top.

It was the in natural finish, and Elvis loved it (Elvis actually switched to a J200 in ). Elvis with J200 at the Louisiana Hayride December 1956 Photo courtesy Langston McEachern© A very handsome as well as sturdy instrument, it was perfect for both onstage and movie performances.

It was designed in 1936 and continues to be one of the best-selling items of the Gibson flat-top catalogue. I asked Timbrell if the fact that Elvis used it helped popularize this particular model. “Of course it helped!”, he replied. Scotty’s secretary, Gail, offers some further bits of extra news on the subject of Elvis, Scotty, Tiny and the J200: “Actually, Scotty and Tiny became close friends working on the track sessions.

Tiny could read music and Scotty used the Nashville number system, so Tiny helped transfer the scores over before the actual recording sessions. Tiny was the West Coast representative for Gibson and he signed Scotty to his Gibson endorsement agreement. Colonel Parker would not allow Elvis to endorse Gibson, so Scotty arranged to get Elvis’ guitar from Gibson through his endorsement. He still has the paperwork showing the J200 with ‘Elvis Presley’ on the neck was invoiced to Scotty Moore, not Elvis Presley.” Elvis' 56 J200 as it appears today Photo courtesy EPE, Inc© Although, for some reason, Elvis would be seen with a Martin or a Fender in, the J200 was his guitar right up until around 1975.

He used the J200 in ‘Loving You’, ‘King Creole’, and ‘Tickle Me’. More importantly he used it in some of the scenes in the, on stage in and in Vegas between 1969 – 1972. Elvis with the J200 from ' Loving You' 1957 Photo by MPTV - Image courtesy Even more importantly, he used it on his recording sessions. He played the J200 on ‘Blue Christmas’, ‘Reconsider Baby’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ (1960), ‘Judy’, ‘Your Time Hasn’t Come Yet Baby’, ‘Stranger In My Own Home Town’, ‘Little Cabin On The Hill’, ‘It Ain’t No Big Thing (But It’s Growing)’ and several others. SIGNATURE MODEL These days the Gibson company is honoring Elvis with a. Two prototypes have been made, both hand built and designed by Gibson’s top craftsman, Ren Ferguson. Photos I’ve seen of Elvis on stage in Lubbock on November 8 th 1972 show him using another Gibson flat-top, the new Jumbo.

The Dove acoustic had a square-shouldered dreadnaught body shape. (Not quite as handsome as the J200, in my book.) By 1975 the J200 was back, only this time Elvis used a.

(It’s pictured on the front of W.A. Harbison’s ‘An Illustrated Biography’.) Elvis' Black J200 Another Gibson he owned was a 1968 Southern Jumbo (SJ) which he primarily used at home but which he also occasionally used on stage.

A recent magazine article on this guitar described it thus: “the sound quality and finish on this mystical SJ hummer remain excellent, although there are a couple of nicks on its face. These can probably be attributed to Elvis’ well-known stage antics of haphazardly tossing the guitar to Charlie Hodge, and watching him scramble to make the catch.” For the most part, though, Elvis seemed to prefer a Martin D-28 blonde acoustic guitar on stage during the last few years of his life, and indeed it was this instrument he played at his final concert in Indianapolis on June 26 th 1977.

ELECTRIC GUITARS Elvis hardly ever used electric guitars on stage or in the recording studio. He borrowed Scotty’s L5 CES for ‘One Night’, and ’s electric bass for ‘Baby I Don’t Care’. On stage in Vegas in 1969 he sometimes use a thin-bodied, double cutaway, semi-acoustic for numbers including ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’, ‘Baby, what You Want Me To Do’ and ‘Reconsider Baby’. Photos also exist of him playing this guitar on stage in 1970. In some scenes of the ’68 TV special, Elvis was sporting a flashy, cherry-red, thin-bodied electric guitar which was loaned to him by guitarist Al Casey. This particular instrument was a with four black bass and treble knobs, white pickup selector switch, dual pickup, trapeze bar and dual F-holes.

Elvis with Hagstrom Viking II In some of the movies, such as ‘Girl Happy’ and ‘ Speedway ’, he was seen handling Fender electric guitars. In ‘ Speedway ’, for instance he played a Fender Coronado. In ‘Spinout’ he used a Gibson twin-neck. None of it was for real, though – hell, he’s even shown playing lead guitar on a Fender bass in ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’! This was the film industry’s image of a rock star. Elvis' remaining collection at Graceland Photo courtesy EPE, Inc© The real Elvis kicked off ‘Reconsider Baby’ on a J200, and to his right were sidemen Scotty Moore on Super 400 CES and on a Danelectro six-string bass. Such moments were among the best of the century.

For more detailed info on the complete performance guitars of Elvis Presley.