What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

Iron Horse

Iron Horse

New member
And if you'd care to tell why you think so, it'd be awesome!

Here's my list:

50s
Fender Telecaster: The first mass-produced solid body guitar, manufacturing begun in '49 under the name Broadcaster, then came Esquire. Used in the hands of numerous legendary country, blues and rock players.
Fender Stratocaster: The instrument of choice for many blues/rock/surf players, the most popular electric guitar ever.
Gibson ES-175: one the most iconic jazz guitar of all time. It debuted in '49.
Notable users: Scotty Moore (the guitarist of Elvis), Joe Pass.

60s
Gibson SG: The instrument for psychedelic rock groups, hippies, Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend and so on. The follower of Les Paul
The Stratocaster was popularized by a young American named James Marshall Hendricks.

70s
Gibson Les Paul: The first Gibson to have a solid body, designed by Gibson & Les Paul. The defining blues/rock instrument. The reason I put this over here is because the likes of Jimmy Page, Thin Lizzy guitarists, Paul Kossoff, Duane Allman, Ace etc.
Fender Stratocaster also gained popularity and these players for example are famous for their relation to the Strat: Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eddie Van Halen. Although EVH defined the 80s guitarist and the superstrat, he himself played a Strat with modifications in the 70s.

80s
The superstrat is of course THE 80s guitar. Everyone used them. Well, at least every pop/fusion/rock/metal guitarist.
Explorer, Flying V and Jackson RR were also notable in popularity with players such as Randy Rhoads, Metallica, Dave Mustaine, Michael Schenker using them.

90s
PRS's and similar variations on the super strat theme are used by Santana, Nickelback and others.
7-string guitars and extremely low tunings became popular. (nu metal :banghead:)
Metal/rock styles that derive from Black Sabbath brought the SG back to fame.

00s
Superstrats are still popular, as are Les Paul-style guitars. 7-string guitars have their users but they're not too common in other styles.
Weird shapes continue to be popular.

Disclaimer: a superstrat means a guitar that is either a mix of Gibson (Les Paul, Flying V, Explorer or SG) and Strat specs or a Strat with a humbucker and/or locking trem.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

50s - ES-175
60s - Les Paul
70s - Strat
80s - Super Strat
90s - Not sure...maybe Strat again
00s - 7-string
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

I was thinking of posting a similar thread actually.

While I see your reasoning for some of your choices, I have to disagree with a few and lean towards PUH's choice for the Strat 70's. As far as I understood the Strat was not very popular until the 70's, partially thanks to Jimi and other guitar heroes.

50's - Maybe a Tele?
60's - ?
70's - Strat
80's - Superstrat
90's - PRS
00's - SG. Don't know why but even before the "Guitar Hero" game taught all kids that is what a guitar should be shaped like they seemed to be very trendy.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

Yeah, I kinda agree that the Strat doesn't perhaps belong there.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

Maybe some sort of Gretsch for the 50's? I confess I don't know much about the 50's or the types of fat and ugly guitar shapes I associate with that decade. What's the guy in your avatar playing?
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

The Gibson LP is most definitely a Fifties baby. It just took ten years, cessation of production, lighter string gauges and the arrival of the Marshall JTM45 before the guitar-buying public appreciated the thang.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

Possibly difficult to assign one guitar to every decade, but here goes.
50's belonged to those new upstarts Fender, the Tele and the Strat (don't forget Buddy Holy the Hank Marvin)
60's was a bit more open as the music (sorry to say this my colonial friends) was manly coming out of the UK and available guitars were short on supply people used what they could find including Hofners, gretch, and Burns but the Brit blues boom turns it for me and that meant only one guitar and that's the Les Paul.
Seventies was also a good decade the lester (although those made in that decade were rubbish by previous standards) although the strat was also very strong.
Eighties, for the most part, was owned By Kramer, and the one to have was a Berreta (other superstrats were available plus a bunch of made shaped things).
90's is a bit tricky as, especially in the UK, things started to go very retro, although seven string beasts got popular in Nu Metal (good I hate that term) and PRS became popular with rich people they were hardly flying out of ya local store and very few of the bands that made it big over here used em. In the uk it was the decade that marked the return of the LP, but not in the hands of guitar heroes, then again it was the decade of the guitar antihero.
2000's - flash guitar is growing in popularity again so superstrats are back.
Really music is far too diverse in popular culture these days to be linked to one guitar.
You're as likely to see a big name playing an obscure custom job as a PRS and ya bright young thing could as well be playing a Hagstrom or Duesenberg rather than a Ibanez/Gibson/Fender...
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

Fun topic!
50's: Gibson big hollow body (Super 400? Byrdland?)
60's: Strat (Hendrix, Blackmore)
70's: Les Paul (KISS)
80's: Kramer Baretta, Pacer
90's: Dean ML (you know who)
2000's: I'm having trouble identifying one. The PRS's that all the samey sounding heavy bands play? John Mayer's Strat? I've got it! Buckethead's Les Paul!! Guitar of the decade.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

50's : Bigsby guitars
60's : Coral sitar
70's : Hoyer Foldaxe
80's : Bond guitar, Steinberger
90's : Jagstang
00's : Air guitar
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

Where does the forever famous Gibson ES-335 fit in? Many rock bands and blues guitarists used that particular axe in the 60's.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

Bravohalo said:
Synonymous.

Sorry, ocd.
Click to expand...

Just noticed that myself. Well I guess I shouldn't have posted this topic at 2:30 AM.
And yeah, ES-335 should be in the 60s part, Clapton, Alvin Lee and others played them then.

That's an ES-330 that Grant Green plays in my avatar.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

For this decade I would say the modernized Les Paul shape with heavy abalone, quilted tops, and finishes like See thru black cherry. ESP/LTD and Schecter in particular. These guitars are just all over the place.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

DLT said:
Where does the forever famous Gibson ES-335 fit in? Many rock bands and blues guitarists used that particular axe in the 60's.
Click to expand...
...and into the 70's as well. In fact, Larry Carlton and Steve Howe come to mind immediately.


crusty philtrum said:
80's : Bond guitar, Steinberger
Click to expand...
Yes! Totally! I forgot all about the ubiquitous Steinbergers of the 80's.

crusty philtrum said:
90's : Jagstang
Click to expand...
I did consider putting this in my list.

crusty philtrum said:
00's : Air guitar
Click to expand...
:laughing:
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

1950's:
Gold Top LP (lots of players)
LP Custom
ES5 (BB King)
ES175 & Byrdland (both popular in jazz)
ES295
Super 400 (Scotty Moore)
Strat (Buddy Holly)


1960's:
SG Std (lots of players)
SG Special (Santana, Townsend, Iommi)
335 (very big in rock & blues then: look at old videos of 1960's bands)
'58-'60 LP 'Burst' (Clapton, Beck, Page, Green, Simmonds, Abrahams, etc)
Strat (Hendrix)
Mosrite (surfers & Iron Butterfly)
Rickenbacher (John Lennon)
Gretsch (George Harrison)
Flying V (Albert King, Lonnie Mac)
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

I'd say guitar fashion exists ,And it's just a matter of when they come back in vogue. For example in the early 60's surf crazy Jazzmasters and Jaguars was the cool guitar to have. So much so, That CBS Fender was going to discontinue the Stratocaster!!:eyecrazy: That was until one James Marshall Hendrix walked out on the stage at Montaray w/t a Strat. After that, know body would be caught dead playing a Jag or Jazz! It wasn't until the early 90's that it became cool to rock a Jag or a jazz (i.e.) Sonic youth,Dinosaur Jr.,Cobain etc. Imagine if Jimi had took the stage at Montarey playing a Tesco Del Ray !! :doh:
I think it has a lot to do with Artist reserecting old models. Brian Setzer the Gretsch, Johnny Ramone, the Mosrite. R.E.M. and Tom Petty the Ric. And it's augurable to say that Slash brought the Les Paul back to prominence, After the 80's Super strat craze?
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

50s...335(Chuck Berry, anyone?) and the Strat

60s...the SG

70s...Les Pauls rule this decade

80s...Super Strats/pointies

90s...Mixed bag with PRS in the lead

00s...Back to Basics...LP and Strat

The Tele isn't listed, because as the longest running continually produced solid body guitar, it's got a foot firmly in all five decades.
 
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Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

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and I don't even like Strats.
 
Re: What guitar(s) are synonymic with these decades?

guitfiddle said:
50s...335(Chuck Berry, anyone?) and the Strat
Click to expand...

I initially thought this too but a quick check says the 335 wasn't released until 1958. By then the decade was almost over and it was 6 years after the LP and 4 years after the Strat.
 
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