Walking into Johnny Marr’s studio, one is confronted by a sight that is every guitar-lover’s dream. As tools of the trade, his diverse collection of tried-and-trusted guitars - each with its own merits - is positioned within swift reaching distance and ready for action whenever inspiration strikes. While each instrument has its own tale to tell, they are all here for the same reason: to satisfy their owner’s lifelong passion.
“My story is the same as everyone else’s,” Marr says. “That whole ‘you and your mates going down to the guitar shop on a Saturday’ thing is part of guitar culture. When I was growing up, guitars were really exotic and hard to get your hands on. Sadly, there aren’t as many guitar shops around now, so it’s even more difficult, I guess. They still hold wonder for someone who’s 14, though.
“I always had an instinct for finding good guitars, at least for what suited me. The moment I pick up a guitar in a shop, I kind of know whether I’m going to click with it or not, even before I’ve put my second hand on it!”
One of the better-known guitars in Marr’s collection is this ’59 ES-355, which Seymour Stein purchased for him from We Buy Guitars on 48th Street in New York City, as part of the deal when he signed the Smiths to Sire Records in 1984. Marr first got his hands on this cherry-red beauty in his hotel room and immediately wrote the Smiths’ hit “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” followed by its B-side, “Girl Afraid.” “It’s a really well-balanced instrument,” he says. “The neck’s so nice on it.”
Marr traded his 1980 Les Paul for this TEAC A-108 and the Gretsch 7680 Atkins Super Axe shortly before the Smiths formed. This deck enabled him to experiment with layers of guitar overdubs, and it was key to developing his imagination and skills in the art of writing and recording.
* This article was originally published here
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