3 of the Most Iconic Guitars in Music History—and Their Guitarist Counterparts

A knight and their sword, a cowboy and his gun, a guitarist and their guitar. One cannot exist without the other. A guitarist’s relationship with their guitar equates to having a third arm. It’s an appendage that cannot be separated unless forcefully removed. Thanks to this profound connection, guitarists have gone to great lengths to ensure their instruments are an extension of themselves.

Whether it is electric or acoustic, the same principle still applies. The principle being that musicians tailor their guitars to sound, play, feel, and look a certain way in order to have the guitar play them and them not play the guitar. It’s a unique relationship and one that exists within a rare context. That said, here are three guitarists whose guitars are considered “infamous” in music history.

1. Willie Nelson’s Guitar

Bought in 1969 by Nelson after his last guitar was destroyed by a drunk. Nelson purchased the Martin N-20 in hopes of acquiring a sound replicating his largest musical influence—Django Reinhardt. With a combination of flamenco and country Western sound qualities, Trigger is just as noticeable as Nelson’s voice. The two are inseparable.

Scoring nylon strings and a hole from years of wear and tear, Trigger has graced nearly every single Nelson song since 1969. Furthermore, the guitar itself is a priceless piece of music memorabilia as it has autographs from country music icons such as Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash. All in all, without Trigger, there might have been no Willie Nelson.

2. Bruce Springsteen’s Fender Esquire

According to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Springsteen bought the guitar when he was 22-years-old for $185. Since then, Springsteen has been playing the guitar for more than 50 years. Making its grand introduction on the cover of Springsteen’s 1975 album, Born To Run. The guitar has been in every “club, theatre, arena, and stadium across America and most of the world,” said Springsteen in his interview.

Built from two different guitars, the guitar has been Springsteen’s go-to ever since purchasing it. Due to its notoriety, Springsteen lent the guitar to The MET for its Play It Loud exhibition back in 2019. Though, now back in the hands of Springsteen, he is back playing it as he was last seen with it alongside Zach Bryan in Philadelphia.

3. Prince’s Cloud

Built by Minneapolis, Minnesota guitar company Knut-Koupee Enterprises in 1983. Prince’s infamous Cloud guitar is arguably the most unique-looking guitar to have ever been put in the hands of a famous artist. Influenced by a bass guitar built by Sardonyx Guitars in 1972, Prince would go on to make the design his own.

Its debut was in Prince’s film Purple Rain, though remained a staple in his career up until he died in 2016. Following his tragic death, one of the models of the Cloud guitar sold for $910,000 according to Julien’s Auctions.

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