The Guitars of Elvis Presley

[Raised on Rock]

This is about the Guitars that Elvis owned, now days seems that everybody on the net has a guitar once owned by Elvis and asks a fortune for it, so my intention on this thread is that we try to make a a list as complete as it can be about the Guitars that Elvis ever had and were they are now.

So I?ll start this by posting some info about the most well known of his guitars with some photos of Elvis using them, if some of this info its not correct I will thank anybody bringing in the right info or expanding it, as well as anybody bringing out info about other guitars (Bass guitars included).

Thanks!

[Raised on Rock]

The ?42 Martin D-18. This is the one he used when he first started out, during 1954, and maybe part of '55, both on the studio and live, Elvis supposedly purchased this guitar in ?53 in Memphis as a second hand instrument. Since 1974 the guitar is at the ?Country Music Hall? in Nashville. This is not the same Martin that we saw him playing by thesecond half of '55 and in '56, the one we are talking about here has a dark wood line? under the bridge, probably a luthier patch?

Anybody has more info about this one?

[Raised on Rock]

1955 a second Martin, provably also a D-18? (The box looks wider). This is the one we saw on his first album, he started using this guitar with a cool leather cover during his final period at Sun, we saw him playing that same guitar during the Stage Shows and during the rest of '56.

Anybody with more info about this model?

[Raised on Rock]

The 1956 Gibson J-200, a gift from Scotty Moore in ?56 (Gibson started to give away guitars to Scotty that year). We saw this guitar for the first time in the film Loving You, we also saw it in the movie King Creole.. He used it in all his live shows during 1957 with a new leather cover, (those were popular back then I guess, does anybody knows were you can get one of those these days?).

Now some sources state this is not the J-200 we saw Elvis playing at the '68 Special, in 1960, Elvis (some say it was Scotty Moore as a second gift to Elvis) had it refurbished with the unique geometrical figures mod pickguard and his name inlaid in the neck, so the guitar we saw him using during his ?61 Memphis concerts, Hawaii same year, Vegas ?69, the February and August '70 (TTWII) Vegas seasons, and the Nov '70 Tour is the same guitar we saw in the live photos from ?57!!! the most damaged instrument by the guitar picks of Elvis Presley. Anyway some sources state that it is not the same guitar, the people at Gibson thought it was easier to buid up a new guitar rather that to perform all those changes in Elvis guitar so they actually deliver another guitar. He used it in most of his studio recordings and stage rehearsals from ?57 to '71.

[Raised on Rock]

It is the same guitar or not? Acording to Scotty Moore they deliver another 1956 J-200, but there is still a chance it is the same guitar. Anybody with more info about this?

[Raised on Rock]

This is another J-200, a 1960 model, Elvis got this guitar same year, this is not the one we saw him playing in '57, thats clear. This is the one guitar we saw him playing in the movies G.I. Blues and Tickle Me, and in the sit-down sessions during the '68 Comeback Special, sometimes in Vegas '69, some of the rehearsals in TTWII, and the Sep ?70 Tour. Bob Dylan and Keith Richards also used a lot this instrument in its Sunburst version between ?68 and ?71.

[Raised on Rock]

The Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, don?t know exactly when did he get it, but this is the one magnificent instrument we saw for the first time live in ?69 when he played that guitar every night, we saw Elvis with it in almost every concert until TTWII rehearsals included, he maybe still played it during the Sep and Nov ?70 concerts and in Vegas ?71. We saw the guitar standing in the back during concerts filmed for the movie Elvis on Tour, yet he seemed to lost interest in playing electric guitar on stage by then, he played this instrument a lot at home when he was just playing for his own amusement.

[Raised on Rock]

In 1971 Elvis introduced this his ebony finish Gibson Dove, introduced by Gibson in ?62, this was a '69 model, Elvis got it that year and in 1970 he had it customized for him, his request: his name on the neck, and a black pickguard, Presley used to call it: The Black Panther and add it a Karate Sticker on it. He used it as his main concert instrument from ?71 till ?73, we saw this guitar on Elvis on Tour and the Aloha TV shows, he used it for a short while back in ?75.

[Raised on Rock]

By 1974 and 1975 Elvis went back to the Gibson J-200, bringing in this time a custom made black version of it: it was Elvis who asked Gibson for an all Black J-200 for the first time, later added again a karate sticker... then by ?75and '76 he tried some other guitars, a Sunburst Guild, and a good looking Redish Sunburst version of the Gibson Dove, he played this last one at the New Year eve concert in Michigan.

Does anybody have some good shots of Elvis playing the Sunburst Guild and the Sunburst Dove?

[Raised on Rock]

In 1976 Elvis needed to went back to the instrument he used when he first started out, but Elvis couldn?t find an identical ?42 Martin D-18 model as much as he tried, so he went for a while with a D-28 model, and almost identical thing, yet latter on he switched for another Martin, a 1976 D-76 Bicentennial Commemorative Edition, a gift from the Martin Guitars guys, this remained as his primal live instrument until his last tour in June ?77.

[Raised on Rock]

About the guitars Elvis purchased during the 60? its difficult to know when a guitar was owned by him and taken to Hollywood with him or it was part of the movie props and he keep it as he did often with the wardrobe. We know about his White Fender Bass, the one he get in ?63, that was the one he was playing when The Beatles went visiting him. There are rumors he owned a Gretsch White Falcon around ?64 but there are no photos to prove it neither the guitar is on display at Graceland. About the instruments we saw him using in his movies and could have been owned by him were a ?52 Fender Telecaster (Girl Happy) and a ?63 Stratocaster (Viva Las Vegas), a ?63 Gibson SG (Easy Come Easy Go), the ?66 Double Neck Gibson SG (Spinout), and a Burns of London 12 string Guitar (Spinout). I don?t know if the ?67 Cherry Red Hagstrom Viking II he played in the opening segment and the stand up shows of the ?68 Comeback Special was owned by him or it was provided by the Director of the TV show. (The Gibson Super 400 Sunburst that Elvis played on the sitdown shows was owned by Scotty Moore since ?63 that was not Elvis belonging).

[Leroy]

Hi Raised on Rock. I would like to add something to your story. The dark line you see under the bridge of the Martin D-18 are stick up letters. It spells ELVI because the S droppend.

The Gibson J-200S Elvis is playing during the '68 Comeback Show is a 1960 model. The same one he also used G.I. Blues. This one was a replacement for the first Gibson J-200 who was refurbished at the time.

The Ebony Custom Gibson Dove Elvis is using between 1971 and 1974 is from 1969 and is not a J-200. This guitar has different dimensions. At the moment the guitar is in private hands. Elvis gave it away during his last performance of the July Tour of 1975.

His Ebony Gibson J-200 is from 1968. This one is also in private hands. The model you can see on display at Graceland is a replica.

You have posted some pictures of Elvis with his 1974 Sunburst Gisbson Dove but on one picture you see a different guitar. That is a 1975 Guild F-50. As far as I know Elvis never played a Gibson J-185 on stage.

About his last two guitars. He started out with Martin at the very beginning of his career and also ended with it.

During his October tour you can see Elvis performing with a brand new Martin D-35. He played this guitar until somewhere in the February tour of 1977. Something went wrong with the guitar strap and the instrument fell on the stage. It got replaced with a 1976 Martin D-28.

I have attached two pictures: One of the 1942 Martin D-18 with the stick up letters and a picture of the 1975 Guild F-50.

[Leroy]

The 1967 Cherry Red Hagstrom Viking II Elvis is playing at the opening of the 1968 Comeback TV Special was provided by the band's lead guitar player Al Casey. It was not owned by Elvis.

[Raised on Rock]

Hi Raised on Rock. I would like to add something to your story. The dark line you see under the bridge of the Martin D-18 are stick up letters. It spells ELVI because the S droppend.

The Gibson J-200S Elvis is playing during the '68 Comeback Show is a 1960 model. The same one he also used G.I. Blues. This one was a replacement for the first Gibson J-200 who was refurbished at the time.

The Ebony Custom Gibson Dove Elvis is using between 1971 and 1974 is from 1969 and is not a J-200. This guitar has different dimensions. At the moment the guitar is in private hands. Elvis gave it away during his last performance of the July Tour of 1975.

His Ebony Gibson J-200 is from 1968. This one is also in private hands. The model you can see on display at Graceland is a replica.

You have posted some pictures of Elvis with his 1974 Sunburst Gisbson Dove but on one picture you see a different guitar. That is a 1975 Guild F-50. As far as I know Elvis never played a Gibson J-185 on stage.

About his last two guitars. He started out with Martin at the very beginning of his career and also ended with it.

During his October tour you can see Elvis performing with a brand new Martin D-35. He played this guitar until somewhere in the February tour of 1977. Something went wrong with the guitar strap and the instrument fell on the stage. It got replaced with a 1976 Martin D-28.

I have attached two pictures: One of the 1942 Martin D-18 with the stick up letters and a picture of the 1975 Guild F-50.

Thanks for your kind reply, your coments on this kind of subjects are always definitive. I've corrected the Guild mistake. In Elvis Then And Now, its stated that the last guitar Elvis used was a Martin D76, Bicentennial Edition. Do you Know something about that?

[Elvis_Priestly]

Really fascinating thread, very much appreciated!
A question: I've just started watching those videos of Elvis' later concerts and wondered about the guitar throw at the end of That's Alright/Amen. Did he keep a supply of cheap guitars just in case or was this one of the exspensive ones mentioned? If so, any record of Charlie ever fumbling the catch?

[Leroy]

If you go to http: www.scottymoore.net/epguitars.html you can see a complete overview of the guitars Elvis used during his live performances.

I do know nothing about the use of a Bicentennial Model of Martin on stage. I do know he got the news this model was out and according to one of the Stanley brothers he was send out to get one. But this was a special model with an eagle on it somewhere and it was not to be touched, let alone taken on tour.

Have you ever thought of studying the guitars Elvis used during his Hollywood years? Now there you have a real challenge. I started out to do so but that is a hell of a job. I made some discoveries but I'm not sure about some of the models.

[Leroy]

Here you see a picture of the head stick of the Martin D-76 Bicentennial. You can see the eagle on it. This guitar also has stars in the freat board.

[Tony Trout]

In 1971 Elvis introduced his black Dove J- 200, introduced by Gibson in ?62, a custom model was produced specially for Elvis, all in Black with his name on the neck, and a black pickguard, Presley used to call it: The Black Panther and add it a Karate Sticker on it. He used it as his main concert instrument from ?71 till ?73, we saw this guitar on Elvis on Tour and the Aloha TV shows, he used it for a short while back in ?75.

A little sidenote about this guitar:


During the show in Little Rock, AR on April 17, 1972 the guitar was damaged at the neck (the incident can be heard on the import CD "He Broke My Guitar". The black Gibson Dove J-200 that is used during the filming of "Elvis On Tour" and "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii" are not the same guitar and whether the Gibson Dove J-200 that Elvis gave away to a fan in Asheville, NC during the July '75 tour was possibly later repaired is the same guitar as used in "Elvis On Tour" and "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii" is also unclear.....

[Elton]

Hi Everyone!
My first post, about his first guitar
I understand the martin with the leather tool cover(as pictured on his first album) was purchased by a private collector for the sum of $155 thousand
anyone know of any changes or updates on this?



Elvis_Priestly Did he keep a supply of cheap guitars just in case or was this one of the exspensive ones mentioned? If so, any record of Charlie ever fumbling the catch?

No cheap guitars, he used the real deal everytime..
and yes, ole Charlie missed..more that once!!

[Leroy]

Elvis might have said: "I broke my guitar!", but it's not sure the damage was that bad. The next day in San Antonio the guitar was present again.
Because it was a customized guitar it's impossible to replace it within' 24 hours and shipped cross country.