Gary’s Career In Gear

1997 Ibanez Blazer BL850VB

The Blazers were originally introduced in 1980 to replace the Roadster line and were later revived in the mid-’90s, proving that – despite being more associated with metal machines – Ibanez still had excellent options for those in need of something more sonically flexible. Essentially, they designed a Swiss Army Knife Superstrat with an alder body, a quartersawn maple neck and an HSH pickup configuration that could be split as genuine single-coils. “If there were only one guitar in the world, it would have to be the Blazer,” Ibanez boldly declared in their 1998 catalogue. “Why? Because the Blazer can handle anything. A funk recording session on Thursday, a blues gig on Friday night, the wedding gig on Saturday you don’t want to play and the original band showcase on Sunday you do want to play.”

1961 Gibson Les Paul SG Standard Reissue

By his own admission, Gary Clark Jr. never really saw himself playing a Gibson SG until he made his guest appearance on 2014 Foo Fighters track What Did I Do?/

God As My Witness from the group’s eighth album Sonic Highways. He borrowed Pat Smear’s P-90-loaded 1961 SG reissue for the recordings and, after he fell head over heels for its “light weight and nasty edge”, the guitar was kindly gifted to him. It would loosely serve as inspiration for the Gary Clark Jr. signature SGS that were launched in late 2017, fitted with “a trio of aggressive P-90 pickups” and available in Gloss Yellow or Vintage Cherry finishes.

2015 Epiphone Blak & Blu Casino

Having recorded and toured with a number of Casinos over the years, particularly ones from the mid-to-late ’60s, Gary Clark Jr.’s first signature was the Blak & Blu model launched through Epiphone in 2015. Named after his major label debut, boasting two Gibson USA P-90 pickups and available in two versions, one with a trapeze tailpiece and the other with a Bigsby, it offered a lot of guitar for very little money. “They’re a dream,” raved the guitarist at the time. The hollowbodies were originally popularised by Beatles legend Paul Mccartney – who purchased a 1962 Casino in 1964 because he wanted a guitar that could feed back like Jimi Hendrix. It’s what he ended up using for his leads on Ticket To Ride, Taxman and Helter Skelter, in turn inspiring guitarists John Lennon and George Harrison to purchase their own.