Johnny Depp Rocks: Johnny's Guitars

(updated 7/29/11)

(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 section is an attempt to compile all of the guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments we've seen with Johnny Depp. I 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:

info@johnnydepprocks.com 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, taip, and especially Bluetele Mike for help in finding details on many of these models. Thanks also to all the great folks at Deppography!

Electric Guitars

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
Keith Richards also gives it a nod in a 2010 BBC Radio2 interview (listen at ~8:30) "I mean, we're talking like, '56 Fenders, here."

(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 (seen in 1985)

Played at the Kids Reunion show in May 1985.

Gibson Les Paul Guitar (seen in 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.

Another Gibson Les Paul Guitar

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

This may be one of three instruments that can be seen in the background of a video clip that Johnny recorded for an Actors Fund tribute to Al Pacino on May 23, 2011. Note the guitar on the right.

(The guitar on the left could possibly be any one of Johnny's many Fenders, while in the middle is a 4 stringed instrument).

Gibson Les Paul Special

Johnny sported this guitar during his June 26, 2011 performance with Alice Cooper at the 100 Club in London. It is a Gibson Les Paul Special, most likely from 1959, based on the double cutout shape and the location of the pickups and pickguards. It's possible that this is the "vintage Les Paul" that Johnny reportedly purchased at the Chicago Music Exchange during an April 29, 2011 visit.

Wikipedia page on Gibson Les Paul guitars
Article on Gibson Les Paul Special models from 1955-1961
1959 Les Paul Special model

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

Unknown electric guitar

AWE guitarhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/MadScntst/music/guitars/20070519guitarscr.jpg

This guitar of unknown make and model was spotted with Johnny and another guest, apparently at the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End premiere on May 19, 2007. It looks like a unique custom model.

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

Ibanez Destroyer model

Johnny played this guitar to perform his solo for the Shane MacGowan & Friends Haitian relief charity single, I Put A Spell On You. The headstock identifies it as an Ibanez, and it is probably a Destroyer model from circa 1975. In the early 70's, Ibanez was selling guitars that closely resembled Gibson models, and the Destroyer was similar to the Gibson Explorer. Gibson filed a lawsuit against Ibanez in 1977, forcing them to change their designs. These pre-lawsuit guitars are very much collectors' instruments.

Ibanez 1975 Korina Destroyer on Wikipedia
Ibanez Destoyer on Wikipedia
Guitar Attack article about the Gibson lawsuit
Gibson Explorer on Wikipedia

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

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

Guitars that do NOT belong to Johnny

This Pirates Of The Caribbean Gibson 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.

In 2010, this electric guitar autographed by Johnny was part of a raffle and auction for the 50th Dracula's Ball in Philadelphia, with 100% of the proceeds going to support three worthy charities (Musicopia, SPARC and Human Rights Watch). This is a 2003 Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker in Satin Yellow finish with Chrome hardware (Model LPMMSYCH1). Johnny originally autographed the guitar for the Actors Fund of America.

For photos and info about Johnny's acoustic guitars, resonator guitars, and miscellaneous instruments, please visit Page 2!