Famous people playing Japanese vintage MIJ guitars

Joe Bonamassa Yamaha L series guitar

Joe Bonamassa Yamaha L series guitar

Joe Bonamassa, considered by guitar magazines to be the best blues/rock guitarist of our lifetime, playing his Yamaha acoustic guitars.

Frank Gambale with his Yamaha SG

Frank Gambale with his Yamaha SG

Frank Gambale, considered the master of sweep picking, playing his Yamaha SG.

Carlos Santana playing Yamaha SG

Carlos Santana playing Yamaha SG

 

Santana playing Yamaha SG guitar

Santana playing Yamaha SG guitar

 

Santana with his Yamaha SG

Santana with his Yamaha SG

From 1976 until 1982, Carlos Santana’s main guitar was a Yamaha SG 175B. He had several Yamaha SGs.

Stevie Ray Vaughn tokai poster

Stevie Ray Vaughn tokai poster

 

Stevie Ray Vaughn tokai catalog

Stevie Ray Vaughn tokai catalog

An interesting piece of trivia concerns Stevie’s Texas Flood (Epic 1983) album cover photo. It was taken while Stevie was playing a Tokai replica Strat. On the cover, the Tokai logo was removed, however, many music shops sell a poster of that album cover and “Tokai Springy Sound” is clearly visible on the headstock.

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top playing Tokai

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top playing Tokai guitars

Of course, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top loved his Tokai

Alvin Lee of Ten Years After played a Tokai, and has a signature model. Alvin Lee says: “The only way to replace my original guitar was to go to the Tokai people. My Tokai has more bite, more sustain, and more flexibility”

Alvin Lee with his Tokai

Alvin Lee with his Tokai

Alvin Lee Guitar Tokai ad

Alvin Lee Guitar Tokai ad

Tim Farriss of INXS uses Tokai guitars.

Tim Ferriss INXS with Tokai guitar

Tim Ferriss INXS with Tokai guitar

 

Robert Fripp used a Tokai Les Paul as his main instrument from 1984 to 1994.

Robert Fripp with his Tokai Les Paul

Robert Fripp with his Tokai Les Paul

Joe Walsh played a Tokai Love Rock.

Joe Walsh playing a Tokai Love Rock

Joe Walsh playing a Tokai Love Rock

 

When Kiss was on tour in Japan, Ace Frehley used Greco guitars. One example was the Greco AK-1400 Flying V. Ace also played a Greco MR1000.

Ace Frehley from Kiss Greco AK1400 in 1978

Ace Frehley from Kiss Greco AK1400 in 1978

 

Ace Frehley from Kiss with Greco MR-1000

Ace Frehley from Kiss with Greco MR-1000

 

Ace Frehley Kiss Greco MR1000

Ace Frehley Kiss Greco MR1000

Eliot Easton of the Cars has also used Greco guitars. Here is an excerpt of an interview with Elliot: There’s also a circa 1980 Greco copy of a Stratocaster, with a Roland synthesizer. “That was given to me in Japan in 1980, when the Cars first toured there,” he explained. “This was before Fender began its reissue series in ’82. The Grecos, as well as the Tokai clones of classic American guitars, were astonishing in their quality and attention to detail.”

Lets not forget about Ibanez guitars.

Steve Miller ad for Ibanez Artist guitars

Steve Miller ad for Ibanez Artist guitars

Steve Miller in an Ibanez Artist guitar ad.

Fernandes is the parent company of Burny. Here are some famous people using Fernandes guitars:

  • Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins): Used Fernandes Jazzmaster sunburst for the Adore and Machina albums.
  • James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins): Used Fernandes Telecaster black with white pick-guard for the Adore album.
  • The Edge (U2): Uses a Fernandes Decade Elite for “Discothèque” and several other songs on the Pop album. Often uses a Fernandes Sustainer, when playing “With or Without You”.
  • Ed O’Brien (Radiohead): Uses a Fernandes Native Pro guitar
  • Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day): First electric guitar was a Fernandes Stratocaster copy known as “Blue”. He changed the stock single coil bridge pickup to a humbucker and has had about 19 copies made. He still uses the original mainly, when playing old songs live.
  • Steve Hackett (Genesis): Uses a Les Paul Black, a Les Paul Gold and a Burny Pink Strat.
  • Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
  • John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia): Used Fernandes basses throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1998 his main stage instrument was a white doubleneck with a 12-string electric guitar and bass.
  • Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, Robert Smith, Ozzy Osbourne)
  • Neal Schon (Journey): Fernandes Sustainer & signature model.
  • Brad Gillis (Night Ranger): Used Fernandes signature model through the 1980s.
  • Kirk Hammett (Metallica): Used in the mid-1980s.
  • Mark Knopfler: Owns a blue strat from them, that was used on the sessions for the 1982 album, Love over Gold by his rock group Dire Straits.
  • Steve Jones (Sex Pistols): Used a Fernandes Burny Les Paul Custom.
  • Robert Trujillo (Black Label Society, Suicidal Tendencies, Metallica)
  • Joe Walsh (The Eagles)
  • Dave Kushner (Velvet Revolver): Has his own signature model; used the Sustainer at the beginning of “Slither”.
  • Todd Rundgren: Plays a Project P Fernandes named “Foamy”.
  • Kurt Cobain (Nirvana): Used a Fernandes neck with his Fender Stratocaster guitar as a replacement.

 

 

 

 

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