Elliot Easton, a legendary musician from The Cars, shares his most valuable guitar purchase – an item worth multiple figures – and asserts that today's guitar players enjoy unparalleled benefits.
In the realm of rock music, few stories are as captivating as that of Elliot Easton, the former Cars guitarist. His passion for music, particularly guitars, has been a constant companion throughout his illustrious career.
Easton's musical journey began with his first serious purchase - a Favilla acoustic guitar. A left-handed, all-mahogany, less expensive concert-style model, this guitar was the fruit of his labour, saved from earnings at a bakery. Before this, he had a cheap Japanese electric guitar given for his bar mitzvah, which he considered low quality[1]. Remarkably, Easton still owns that Favilla acoustic guitar.
His first good electric guitar was a 1971 left-handed blonde Fender Telecaster, another testament to his hard-earned savings. Fast forward to today, and his go-to guitar for recent gigs is a Les Paul of his own design, produced by the Custom Shop, which is chambered and has a thin '60s neck[1]. This unique Les Paul, Pelham Blue in colour with black hardware, black chrome dome knobs, nylon saddles, double stingers in the headstock, and a tiki character on the headstock, is a testament to Easton's creative flair.
Easton's penchant for single coils over humbuckers is evident in his guitar collection. If he could only have one electric guitar, it would undoubtedly be a Telecaster. His most incredible find or bargain when buying guitars was a 1964 left-handed Stratocaster in unplayed condition, a Burgundy Mist-colored beauty that he acquired for $2,800[1].
While Easton's passion for guitars is palpable, his affection for amps pales in comparison. He prefers a good sweet-sounding Fender with clean headroom, needing it to have enough clean headroom for some parts of his performances.
On his last tour, filling in for Waddy Wachtel with The Immediate Family, Easton used a Les Paul for the tour because he was filling a similar sonic space as Waddy. The guitar was based on a single question: 'If the single-cutaway Les Paul was not discontinued in 1960, what might a 1964 Les Paul look like?'
In terms of recent purchases, Easton added a Martin D-28 Bigsby to his collection because he thought it was super cool[1]. He also found himself admiring a Joe Bonamassa Epiphone 1955 Les Paul Standard Copper Iridescent while browsing for guitars.
Easton's advice for budding musicians? He prefers buying guitars based on budget, suggesting that there are more affordable options available now, such as Epiphone and Squier guitars. With these insights into Elliot Easton's guitar collection and musical journey, it's clear that his passion for music continues to inspire and captivate.
[1] Source: GuitarWorld.com, "Elliot Easton: The Cars Guitarist on His New Les Paul, His Favourite Guitars, and More," 17 September 2019.
- Elliot Easton, the former Cars guitarist, preferred a good sweet-sounding Fender amp for its clean headroom, essential for parts of his performances.
- In his collection, Elliot Easton has a Les Paul of his own design, produced by the Custom Shop, which is chambered and has a thin '60s neck, ensuring a unique playing experience.
- The unique Les Paul, Pelham Blue in color with black hardware, black chrome dome knobs, nylon saddles, double stingers in the headstock, and a tiki character on the headstock, is a testament to Easton's creative flair.
- If he could only have one electric guitar, it would undoubtedly be a Telecaster, reflecting Easton's penchant for single coils over humbuckers.
- Elliot Easton's first good electric guitar was a 1971 left-handed blonde Fender Telecaster, another testament to his hard-earned savings.
- For his last tour, Easton used a Les Paul for the tour because he was filling a similar sonic space as Waddy Wachtel, prompting him to ask, 'If the single-cutaway Les Paul was not discontinued in 1960, what might a 1964 Les Paul look like?'
- Looking to expand his collection, Easton recently purchased a Martin D-28 Bigsby and found himself admiring a Joe Bonamassa Epiphone 1955 Les Paul Standard Copper Iridescent.
