Famous Guitar Names Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bootsy Collins

The bass was created by Larry Pless for Bootsy. It was first seen on the 1976 cover of "Stretching Out". It was once stolen in Chicago and was returned to Bootsy a year later because the thief couldn't pawn it anywhere. Everyone knew who the real owner was.

Answer: Dick Dale

The "King of the Surf Guitar" played the guitar since 1961. He used to change the paint on it every few months to fool imitators. It is now painted "glitter gold" and has his karate dojo sticker permanently attached.

Answer: Billy Gibbons

Billy had this guitar built after a trip to Muddy Waters' birthplace. He was allowed to take a board from the porch and had Rich Rayborn build it. It features a recreation of the Mississippi River on its body and neck. NOTE: Billy was Jimi Hendrix' favorite guitarist.

Answer: David Gilmour

This is NOT the first Stratocaster ever produced but it was made in June 1954. It has a special paint job (it has a gold finish) and Gilmour suspects it was a custom shop job with the special numbering included. He said it is the kind of guitar that separates the players from the wannabes and will never be sold. But, in 2019 he auctioned off much of his guitar collection for charity.

Answer: B. B. King

Interesting note: B.B. is short for Blues Boy (his nickname when he was a DJ in the 40s). He named the guitar after he played a show in a juke joint that caught fire and he ran in and grabbed the guitar. He reflected on how foolish that was and he decided only a man in love would act that way so he named the guitar after a woman.

Answer: Yngwie Malmsteen

This 72 Strat is yellow and has a Donald Duck sticker on the headstock. Malmsteen has played it on all of his albums and he is pictured with it often.

Answer: Brian May

Brian and his father built this guitar from a 200-year-old mantlepiece. Brian believes the wood is what gives him his famous sustain.

Answer: Rick Nielsen

Rick had this guitar specially built from the Hamer factory. It looks like him, with his legs being the dual necks and has replaceable heads (including one that looks like drummer Bun E. Carlos).

Answer: Stevie Ray Vaughn

This was Vaughn's main instrument that had to be rebuilt often. He was very hard on his instruments (if you ever had the priviledge of seeing him live you know what I'm talking about). He also used such thick gauge strings that his fingers would get cut up and he'd put superglue on the tips to keep playing! It was buried with him after his tragic helicopter crash.

Answer: Eddie Van Halen

This is the famous guitar Eddie built himself and used throughout the 70s and early 80s. He used bicycle tape to create those famous designs on the body (the white and black stripes on a red finish). It has a Kramer neck and sometimes is confused with a Kramer but the body is from a Strat.