Famous players with only 1 or 2 electric guitars, who ?

[stanshall]

???? While he used his red Tele for quite a while, he used Strats, LPs, and whatever he could get his hands on (as the Chess Brothers were notorious for being cheap and were always trying to pay Muddy in goods likes cars, guitars, booze, weed, etc.).

don't forget the melted chocolate bar Guild

 

[stanshall]

Only seen him mentioned once: Jonny Greenwood has been rocking the same modded Tele Plus for Radiohead’s entire career, pushing 30 years now. The only other guitar I’ve seen him use is the Starcaster, usually when he’s playing with a bow. In a funny reversal of the OP’s concept, the Starcaster is such an obscure guitar that you could consider Jonny the only famous player associated with IT.

Leo Nocentelli of the Meters was a big Starcaster guy too

 

[stanshall]

U. Srinivas favored that one electric mandolin haha

(that "U." doesn't stand for "uncle" by the way)

 

[stanshall]

Earl Hooker did it mainly with his Gibson ES-1275, with a bit of Univox Les Paul copy adorned with vinyl 1960s head shop flower power stickers

 

[TheClev]

Mark Tremonti I guess is pushing it, but they’re more song writers with a guitar than famous for playing guitar really well.

What?? People who know Tremonti from Alter Bridge or his solo project know he's got the guitar chops to easily earn a place in this conversation. He was the first to come to mind for me. Aside from the first Creed record, he's rarely known to use anything other than his signature PRS.

 

[stanshall]

Frank "Poncho" Sampedro of Crazy Horse played that old '52 goldtop nearly exclusively for many years, occasionally switching to an ES-335, that's two guitars

loved his simple effective playing

 

[stanshall]

you know as others have pointed out that there are always photos of guys pictured with guitars they didn't predominantly use:

 

[Maggot]

Doug Martsch

And he only uses one pickup on his Strat - the middle one. I think he disconnected the other two.

 

[DGDGBD]

We all know SRV had five or so.
But, he was quoted that he could only play the No. 1.

sure Stevie....

he played multiple guitars live; his #1 mostly, but also mixed in a white strat with lipstick pickups, "lenny", a yellow strat and his hamiltone.

 

[Whitecat]

eric gales

he's more of a gear whore than it seems...

over the past few years I've seen him or read about him having/playing a Magneto Sonnet, a Magneto Velvet, a 62 Strat reissue, a Knaggs Severn, an Xotic XSC1 and an Eric Johnson thinline sig... a quick web search turns up a couple more outliers too, a St. Blues something-or-other being the main one mentioned in an interview.

 

[blueman61]

Anyone mention Albert King and his flying V?

 

[Superstick]

Yep and pretty much always plays an Olympic White Strat

 

[scienceguy]

Barry Bailey used the same goldtop LP Deluxe almost exclusively throughout his career with Atlanta Rhythm Section (1971-2006):

 

[Whiskeyrebel]

And he only uses one pickup on his Strat - the middle one. I think he disconnected the other two.

He and Ritchie Blackmore should exchange contact info.

 

[shadowbox]

I can only think of Brian May and Chuck Berry right now. Who else? Cochran and Buddy Holly don't count, not enough time for being infected with GAS.

Angus Young
Malcolm Young

 

[Matt Dillon]

Eddie Van Halen mostly plays a single guitar for gigs, with the occasional specialist guitar thrown in.

The main guitar of choice has changed over the years: Frankie, 5150, Yellow EBMM, Burst PVWG, white relic WG.

But the pattern of favoring one guitar is there.

yeah, you’re totally right.
And I think it was mainly just the original Frankenstein on first 6 albums.
He went from a kid playing clubs to a millionaire and didn’t switch gear

 

[tim gueguen]

phil manzanera ?

Nah, he's played various guitars besides the Firebird VII. There's a clip of Roxy Music doing "Ladytron" on The Old Grey Whistle Test where he's playing an early '60s Strat. Circa Siren he was playing a blackguard Telecaster live. He's also used several Les Pauls, including a 3 pickup Les Paul Custom that can be seen in footage from the Avalon tour. (BTW anyone else think Mazanera was listening to Dire Straits a bit when Avalon was recorded?)

 

[Laservampire]

Jimmy Flemion from The Frogs, Univox Hi Flyer

1985:



2020:

 

[Jamie_Mitchell]

out of phase even!

 

[SmartAlex]

Seems like I only see Dave Grohl playing the same Pelham blue Trini Lopez all the time.