PJ HARVEY

Harvey didn’t actually own a Telecaster until she bought one with the proceeds of her Mercury Music Prize in 2001. Despite this, Teles were essential to her 90s sound. Harvey’s determination not to repeat herself musically suited the Tele, which is equally at home with all her styles. That said, Harvey was too interested in diversity to use the same gear all the time, and too interested in expression to agonise over details of gear. She found the Telecaster a convenient outlet for her ideas, which is really the best thing a musical instrument can be. On an iconic 1993 performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, an almost-unknown PJ Harvey performed Rid Of Me alone on her Telecaster. It was a daring move from a new artist.

Her favourite ’67 Tele belonged to her friend John Parish. “I used to nick it all the time,” she said. POLLY’S FAMOUS TELE