Play electric guitar like Dave Grohl

Here you'll learn everything about the guitars, amplifiers, effects and accessories of Dave Grohl, who became famous not only as a guitarist but also as the lead singer of the Foo Fighters and as the drummer of Nirvana. We show you equipment from all price ranges that can help you sound just as good as Dave. The grunge look that suits his music is of course well represented in our selection. Have fun browsing!

About Dave Grohl

David "Dave" Eric Grohl is an American rock musician and multi-instrumentalist. He was the drummer for the bands Scream, Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age and Tenacious D. Since 1995 he has been the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the grunge and alternative rock band Foo Fighters, which he founded himself.

When Dave Grohl was taken to a concert in Chicago by a friend as a teenager in 1982, the experience awakened his passion for punk rock and the DIY spirit of that scene. That friend also played him records by bands like Misfits, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, which further increased his interest in the genre. In addition, Rush, Motörhead, Einstürzende Neubauten and Nine Inch Nails are among his favourite bands. Dave began his musical career as a teenager behind the drum kit of various school punk rock bands. With the band Scream Dave Grohl for the first time embarked on an extensive US tour in October 1986.
After Scream dissolved, Dave replaced Chad Channing in the grunge band Nirvana and together with Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic recorded the legendary album Nevermind in 1991. After Kurt Cobain's death on 5 April 1994, Dave began recording his own compositions. He played all the instruments himself in the studio. After finishing the recordings in October 1994, he decided to form a band instead of doing a solo project. The first self-titled Foo Fighters album was released in June 1995. From 1997 to 2011 eight more albums followed and the band gradually became one of the most popular in its genre. From time to time Dave also collaborated with other friendly bands.

Affordable electric guitars for Dave Grohl fans

Dave himself mostly plays high-quality, high-priced guitars, but we also present instruments here for a small budget that can very well replicate Dave's sound. Here you'll find our selection:

High-end and signature instruments of Dave Grohl

About Dave's guitars

Dave has long had a preference for Gibson guitars. As a long-time Gibson user Dave has of course already played a number of guitars and can point to several signature instruments. Dave's earlier Gibson signature guitars remain exceptionally popular and fetch high prices on the used market — if you can even find someone willing to part with these extremely popular models. Epiphone has, however, brought an amazingly affordable version of Dave's much-loved blue ES-style electric guitar to market with the Dave Grohl DG-335. Besides Gibson, Dave also plays guitars from manufacturers D'Angelico, Duesenberg, Fender and Gretsch. Here you'll find a selection of models that Dave himself plays or that are very similar to the specifications of his guitars:

High-end alternatives for the perfect grunge sound

Haven't found what you're looking for among Dave's high-end instruments or want to take another look at other brands? Then we have a selection of alternative high-end models from other manufacturers for you. These are equally suitable for emulating Dave's characteristic grunge sound.

Dave Grohl's amps and speaker cabinets

An important building block of the Foo Fighters' sound is of course Dave's amplifiers. Dave mainly plays through amps from the brands Vox and Mesa/Boogie. His favourite is the famous Vox AC-30 combo amp, which his colleague Chris Shiflett also uses. Of course we've also included affordable alternatives in our selection.

Dave Grohl's essential effect pedals

Dave mostly relies on the sound and the organic overdrive of his amplifiers, but still often reaches for distortion pedals. Some modulation pedals and delays can also be found in his carefully selected pedal collection.

The ideal accessories for the perfect Dave Grohl sound and look

Accessories such as picks, strings and pickups of course also contribute to Dave's distinctive sound. With these items you can round off your look and sound. Whether you want to form a Foo Fighters tribute band or simply enjoy the perfect grunge sound at home on the sofa or in the home studio — here you'll certainly find the right accessories.