Play electric guitar like Johnny Marr

Here you will learn all about the legendary guitars of Johnny Marr, who is regarded as a co-founder of alternative rock and who was on tour and in the studio with numerous bands. In this guide, we introduce you to Johnny's guitars, amplifiers, effects and accessories and, of course, also recommend alternative products. Have fun browsing!

About Johnny Marr

John Martin Maher, better known as Johnny Marr, learnt to play the guitar from the musician and later The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy, who was also from Manchester. He adopted his stage name because his birth name Maher was repeatedly 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 all-round genius of The Smiths. He initially played in the bands Sister Ray and Freaky Party before founding The Smiths together with singer Morrissey in 1982. With them, he virtually reinvented the UK pop scene in the 80s and is therefore regarded as one of the inventors of the music genre that is now known as alternative or indie rock. He went on to contribute his skills as a master of melody and sound texture to The The, Electronic, The Pretenders and Johnny Marr and the Healers, among others. His genius also shines through in his work with Modest Mouse, The Cribs and countless guest appearances with other artists.

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

Low end electric guitars for Johnny Marr fans

In his impressive career, Johnny has played a variety of different guitars that have characterised his sound. However, Johnny's originals are very expensive, which is why we have also put together an alternative selection for price-conscious guitarists here.

Johnny Marr's high end electric guitars

About Johnnys guitars

During his time with The Smiths, Johnny was known for playing Rickenbacker guitars, a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul. The Rickenbacker in particular was often wrongly made responsible for Johnny's signature sound. In fact, he mainly played Fender Telecasters and, more rarely, Gibson SGs, although he later used these two models more often live. Since his time with Modest Mouse, Johnny has favoured playing a Fender Jaguar. A signature version of this model was released in 2012, modified according to his customisations, which is very popular due to its interesting upgrades.

Johnny and his guitars

Jam out with Johnny Marr as he performs three songs on his Signature Fender Jaguar and reflects on his iconic career, building the perfect guitar and what’s next in the first video. Watch as Johnny Marr discusses all things guitar with Shaun Keaveny at the 2018 Great Escape Festival in Brighton in the second video.

Alternative high hnd electric guitars fitting Johnny's style

Although Johnny himself mostly plays Fender and Gibson, other manufacturers also produce very good guitars in the high-end price range that can be used to copy Johnny's sound and style. Here is a selection for you:

Johnny Marr's amplifiers

Johnny favours Fender and Vox amplifiers in particular, although other amps are also used from time to time. Johnny usually sets up his amps clean and pushes their sound into saturation with the help of effects pedals.

Johnny Marr's effects pedals

In addition to guitars and amps from Fender, Johnny also plays effects pedals from the American cult manufacturer. Johnny uses many individual pedals, but is also not averse to multi-effects. We have put together Johnny's most important effects pedals for you here.

Accessories for Johnny Marr fans

With the following accessories, you can perfect your sound and sound even more like Johnny. Of course, the right look is not neglected here either.

More inspiration for Johnny's fans