Play electric guitar like Johnny Marr

Here you'll learn everything about Johnny Marr's legendary guitars. He is regarded as a co-founder of alternative and indie rock and has toured and recorded with numerous bands. In this guide we introduce Johnny's guitars, amplifiers, effects and accessories and of course recommend alternative products as well. Enjoy browsing!

About Johnny Marr

John Martin Maher, better known as Johnny Marr, learned to play guitar from fellow Manchester musician and later The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy. He adopted his stage name because his birth name Maher was often mispronounced and the drummer of the Buzzcocks was also called John Maher.
Johnny Marr became known as an influential anti-hero guitarist, co-founder of indie and alternative rock and an all-round genius of The Smiths. He initially played in the bands Sister Ray and Freaky Party before founding The Smiths in 1982 together with singer Morrissey. With them he practically reinvented the UK pop scene in the 80s and is therefore considered one of the originators of the genre now called alternative or indie rock. Afterwards he brought his skills as a master of melody and sonic texture to projects including The The, Electronic, the Pretenders and Johnny Marr and the Healers. His genius is also evident in his work with Modest Mouse, The Cribs and countless guest appearances with other artists.

Johnny's music is regularly featured in films; his guitar work can be heard, among other places, in the films Inception and James Bond 007: No Time to Die. He was even co-composer with Hans Zimmer on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Freeheld.
The magazine Rolling Stone ranked Johnny Marr at No. 51 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time and, together with Morrissey, at No. 67 of the 100 greatest songwriters of all time.

Low-end electric guitars for Johnny Marr fans

Johnny has played a wide variety of guitars throughout his impressive career that helped shape his sound. However, Johnny's originals are very pricey, so we've also put together an alternative selection here for budget-conscious guitarists.

High-end electric guitars used by Johnny Marr

During his time with The Smiths, Johnny was known to play Rickenbacker guitars, a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul . The Rickenbackers in particular were often wrongly credited for Johnny's signature sound. In fact, he mainly played a Fender Telecaster and, less frequently, Gibson SGs, both of which he later used more often live. Since his time with Modest Mouse, Johnny has favoured a Fender Jaguar. Adapted to his modifications, a signature model of this guitar was released in 2012 and has become very popular thanks to its interesting upgrades.

Johnny and his guitars

In the first video you can jam along with Johnny Marr, who plays three songs on his Fender Signature Jaguar and you can also learn more about his legendary career, the making of the perfect guitar and his plans for the future. In the second video Johnny speaks with Shaun Keaveny at the Great Escape Festival 2018 in Brighton about everything guitar-related.

Alternative high-end electric guitars in Johnny's style

Johnny himself mostly plays Fender and Gibson, but other manufacturers also make excellent high-end guitars that can capture Johnny's sound and style. Here we've put together a selection for you:

Johnny Marr's amplifiers

Johnny mainly prefers amplifiers from Fender and Vox, though other amps are used from time to time. Johnny usually sets his amps clean and shapes the distortion with effects pedals.

Johnny Marr's effects pedals

Besides guitars and amplifiers from Fender, Johnny also uses effects pedals from the American cult manufacturer. Johnny uses many individual pedals, but he's not averse to multi-effects units either. Here we've put together Johnny's most important effects pedals for you.

Accessories for Johnny Marr fans

With the following accessories you can perfect your sound and get even closer to Johnny's tone. Of course, the right look isn't neglected either.

More inspiration for Johnny's fans