Matching Guitars

charlie cash · April 29th, 2008, 05:25 PM

I think everyone has seen the ZZ Top guys play matching guitar and bass. Prince sometimes matches his guitar and outfit; ie surf green strat and surf green suit. I've seen Lyle Lovett and his band all play dark burst instruments (electric and acoustic guitars, bass, mandolin, violin all burst with dark wood to black burst) on stage while wearing matching dark suits.

Any other examples of bands matching their instruments in some way? Does anyone on the forum do some variation of this for their shows? (Pics appreciated)

atcare · April 29th, 2008, 06:18 PM

Ritchie Blackmore all in black with a black strat
Can't imagine Rory Gllagher with a tartan or denim guitar though

Luther Perkins · April 29th, 2008, 06:37 PM

Buck Owens and the Buckaroos had matching instruments.

We'd like do do it in our band, but can't afford to change things up.

Tony474 · April 29th, 2008, 07:11 PM

Back in the Shadows' early days Hank and Bruce often appeared with twin red Strats, with Jet Harris playing a matching Precision Bass. Similarly during the Burns period the instruments were uniform white but by that time John Rostill (RIP) was on bass. In fact it was far from uncommon for instrumental groups in the early 60s to co-ordinate their on-stage appearance in this way; generalising a bit, it was a time before the wider divergence of the music business and show business.

tomi · April 29th, 2008, 07:13 PM

Didn't the Beach Boys used to do all white Fenders? Or did it just seem that way?

tiktok · April 29th, 2008, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony474

Back in the Shadows' early days Hank and Bruce often appeared with twin red Strats, with Jet Harris playing a matching Precision Bass.

I'm not remembering twin Strats, but rather Hank with the Strat and Bruce with a Tele.

Tony474 · April 29th, 2008, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiktok

I'm not remembering twin Strats, but rather Hank with the Strat and Bruce with a Tele.

I understand where this impression comes from - it was the Shadows' first album cover from 1961. In fact, in the studio Bruce usually played the rhythm part on acoustic, but for that photoshoot he was holding a Telecaster that had been borrowed from a shop just for the occasion. Indeed, if you look closely at the picture you can see the price-tag still attached to the strap-button. As far as I know he didn't usually use a Tele on stage and contemporary photos in his autobiography depict him and Hank both playing Strats.

BrutherBill · April 29th, 2008, 09:45 PM

We kind of do this in my band.

I showed up with a Candy Tangerine Tele about five years ago to the snickers and awe of my band mates.

A year later the bassist found himself playing an amber bass...

which looked so cool the drummer bought an orange drum set.

Thankfully, the acoustic player hasn't folded into the temptation yet...

beep.click · April 29th, 2008, 11:27 PM

The Jam was a 3-piece; they wore black suits and had fireglo Rickenbackers (330 and 4001). Totally cool.

furrfurrfurr · April 29th, 2008, 11:32 PM

Jack White

stephwills · April 29th, 2008, 11:50 PM

Pre-Van Halen, Sammy Hagar wore red and played a red ... whatever he played back then.

winny pooh · April 30th, 2008, 09:12 AM

+1 on Jack White, red guitars, red pants, red drums, red rhodes, red twins, married a red head!

Brilliant!

Mike Bruce · April 30th, 2008, 11:06 AM

In days of yore, in my stage collection there were a '70s Telecaster Deluxe, a '70s Telecaster Bass, both with brown bodies and maple boards, and a brown '50s Fender lap steel (with legs). I had the brown sound going on before what's-his-name. All those axes are gone now...(insert sigh of regret here)...

Mike Bruce

atcare · April 30th, 2008, 05:24 PM

Didn't Tom Petty used to open with himself Mike Campbell and a third gutarist
all playing matching firebirds? If so did the bass player have a thunderbird

metulmykul · April 30th, 2008, 05:30 PM

The Reverend Horton Heat seems to match his snappy suits to his Gretsch pretty nicely.

fuzzferatu · April 30th, 2008, 05:35 PM

The Hives, different instrument color scheme for every album. Very classy look.

pseudocat · April 30th, 2008, 05:40 PM

In the first band I was in (~1978), I had an all-black strat with a maple board. The other guitarist liked it so much, he got an identical one. Then the bass player upgraded his bass to a black Rickenbacker 4001 -- no maple board, though.

So we kind of matched.

gitarjoe · April 30th, 2008, 06:17 PM

boris bubbanov · April 30th, 2008, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitarjoe

We need a paisley drum kit here.

A while back I got a black Telecaster, white pickguard and maple neck and it matched my brother's 82 P-bass (I wasn't thinking, I just liked the guitar). He got upset even though we don't play together.

Bonneville Bruce · June 1st, 2008, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

We need a paisley drum kit here.

If i'm not mistaken, the snare is a vintage Rogers, which has a cool factor all its own, and it does match the shirts.

That is one great great band in every way. Marty said that Kenny was his musical soul-mate and they sound like the heavenly host together. Cool lookin' bunch of fellas, and they are not to be denied.

toadman · June 1st, 2008, 03:49 AM

i'm surprised no one has mentioned LOS STRAITJACKETS yet! they're the coolest!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPDpXKySunQ

i also saw Jimmy Buffet once with strat that matched his Hawaiian shirt! i thought that was pretty cool!

tuuur · June 1st, 2008, 04:31 AM

The Ventures!

With Mosrites:

With sunburst Jazzmasters and Jazzbass:

April 29th, 2008, 05:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
charlie cash Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 337	Matching Guitars I think everyone has seen the ZZ Top guys play matching guitar and bass. Prince sometimes matches his guitar and outfit; ie surf green strat and surf green suit. I've seen Lyle Lovett and his band all play dark burst instruments (electric and acoustic guitars, bass, mandolin, violin all burst with dark wood to black burst) on stage while wearing matching dark suits. Any other examples of bands matching their instruments in some way? Does anyone on the forum do some variation of this for their shows? (Pics appreciated)

April 29th, 2008, 06:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
Luther Perkins Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Maine Posts: 105	Buck Owens and the Buckaroos had matching instruments. We'd like do do it in our band, but can't afford to change things up. __________________ Anybody ever notice how bad my speling is in my posts?

April 29th, 2008, 07:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tony474 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Bushey, near London, England Age: 61 Posts: 2,251	Back in the Shadows' early days Hank and Bruce often appeared with twin red Strats, with Jet Harris playing a matching Precision Bass. Similarly during the Burns period the instruments were uniform white but by that time John Rostill (RIP) was on bass. In fact it was far from uncommon for instrumental groups in the early 60s to co-ordinate their on-stage appearance in this way; generalising a bit, it was a time before the wider divergence of the music business and show business. __________________ Proud to be The Man From Uncool.

April 29th, 2008, 09:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
BrutherBill Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Northern Illinois Age: 35 Posts: 194	We kind of do this in my band. I showed up with a Candy Tangerine Tele about five years ago to the snickers and awe of my band mates. A year later the bassist found himself playing an amber bass... which looked so cool the drummer bought an orange drum set. Thankfully, the acoustic player hasn't folded into the temptation yet... __________________ --BB 3 tele's and counting

April 29th, 2008, 11:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
beep.click Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: California Age: 49 Posts: 1,919	The Jam was a 3-piece; they wore black suits and had fireglo Rickenbackers (330 and 4001). Totally cool. __________________ "It looked like a giant green gum drop to me."

April 29th, 2008, 06:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
atcare TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bonnie Scotland Age: 47 Posts: 72 8 Photos	Ritchie Blackmore all in black with a black strat Can't imagine Rory Gllagher with a tartan or denim guitar though

April 29th, 2008, 07:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
tomi Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 361	Didn't the Beach Boys used to do all white Fenders? Or did it just seem that way?

April 29th, 2008, 11:32 PM	#10 (permalink)
furrfurrfurr Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: South of Heaven Posts: 2,444	Jack White __________________ Hope I'm not too Messianic or a trifle too Satanic. Meow.

April 29th, 2008, 11:50 PM	#11 (permalink)
stephwills Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 257	Pre-Van Halen, Sammy Hagar wore red and played a red ... whatever he played back then. __________________ steph Think I'll just stay here and drink ...

April 30th, 2008, 09:12 AM	#12 (permalink)
winny pooh Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: South London Posts: 1,612 7 Photos	+1 on Jack White, red guitars, red pants, red drums, red rhodes, red twins, married a red head! Brilliant! __________________ my afro ambient side project: http://www.myspace.com/theswyambusessions

April 30th, 2008, 11:06 AM	#13 (permalink)
Mike Bruce Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Goderich Posts: 263	In days of yore, in my stage collection there were a '70s Telecaster Deluxe, a '70s Telecaster Bass, both with brown bodies and maple boards, and a brown '50s Fender lap steel (with legs). I had the brown sound going on before what's-his-name. All those axes are gone now...(insert sigh of regret here)... Mike Bruce

April 30th, 2008, 05:24 PM	#14 (permalink)
atcare TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bonnie Scotland Age: 47 Posts: 72 8 Photos	Didn't Tom Petty used to open with himself Mike Campbell and a third gutarist all playing matching firebirds? If so did the bass player have a thunderbird

April 30th, 2008, 05:30 PM	#15 (permalink)
metulmykul Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 323	The Reverend Horton Heat seems to match his snappy suits to his Gretsch pretty nicely. __________________ "Amps should have an on/off switch and a fking volume and tone. If you get a really fancy one, it should have reverb on/off..."* S.P Jones

April 30th, 2008, 05:35 PM	#16 (permalink)
fuzzferatu Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Portland, OR Age: 39 Posts: 562	The Hives, different instrument color scheme for every album. Very classy look. __________________ Music: www.TheScree.com Writing: www.SecretWorldChronicle.com Ego: www.SteveLibbey.com

April 30th, 2008, 05:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
pseudocat Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Out there Age: 46 Posts: 225	In the first band I was in (~1978), I had an all-black strat with a maple board. The other guitarist liked it so much, he got an identical one. Then the bass player upgraded his bass to a black Rickenbacker 4001 -- no maple board, though. So we kind of matched. __________________ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness". -Dave Barry

April 30th, 2008, 06:17 PM	#18 (permalink)
gitarjoe Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 1,081 15 Photos	__________________ Just my two cents.

June 1st, 2008, 03:49 AM	#21 (permalink)
toadman Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: andoverandoverandover,ct Age: 45 Posts: 1,022	i'm surprised no one has mentioned LOS STRAITJACKETS yet! they're the coolest! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPDpXKySunQ i also saw Jimmy Buffet once with strat that matched his Hawaiian shirt! i thought that was pretty cool! __________________ toadman the plank spanker www.slugnickel.com www.zydecohogs.com "The ultimate result of protecting man from folly is to fill the world with fools" Herbert Spencer

June 1st, 2008, 04:31 AM	#22 (permalink)
tuuur Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: the Netherlands Age: 40 Posts: 985 7 Photos	The Ventures! With Mosrites: With sunburst Jazzmasters and Jazzbass: __________________ If we all take the backseat, who's gonna drive? - Fred Cole http://www.myspace.com/tuuur http://www.myspace.com/daggermoon