Johnny Depp Rocks: Johnny's Guitars

(updated 1/24/10)

(Click all images to enlarge)

* "He's got one of the best guitar collections, very eclectic."
- Keith Richards, on Johnny's collection, 2007

This gallery and information page is an attempt to compile all of the guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments we've seen with Johnny Depp. We have no way of knowing if some of these may have been borrowed, but it's a safe bet that he owns the vast majority of these. Please be patient; this gallery is still new, and the format may still be tinkered with. I also don't know a whole lot about guitar types, so I'm looking for any assistance in identifying the various makes and models of these instruments. If you can help, please:

madscntst@verizon.net or comment to the blog. Don't forget to click on the images to enlarge.

Special thanks to Laura, Maggy, Claudia, shamanart, GL Wilson, Keni Lee, Kris, and Bluetele Mike for help in finding details on many of these models. Thanks also to all the great folks at Deppography!

Johnny's First Guitar: 1960's/70's Decca Guitar

"When I was twelve, I talked my mom into picking up a Decca electric guitar for me for twenty-five dollars. It had a little blue plush amp."
- Johnny Depp, Rolling Stone January 24, 2008

It might've looked something like this:
1968 Decca One Pickup
or perhaps like this:
Refurbished 1960's Decca (click links there for more photos)
Decca guitar questions from Electrical Audio

Gibson Flying V

This is, to date, the earliest known photo of Johnny playing guitar. It is reportedly from an audition of Johnny's then band, Bitch, for a talent show at Miramar High School in about 1980. It appears to be a Gibson Flying V model.

Gibson Flying V on Wikipedia
1958 Flying V, white pickguard

1956 cream Fender Telecaster

This is Johnny's main electric guitar; he has been seen playing it often from 1982 through 2008. It has been seen with The Kids and P.
Mention of the guitar in Vanity Fair 2004

(row 1: The Kids, left to right: 1982, 1983, 1983, undated, undated (possibly 1981), undated)
(row 2: 21 Jump Street: black & white - Season 2 finale, others - "High High" episode from Season 3)
(row 3: left to right: P - 12/12/97, P - 12/15/97, The Kids - 1/28/07, The Kids - 8/29/08, The Kids - 8/30/08)
(row 4: a photo caption from 12/8/09 upon Johnny's arrival in Japan states: "Airport staff carries vintage Fender guitar case owned by Actor Johnny Depp as he arrives at Narita International Airport." An enlargement of the case's tag says "guitar 090." A Japan Today article covering Johnny's visit says, "He likes to bring his 1956 Fender Telecaster electric guitar with him to Japan," so it is plausible that the case belongs to this guitar. The article also states, "In between movies, Depp enjoys playing the many vintage guitars in his collection." Here's to your collection, Johnny!

Fender Telecaster Custom Guitar

Johnny joined Vanessa Paradis in concert on March 25, 2001 in Paris, playing this guitar on the song Fais pas ci, fais pas ça. The existing photos from this show had to be magnified considerably to see any detail of the guitar. Fortunately, one of the photos magnified passably. The guitar has a sunburst finish, a white binding and a white pickguard, typical of a Telecaster Custom. The "B" in the tailpiece is a country code sticker denoting Belgium.

Fender Telecaster

Johnny played this guitar at a benefit concert in Vancouver in late 1988 or early 1989. The concert featured Debbie Harry, Sal Jenco, Richard Grieco and Jim Ryan. Although the photo is very grainy, this appears to be a Fender Telecaster, with possibly a woodtone body and white pickguard.

Fender Stratocaster

Used for the 1987 Deborah Feingold photoshoot.
Something like this?

Fender Sunburst Stratocaster

Are these all the same guitar? If so, he has played it with The Kids, The Big Bang, and The Partibrejkers.
Fender Sunburst Stratocaster

(left to right: The Kids - 1981, The Kids - 1981, The Big Bang - 1987, The Partibrejkers - 1992)

Red Fender Stratocaster

Here is a red one from the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Into The Great Wide Open video in 1991

Blonde Fender Stratocaster

...and a blonde one from the Austin Music Awards wth P, SXSW, 3/17/93

Black Fender Stratocaster

... and a black one from Top Of The Pops with Shane MacGowan, 9/28/94

Gretsch Jet Firebird Guitar

Johnny played this guitar at an Iggy Pop concert in Paris on 12/12/99. The show was broadcast. As per Mike E., the guitar has 2 Super Tron pickups, which would date the guitar to around 1968-1970. This might be a guitar along the lines of the 1968 Jet Firebird Double Cutaway model shown on this Mountain Vintage Music site.

Gibson Les Paul Guitar (The Kids, 1985)

Played at the Kids Reunion show in May 1985.

Gibson Les Paul Guitar (The Kids, 1996)

Johnny reunited with The Kids at the Rockandy Club in 1996. Johnny is on the right in both photos. Unfortunately, there are no clearer shots, but the headstock and brief view identifies this as a Les Paul. The color seems similar to the one from 1985, but I don't think any of the photos are clear enough to see if it's the same guitar.

Gibson Les Paul Guitar (P, 1993)

This is another Les Paul, that Johnny played with P at the Viper Room in 1993. This one has a white pickguard.

Gibson Electric Guitar seen in 2004 Mark Seliger photo shoot

This guitar looks a little like a Gibson Custom ES-175, except for the color and a fancier pickguard and tailpiece. Of course, I could be way off!
Gibson ES-175 reissue

Green electric guitar, possibly a Duesenberg model

An August 2009 German newspaper article (read the English Google translation here) reported that Johnny has bought a second guitar from the German guitar builder, Duesenberg. The article did not elaborate on either the first or the second model that Johnny owns, but Claudia's sharp eye likens this Starplayer model to the one seen in the background of the DVD extras for the film, What's Eating Gilbert Grape. It looks very similar if not identical; it might be the surf green finish or slightly darker. I'd love to someday get confirmation of this and Johnny's other Duesenberg model!

Duesenberg Guitar English language home page
Ed Roman Guitars of Las Vegas lists Johnny as a player and endorser of Duesenberg guitars

Gretsch Guitar seen in Cry-Baby

It's not as hard to identify a guitar when it says right on it what it is! This is a vintage Gretsch Synchromatic archtop guitar.
Vintage Gretsch Synchromatic from the Guitar Museum
Ezine: The Beginning of Vintage Gretsch Guitars
Memorabilia 1951 Gretsch Catalog (to give an idea of a similar model, check out image #11)

Guitar seen in Chocolat

One guitar forum identified this archtop guitar as a Gretsch Model 35. However, a Bluesbox Collection web page (see link below) indicates that the Gretsch Model 35 was a direct competitor of the Gibson L5 model. The inlays in the fretboard look more like the Gibson to me.
Chocolat movie review - Acoustic Guitar Forum
Blue Book Publications - information on Model 35
Bluesbox Collection - Gretsch model 35 (possibly refinished- the description mentions that it would have originally been in a sunburst finish, as in the case of the Chocolat guitar)
Gibson L-5
guitarseminars.com Discussion of the Chocolat guitars

Gibson Style O Guitar

One of Johnny's newest guitars-- this vintage acoustic archtop model was given to Johnny on his 46th Birthday in San Juan on June 9, 2009. Johnny was also presented with a red Corvette, which was used in the filming of The Rum Diary. We will see if the guitar also makes an appearance in the movie. The Style O was manufactured by Gibson between 1902 and 1925 or later.

Style O - Vintage Guitars Info
Style O - National Music Museum
Style O - The Mandolin Archive

Gibson Master Museum Collection Pirates Of The Caribbean guitar

This awesome guitar was custom designed for Johnny by Gibson Master Builder Ren Ferguson in about 2006, around the time of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest filming. It was built at Gibson's Bozeman, Montana plant. It is a J-200 body style, and is worth an estimated $100,000. Ferguson was inspired by a line from Curse Of The Black Pearl: "Depp says, 'A ship is more than a keel, a hull, a deck and sails – what it is is freedom.' The line struck a chord with Ferguson, who believes that a guitar is more than just spruce, mahogany and some lacquer; it is also freedom."

Information on and more photos of this custom Gibson guitar can be found:

Gibson Acoustic's Master Museum Collection (see slides 19-26 for closeup images of the details)
About master guitar builder Ren Ferguson in Jan. 8, 2006 Bozeman Daily Chronicle
October 2008 Premier Guitar article on Ren Ferguson (containing additional photos)
October 2008 Montana Standard article on Ferguson and the Custom Shop

Acoustic Guitar seen at Hunter S. Thompson tribute

Johnny played slide guitar at a tribute to Thompson in Louisville, KY in 1996. Not much detail can be seen, but there is a pickguard, there are decorative inlays in the fretboard, and there is a symbol and logo on the headstock that may say Gibson.

Acoustic Guitar seen in Platoon

Note the S.F. carved in a heart. This presumably stands for Sherilyn Fenn, with whom Johnny was involved when Platoon was filmed. There is also a peace sign carved into the guitar (most easily seen in the crop above and the 3rd screen cap).

Acoustic Guitar with black pickguard

Seen in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas stills.

Acoustic guitar with black pickguard

Seen in Tom Petty's Into The Great Wide Open video in 1991. Pickguard is further from the sound hole, and the finish is lighter in color than the Fear and Loathing guitar, and has white edges.

Acoustic Guitar seen in Chocolat DVD extras

Another Acoustic Guitar from Chocolat still

This one is clearly different than the one above. Note the lighter wood color and the different headstock.

Acoustic Guitar seen in Once Upon A Time In Mexico DVD extras

This one looks different yet. The decoration of the sound hole looks different, as does the bridge. There may be some markings on the 3rd fret? (Or is that a pick?)

Acoustic Guitar seen on the VAJOLIROJA

This guitar can be spotted in a photo spread about Johnny's yacht, the Vajoliroja, that was published in Boats International USA in March of 2009. Although it isn't a very clear shot, the color and fret markings, as well as what might be a logo on the headstock, seem to distinguish it from the other acoustic guitars on this page.

Yet another acoustic guitar

Photographer Suzanne Allison's website has 2 awesome recent photos of Johnny posing with a guitar. This may be the same guitar from the Vajoliroja shown above- both are dark acoustic guitars with white edges and 3 fret markings; however, this one seems to have a small diamond-shaped marking in the fretboard that isn't visible in the Vajoliroja photo, so it may be a different guitar.

Black Acoustic Guitar

Seen in the 2006 Johnny Cash video, God's Gonna Cut You Down.

Acoustic Resonator Guitars

These may be National Duolian or Triolian Resonator Guitars. Members of one guitar forum were referring to a triolian. These dobro-type resonator guitars were made from 1930-1938. Johnny plays two such guitars in the motion picture, Chocolat, and is seen playing one during a 2009 François-Marie Banier photoshoot.

The National Guitar Page
National Duolian Resonator - Vintage Guitars Info
National Duolian Squareneck - Elderly Instruments
National Triolian guitar - Elderly Instruments
Republic Guitars site
Duolian/Triolian body - Is There A Difference? - Acoustic Guitar Forum
National Guitar Differences - Acoustic Guitar Forum
guitarseminars.com Discussion about the Chocolat guitars

(row 1: Chocolat screen caps and stills featuring first resonator guitar)
(row 2: 2009 Banier photoshoot; possibly the same guitar)
(row 3: Chocolat screen caps and stills featuring a second guitar)

Resonator Guitar

This is another resonator guitar, seen in the 2003 Mark Seliger photoshoot. It looks to my untrained eye somewhat like a Recording King Style O Resonator guitar.

Recording King Style-O Resonator Guitar on Elderly Instruments

Acoustic Guitar seen in 2003 Mark Seliger photo shoot

Cigar Box Guitar

This unusual guitar was seen carried by Johnny's assistant in Paris in July 2009, and by Johnny himself in Nice in August 2009. This type of guitar is made from cigar boxes or similar materials. This one has a resonator and 4 strings, and may be tuned like a ukulele or tenor guitar.

Visit Keni Lee Burgess' YouTube channel to hear some music played on cigar box guitars and other resonator guitars. Keni Lee also sells instructional CDs and a music CD, Good & Evil, on eBay.

Cigarboxguitar.com
Cigar box guitar on Wikipedia
Daddy Mojo custom Cigar Box Guitars
Back Porch Mojo Cigar Box Guitars
Cigar Box Nation
Cigar City CBGs
Cigar box ukuleles

Do It For Johnny Guitar

This custom guitar was given to Johnny as part of a quest by filmmakers Haylar Garcia and Darcy Grabowski to bring Johnny a screenplay. Entitled Narcophonic, the Ballad of Bad Bax, the screenplay tells the story of the life of guitarmaker Scott Baxendale, and it was/is hoped that Johnny would consider starring in it. Baxendale built this guitar, which is described as follows: "Made of aged solid swamp ash and capped with a curly maple top, it combines elements of the Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster and Dan Electro guitars. The headstock is inlaid with a design by Garcia, and in the back is a specially constructed chamber that displays the Narcophonic script." When the filmmakers and Baxendale finally caught up with Johnny in 2005, Johnny explained that he was not permitted to accept the screenplay personally-- it would have to go through traditional channels. However, he was able to accept the guitar itself. The story of the quest to deliver the screenplay is told in the documentary, Do It For Johnny, which screened at a number of festivals in 2007. The film is still awaiting domestic and foreign distribution. See the Johnny Depp Rocks! Documentaries page for more on Do It For Johnny.

March 2005 Westword.com article featuring description of the Do It For Johnny Guitar

Just for fun

I wonder if Johnny kept this tissue box from Cry-baby in his collection!

Basses

Fender Bass VI

This is a 6 string bass tuned one octave lower than a guitar. Johnny played this instrument during Hunter S. Thompson's cannon blast ceremony in 2005.

Fender Bass VI
Fender Bass VI on Wikipedia
Fender Bass VI on Vintageguitars.org

Fender Precision Bass

This bass guitar was seen in a 1995 Itaru Hirama photoshoot.
Precision Bass on Wikipedia

Bass guitar played at the Austin Music Awards at SXSW, March 17, 1993

Gibson Guitar that does NOT belong to Johnny

This Pirates Of The Caribbean guitar does not belong to Johnny, but he signed it as part of a contest. He posed with the guitar as part of a Damian Dovarganes photoshoot in 2003. There was once a link from Gibson with information about the guitar and contest, but the link is no longer active.