2016 was a year of great musical losses, but none was as shocking or as saddening as David Bowie’s. One year on, let’s remember a side of Bowie that’s been often forgotten: the guitarist! Here’s our guide to the guitars played by David Bowie over the years… enjoy!
David Bowie has had many different faces and personas over the years, but, surprisingly, one has been overlooked by most – David Bowie, the guitarist. In a way, it’s not very surprisingly, considering he was far from being a guitar hero, and, most importantly, has collaborated with some truly stellar guitarists who contributed greatly to his music, including: Mick Ronson, Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Nile Rodgers and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Quite an impressive list!
Which Guitars Did David Bowie Play?
Though not primarily a guitarist, Bowie had a consistent taste for vintage, rare guitars and his choice of instrument often changed with his ever-changing musical directions. Here’s a guide to some of his most notable guitars. We usually talk about electric guitars, but in Bowie’s case we can’t help but mention a few acoustics, too… after all, he was a huge fan of 12-string acoustic models, throughout his career! In any case – Bowie was a true connoisseur, and his choice of guitars over the years is nothing short of fascinating!
Here’s Bowie’s career – in 20 rare, amazing guitars.
1) Framus 12-String Acoustic (1965-66)
Of course, many of you will know that Bowie started his musical career as a saxophone player, and then became the frontman of different bands (The Mannish Boys, The Lower Third) but never playing a guitar. This pic of an young David Jones with a Framus 12-string is the earliest photograph of Bowie with a guitar.
David Bowie circa 1965-66 with Framus 12-string
According to Bowie biographer Paul Trynka, Bowie bought a guitar in late 1965. Considering Bowie’s well-documented taste for 12-string acoustics in later years, it’s fair to assume that the Framus in the photograph was indeed his first guitar, though there has never been any specific information about it. It’s interesting to note that his guitar had pickup, volume and tone controls – perhaps it was modded and bought second-hand by the still struggling Bowie. Little trivia: the guitar was redburst.
Playing guitar was an important step in David Bowie’s career, as he started to use the instrument to compose songs, such as “Maid Of Bond Street” and his first true classic, “Can’t Help Thinking About Me”.
2) Gibson B45 12-String (1968-69)
Bowie performing with Feathers
After the commercial failure of his 1967 debut album, Bowie tried other directions, including joining Lindsey Kemp’s mime troup, buddhism and forming folky trio Feathers with his girlfriend Hermione Farthingale and John Hutchinson. During this period, Bowie used a Gibson B-45 12-string acoustic.
Gibson B-45, as played by David Bowie
He’s never been seen or photographed with this guitar again, after the end of Feathers. We actually believe this is the first time this guitar has ever been mentioned in relation to Bowie, as we couldn’t find anything else elsewhere. Well, now you know!
3) Hagstrom 12-String Acoustic (1969-1972)
Bowie live at the Beckenham Free Festival in 1969, with his Hagstrom.
This is perhaps Bowie’s most legendary guitar. It’s believed it’s the one he used to write his first hit, ‘Space Oddity’, as well as used live and to write most ‘Ziggy Stardust’-era songs, including ‘Starman’.
Curiously enough, the guitar is now on display at the ‘Beatles Story’ museum, in Liverpool. At some point, it seems to have had pickup and tone & volume controls added to it, though it’s not shown with this configuration in any Bowie photos.
David Bowie’s Hagstrom on display in Liverpool.
4) Espana 12-String Acoustic (1969)
Bowie and his Espana 12-string
This guitar was used on a famous promo shot for the ‘Space Oddity’ single, but strangely enough, there’s not a whole lot info about it. It might have been used just as a prop for the photograph. It looks very similar to the Hagstrom 12-string, and it could indeed be the one he’s using in other pics and footage, but it’s hard to be sure!
5) Guild 12-String Acoustic (1971)
David Bowie live in 1971 with Guild 12-string
When David Bowie toured the US for the first time, to promote ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ in 1971, he could be seen playing a Guild 12-string acoustic. There’s no report or pics of him using one before or since, so he probably just borrowed it for the tour.
6) Harptone 12-string (1972-83)
Bowie and his Ziggy-era Harptone 12-string
This Harptone 12-string is “the” Ziggy-era Bowie acoustic. He used it when touring with the Spiders From Mars and this guitar can be seen on most footage from the era.
Curiously enough, it seems Bowie decided to dust it off years later, after the release of Let’s Dance, as this live pic suggests:
Eighties Bowie meets Ziggy-era acoustic.
7) Harptone 12-String Jumbo (1972-75)
Bowie Harptone 12 Jumbo
Many people don’t realise this, but Bowie also regularly used ANOTHER Harptone 12-string, which at first sight looks similar to the previous one, but you’ll notice that it has a different scratchplate and is also bigger. He used this model on the second, Ziggy-era “Space Oddity” video; during the Ziggy tour and up until the Young Americans- era.
8) Egmond 12-String, Blue (1972)
Bowie and his blue Egmond.
This is one of Bowie’s most important guitars – if not for anything else, simply for being the guitar he used on the watershed moment of his career – playing “Starman” on Top Of The Pops, which finally launched Bowie as a bona fide popstar in the UK! He also used the Egmond on a few promo shots, and that seems to be about it.
9) Vox Teardrop Mark XII 12-String (1972)
There’s no record of Bowie using this cool Vox guitar other than in 1972, for promo pics. Years later, he used a Vox Teardrop Mark VI for the recording of one of his best songs in the Eighties, ‘Absolute Beginners’. The guitar is now on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Warsaw. There’s no photo of him and this guitar, though.
10) Gibson 1972 Deluxe Les Paul (1972)
David Bowie and a Gibson Les Paul
David Bowie was always very conscious about his image and symbolism. That’s why he posed with a borrowed Les Paul on the cover of the “Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars” album – to show the world he was now a tougher, “rock’n’roll” act. Maybe for this reason, he was up for using a Les Paul during his 1972 USA tour.
Presented to Bowie by Gibson, he used it live and on the ‘Jean Genie’ promo film. But given his more esoteric tastes in guitars, it’s not surprising that it soon became Mick Ronson’s back up guitar, never to be used by Bowie again.
11) Hagstrom I Kent PB- 24-G (1974)
Now we’re talking! The red Hagstrom I Kent PB-24G guitar was Bowie’s first truly iconic electric guitar, which Eastwood Guitars are now bringing back – check it out HERE.
Though many fans will recognise and love it, this guitar was only used in promo shots for his ‘Diamond Dogs’ album, and there’s no record of him ever using it elsewhere, apart from a TV appearance:
As most hardcore Bowie fans may know, he played most guitar parts on the ‘Diamond Dogs’ album, but according to those who worked with him, his guitar choice during the sessions was a Dan Armstrong plexiglass model – which he’s never been pictured with… a shame! Unless, those recollections are slightly wrong and they really meant the next guitar…
12) Dan Armstrong 341 (1976)
Bowie’s Dan Armstrong 341
Yes, David Bowie had for sure another Dan Armstrong guitar, but it was not a plexiglass model! Auctioned in 1991, this is an important guitar. Besides featuring on a famous pic used for the Sound + Vision compilation, it was also used to write one of Bowie’s finest albums. According to Bowie, in ’91: “I’ve had this Dan Armstrong guitar since the early 70s. I wrote most of the songs for Station to Station on it.” Considering the cronology, it may have been used on ‘Diamond Dogs’, too.
13) Custom Fender Telecaster, Natural (1976)
Bowie and a customized Fender Telecaster
During the tour to promote ‘Station To Station’, Bowie played a custom Fender Telecaster, with 3 pickups with individual on/off switches. A pretty cool guitar, never seen since.
14) Fender Stratocaster, Red and Sunburst (1977)
Bowie and his Red Strat
Two more conventional choices, during Bowie’s least conventional period! In 1977 Bowie could be seen playing a red Stratocaster for the ‘Be My Wife’ promo, one of the most commercial tracks from ‘Low’, which became a single.
Bowie was also spotted playing a sunburst Strat that same year, for his duet with Marc Bolan, on Bolan’s TV show. This guitar belonged to Marc, who gave it to Bowie as he turned up without one on the day!
David Bowie with a Strat and Marc Bolan.
15) Gibson L4, Black (1989-90)
Bowie and his Gibson L4
Owned and used by David Bowie in the studio, on stage and while on tour with Tin Machine, accompanied by a Sound + Vision tour program showing Bowie playing this guitar, a signed letter of authenticity from Reeves Grabels and guitar picks. The guitar can be seen in videos for the Tin Machine 1 album, in Music News reports and was used heavily in the studio for the recording of Tin Machine II.
16) Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, Wine Red (1990)
Bowie and his Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman
The guitar was used on stage by Bowie during his March – September of 1990, Sound + Vision World Tour.
Bowie also subsequently used this guitar during studio sessions for his 1995 concept album “Outside.”
17) Takamine FP 400SC (1990)
Bowie and his 12-string Takamine
Bowie used this guitar during his 1990 Sound + Vision tour. It was his main acoustic guitar then, used on classic hits such as ‘Space Odyssey’. The tour included 108 concerts over seven months in more than 80 cities around the world. Bowie promoted the tour as a “greatest hits” tour and stated it was the last time he was going to play songs from his back catalog.
18) Steinberger GL2, Custom Silver (1991-92)
Bowie and hiscustom Steinberger
Bowie was a big fan of headless guitars, since he saw Tin Machine’s Reeves Gabrel’s: “David saw mine and decided he wanted one like it. My guitar tech, Andy Spray, called the factory in Newburgh to see if they could make another chrome L series. Apparently, they had a guitar they used as a test run for the chroming process. That one had a normal fretboard (it did not have a chromed fretboard) making Bowie’s copycat completely playable while mine was not. The non chromed fretboard is the easiest way to tell them apart.”
19) Supro Dual Tone (2003)
Bowie and his Supro Dual Tone
The Supro Dual Tone is one of his most iconic later-years guitars. He used it during his last world tour, in 2003, and it even appears on his 2010 live album of that tour, ‘A Reality Tour’:
Bowie ‘A Reality Tour’ cover
More recently, Eastwood did a great job at recreating this model (first made famous by Link Wray in the Fifties) as the Airline Twin Tone – a fitting tribute to Wray’s model, but now also a great choice for fans of Bowie who also play guitar…
The Airline Twin Tone DLX, inspired by a Supro like Bowie’s. NOW FOR SALE! Only $754 USD
20) Hohner G2, Red (2013)
Bowie and his Hohner G2
Bowie went back to a headless guitar in the video of ‘Valentine’s Day’, from his superb comeback album ‘The Next Day’. As ever, his choice of instrument was unusual but made total sense with his tastes over the years. Unique just like the man himself.
Wow! This is just fabulous!!! Thanks so much!
That “Gretsch” from #16 has a Gibson headstock, and no “Tron” style pickups nor Gretsch neck inlays. So, not a Gretsch at all, I’m guessing, unless it was modded with a Gibson neck and humbuckers.
How about the one-string Flying V? (can’t remember which tour, sorry, late 80s, early 90s?)
I can’t find a picture of it either, but I definitely didn’t dream it.
Oh, and I believe that I heard or read in an interview that he smashed the blue Egmond 12-string to bits. That might’ve been on Later with Jools Holland, sorry I don’t remember.
The smaller Harptone is a Pioneer model. The twelve string version is extremely rare as is the Lark Jumbo. He also used a Harptone eagle, dreadnought, for writing. It’s featured in the Bowie is exhibit.
Great article ,not seen anything like this before
Great documentation and nice work!
The Airline Twintone is also without a doubt the very best sounding guitar that Eastwood make. The price of the Twintone make it a ‘Steal’ . The pickups are hummies…but sound like single coils? In fact they make this guitar sound like the best Tele you have ever heard.. Put true a decent overdrive or Marshall they will remove the back wall of a club.and have any musician staring with their jaw dropped.
I always thought it was a rare juxtaposition, Bowie played these cowboy 12 strings during the years he wore outfits from outer space.. During Tin Machine and subsequent tours, Bowie began to look downright earthly, and even wore beards and mustaches. Another not mentioned guitar he used was a green Parker. I think he played it on the Tonight Show and even carried it to the couch while they interviewed him. His version had no visible pickup (it had only a saddle transducer). If he had the Steinberger or Parker as Ziggy, it would have completed his futuristic appearance. Bowie used what was available at the time, and he used it well. Thanks David for your song craft and entertaining music. Amen.
Wow great trivia facts there, thanks! We hope someone might be able to shed more light into this…
Number 16 is correct.In the earlier comment William Keats wrote ” That “Gretsch” from #16 has a Gibson headstock, and no “Tron” style pickups nor Gretsch neck inlays. So, not a Gretsch at all, I’m guessing, unless it was modded with a Gibson neck and humbuckers”.I believe he is confused in his thinking, that this is a modded Gretsch.However Chet Atkins did have a Gibson Country Gentleman signature model .His mid-1970s collaborations with one of his influences, Les Paul, Chester & Lester and Guitar Monsters. Chester & Lester was one of the best-selling recordings of Atkins’s career. At the same time, he grew dissatisfied with the direction Gretsch (no longer family-owned) was going and withdrew his authorization for them to use his name and began designing guitars with Gibson.
Nice article. The photo of David with a Les Paul is actually a Standard (with full size humbucker pickups) not a Deluxe as the heading mentions…the Deluxe LPs had the mini humbuckers.
I have an Eastwood twin tone guitar signed by bowie that I won on absolute radio, I don’t want to sell it but I would love to know it’s value, anybody got any idea?
He came home drunk one night and smashed the famous blue acoustic….
Great, well researched article. My former guitarist (Rick Tedesco) actually owns that Les Paul that “Spiders From Mars” guitarist Mick Ronson is playing in the “Starman” video clip.
Gretsch 6122 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman
Great article but some typos. It’s HARPTONE,not harpoon or harpotone. These guitars were designed by the brilliant luthier from New Jersey,Sam Koonz.
The Parker guitar was inspired by Adrian Below or his later guitarist,Reeves Gabrels no doubt.
Oooops! My own typo!Adrian Belew and not Below.
?
Thank you for this overview, especially for the Harptone info. I have a Harptone 6-string also featuring that peculiar cutout on the headstock and always wondered if that was their 12-string Bowie was playing but couldn’t find accurate info.
Good article but it doesn’t mention that the Fender he received from Marc Bolan was played by Bowie on the album Blackstar,
specifically on the track Lazarus.
I think the Telecaster belonged to Station To Station-Tour-guitarist Stacy Headon. He can be seen playing the very same guitar on the Tour, I think it was his main axe.
I missed the bidding for his chrome Steinberger by 24 hrs. I would have liked that guitar.
THAT’S interesting!
I am perplexed to see the name Egmond keep cropping up in relation to Bowie’s blue guitar. In a world where information is a mere click away, people seem all to ready to accept whatever they are told as factual.
Taking a few minutes to watch the video bellow, reduces the above list a little and clears up a a significant misunderstanding about the guitar.
yes the blue guitar is a 12 string built by Bjarton.Not an Egmond.Bjarton built beautiful guitars.From Sweden.
Nr. 7 isnt completely correct.
The jumbo-sized guitar in the Space Oddity-video is a six-string with block-inlays.
William Keats, # 16 is not a or ever was a Gretsch. It’s Gibson’s version of the Country Gentleman. When Chet Atkins left Gretsch for a Gibson endorsement he took the name with him along with the name Tennessean. Thats why the first reissue Gretschs of those two models were called Country Classic and Tennessee Rose until a deal was made after Chet died to get the name Country Gentleman back.
The Framus in the first shot is a Hootenanny, first produced I think around 61 or so. It was available with pickup from the factory.
https://youtu.be/FgSRHcKHmEU
Ah… somebody mentioned the Chester and Lester LP. Les Paul was a genius inventer, but I was always so chagrinned for him as he traded licks with musical genius Chet Atkins, each panned hard. Chet collaborating: A musical ‘lion’s den’ to enter at one’s own expense!
This is a fitting tribute to the brilliant Bowie’s mercurial creative muse… as remarkable with his six-string choices as everything else.
There was at least another Harptone, a blonde maple 12 string. It can be seen when he did Young American on the Dick Cavett show.
He used 6-string Harptones as well
I have recently seen what appears to be the Hagstrom 12-String Acoustic (1969-1972) up for sale.
Is this a legitimate vendor? Is there an ownership history for guitars?
Given the apparent changes to the guitar how would a buyer know it authenticity?
A great clue to the guitar’s authenticity is that it will be blue.
The Beatles story museum in Liverpool, temporarily house an exhibit of which it is claimed, is the same guitar referred to as the “Hagstrom” Bowie owned from the late 60’s early 70’s. It is currently on loan from a private owner. It is said, that modifications in the shape of a pick-up and control knobs have been added to the guitar. A picture of the guitar can be seen in the list above. While it cannot be emphatically claimed that Bowie never owned the guitar now on display there, it certainly is not the one it is claimed to be.
The Hagstrom in the museum and likely the one referred to in the previous post, is a H-33e, the semi acoustic equivalent of the H-33. This was as it was bought and free from any visable modification.
Many of the images used in the video about Bowie’s blue guitar (listed among the comments above), are photographs of the H-33e mentioned.
Although not impossible, modification to the guitar can be discounted beyond reasonable doubt, when along with a little historical knowledge all other variables are taken into consideration.
11 is not a PB24. 24 stood for 2 pickups 4 switches, and his is a 3 and 6. It is an unusual transitional version closest to a Futurama or Hag III, but still with the non-beveled edge and of course the Kent logo on the headstock.
Saw an album promo pic in Premier Guitar near the end of his life where he wore white and held a bleached White antique parlor guitar but I’ve never seen him use one to perform and I’ve never seen the guitar used in a promo since. Any help on locating that guitar or picture?
I was in a music shop inTonbridge Kent some years ago and the owner had a white Vox teardrop on display saying it was early Bowie’s left behind in a rented house after he Did a moonlight flit.
Great article, I really enjoyed it.
In the video “The Buddha of Suburbia” Bowie playes a Washburn 12-string guitar.
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The Telecaster was owned by Stacy Heydon. Bowie’s lead guitarist for the Isolar ‘76 tour (aka Station to Station tour. Heydon it was his main workhorse from when he worked the club circuit in his native of Toronto until 1977. When it was stolen whilst in transit between New York and Berlin when Heydon was touring with Iggy Pop’s band…
What about the white acoustic he used for ‘time will crawl’ and ‘young American’s on the glass spider tour?
This was Great. Thanks so much for posting this. Long Live BOWIE !
RIP David
I have seen a promo photo of David Bowie with a 12 string guitar with a slotted headstock could be a Martin ?. Picture looks like it was taken around the time Space Oddity was Re-recorded acoustic only version .I think David is playing a Guild for the same song on TV show . I have seen an arts lab photo of David in the photo there are two 12 string guitars in the background a Gibson and in foreground what looks like to me could be an early EKO J54 12 string guitar I dont know who the guitars belonged to and may be of been played by somebody else? at that gig .
I have also seen a picture somewhere of David playing an Alvrez !2 string Guitar.
I think David did use a White Egmond/ Rosetti jazz guitar? as a prop on a promo video for a Feathers song.
Bowie played a lot of his early stuff on his 12 string guitars with just 11 strings.
He removed the high G string because it never stayed in tune.
I do the same,sounds a lot better.
Look at Starman, Top of the Pops on YouTube.