Guitars With The Names: Famous Guitars Named By Their Owners
You have probably heard the names of famous guitar makers but do you know what really inspired them? Famous electric guitar players always name their fiddles. The most popular guitar names have a road worn design, and great stories are told about them. They are more than just musical instruments, having an average of 2.5 million sales each year. In fact, some of them date 3000 years back. Undoubtedly, their makers are the best guitarists of all time. Given the numerous styles and designs, it is hard to tell the best in the guitar world. But we can identify classic electric guitar brands by their interesting back stories as well as the aesthetic appeal.
The looks mean a lot when it comes to rock music. Moreover, the type of instrument you play has a great impact on your performance. That is why most musicians choose the best guitars by iconic guitarists in the world. So, it is wrong to assume that how you play is all that matters. Behold the top 12 guitars in the world and the legends behind their creation.
1. Gibson Les Paul Standard by Jimmy Page
It is hard to talk about rock music without mentioning Jimmy Page. The Gibson Les Paul Standard is one of the most iconic guitars. The rest of his stringed instruments are great, but none compares to Paul Standard. It features a typical sunburst finish. Any musician would look good with this guitar, but Page used to wear it so perfectly that people would compare it to Led Zeppelin. The reason Les Paul is one of the most famous guitars is not its physical appeal but the fact that a single artist made it his own through outstanding music.
2. Lucille by B.B King
A list of the most famous electric guitars would be incomplete without mentioning Lucille. B.B King adored this instrument, and almost any rock musician knows about it. It is basically a black Gibson guitar that resembles ES-345-355. The King of the Blues named this iconic fiddle after a woman who made men fight for her in a dancehall, causing a fire that almost ruined B.B King’s life and his guitar. Everyone in the club ran for safety but King went back to get his guitar, and that’s when he heard that the fight was over Lucille, the beautiful woman. Since them, B.B King created a line of Lucille guitars in partnership with Gibson.
3. Blackie by Eric Clapton
This is a custom Fender Stratocaster of the 50s, designed with some parts of 3 Strats that Clapton purchased in 1970 at a shop in Nashville. Clapton auction the Blackie in the mid-80s and it gathered a total of $959,500 for the Crossroads Foundation, a rehab center Eric Clapton owned.
4. Fender Stratocaster by Dave Gilmour
This may not be the first Stratocaster to have been made, but David Gilmour managed to produce the world’s best guitar. Supposedly, it was made by Leo Fender in 1954, but its true origin is still not clear. It is also believed that it was one of the custom-built instruments made by Fender for his workers. Around 1976, Taylor borrowed money from Dave Gilmour to fund his new home. The down payment was the Fender Stratocaster, and Gilmour fell for it immediately. He would even boast about it on TV shows. Then, he could play famous music with the same fiddle including “So Glad to See You Here” by McCartney. If you are a music student, there is a lot to learn from Dave Gilmour and his tool of the trade. Whether made by you or with the consultation of an expert writer who does pro assignment writing help. Your teachers will be in awe by your essay.
5. Lucy by George Harrison
George Harrison got Lucy by Eric Clapton. Initially, the instruments belonged to John Sebastian and Rick Derringer. Later, Harrison asked Clapton to play “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and he used this guitar. In 1957, December, Lucy the guitar was born. Originally, the fiddle was gold-top and nor red. It was then refinished in 1966 by Derringer, and he confessed that it felt differently that time so he couldn’t keep it. Derringer decided to sell the guitar to a store in New York, and that is where Clapton got it and gave it later to Harrison. In 1973, the fiddle was stolen and sold elsewhere. Fortunately, George Harrison managed to recover it, and he kept it until he died in 2001.
6. Muddywood by Billy Gibbon
This was a tribute made by Billy Gibbon to Muddy Waters. Its body was constructed of cypress beans which made part of the Mississippi house where Muddy Waters dwelled in during his tender age. Muddy was a sharecropper and a tractor driver. It was in 1998 that Muddywood was launched at Delta Blues Museum. Today, it is placed at a corner where Muddy used to live.
7. Arm The Homeless Custom by Tom Morello
Tom Morello bought Arm the Homeless from a Hollywood popular electric guitars shop, but unfortunately, it turned out to be nothing he ordered. There’s nothing about it he liked from the ridiculously high price to the absurd sound it produced. He got so furious that he dedicated two years to reconstruct it. The only thing he didn’t change was the wood. Still, it never gave him the sound he wanted so badly. But he decided to create sounds nonetheless, and it worked well. The name on guitar – Arm the Homeless – represented a strong contrast Morello enjoyed. He even included smiling images of hippos on the fiddle.
8. The Duck by Yngwie Malmsteen
This is a 1971 cream-colored stringed gadget bought originally in 1978 by a Swedish guy named Yngwie. It has appeared in many photo shoots and featured in most of Malmsteen’s album covers. Yngwie bought it when he was a teenager. By then, The Duck had an Olympic white color. Later, the guitar went through a lot of painting and a number of pickup changes. Many times, the headstock got broken when Malmsteen threw it in the air during performances. He still rocks the Duck up to date. Even though The Duck is not his favorite, he claims that it is one of the best guitars in the world for great sounds.
9. Fender Jag-Stang by Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain used to play Mustang and Fender Jaguar guitar models, but he got tired of them when they couldn’t give the sound details he always wanted. He, therefore, decided to get a model that combined features of the two guitars. Nonetheless, it never made him happy, and it could go unused for long periods of time. Even though he was dissatisfied, his efforts were recognized after his untimely death in 19944. The guitar was revised and released on the market the following year.
10. Fender Telecaster by D. Joe Strummer
When Joe Strummer bought the 1966 Fender Telecaster, he was playing the 101ers. The guitar cost him £120 in 1975. He joined Clash and painted the body black in addition to a grey auto primer finish. Later in 1979, the upper section of the guitar was stenciled with a new label- NOISE. The pickguard horn was decorated with a rasta flag sticker while the bridge got a label that read “Ignore Alien Orders.” By the time the song “Give Em Enough Rope” was released, the guitar had individual saddles on the bridge while the newer model tuners replaced the original Kluson tuners. The back of the guitar was spray painted with a huge question mark. In addition to some extra stickers, this design was retained throughout Joe’s career. However, the black paint wore out after many shows especially on the parts where bare wood shines through. In conjunction with Strummer estate, Fender Telecaster guitars have since led to a signature model by Joe Strummer, which falls under the popular guitar list of the world today.
11. Carl by James Hetfield
Also one of the most iconic guitars of all time is the fiddle named “Carl” that belonged to the vocalist of the legendary music band Metallica. The guitar appeared in the band’s life from the very beginning of their existence. Its name also tenderly gives flashbacks on the band’s origins. When Metallica was only a small group of talented musicians that were gathering in the old garage in Carlson they used some fiddles to practice on their songwriting. When they conquered big stadiums they decided to take a part of Carlson to their new successful life. So they gave the name to one of their practice guitars and made it the part of their band.
12. 0001 by David Gilmore
The most mysterious guitar from the list – the fiddle originally owned by Leo Fender with the strange stamp on its wooden surface – 0001. This guitar changed its owners several times and ended up to be in possession of Pink Floyd’s vocalist David Gilmore. Its name still remains mystery especially as it is known that this guitar cannot be the first Stratocaster in the world. Still, the fiddle enchants by its design.
Would you like to play the iconic guitars? Perhaps it is just a hobby and you love friendly jam sessions, or you want to build a serious musical career. Whichever the case, you can polish up your skills by gleaning on guitar brand names as well as the icons who tamed them originally.
Bio
Jeremy Raynolds is a trained musician who writes about classical music. He enjoys playing electric guitars with friends during his free time. Like any writer, he especially loves writing about the subjects he really is interested in.
