Countless artists spend their entire career playing the same trusty instrument (think Willie Nelson and his road-worn ax, Trigger), and Chris Stapleton is no exception with his two favorite guitars. These instruments have been with Stapleton since long before he became the country superstar we know him as today because, frankly, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
That goes for seating options, too.
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Chris Stapleton Shows Off Favorite Vintage Guitars
During a 2023 interview with GQ Magazine, Chris Stapleton compiled a list of ten things he couldn’t live without. Unsurprisingly, the first three items on the list had direct ties to his musical career and creative process. While Stapleton’s consistently impressive vocals usually take center stage, his go-to guitars have also held steady, contributing just as much to the country singer’s distinct style and sound as his vocal timbre. One of the biggest constants in Stapleton’s instrumental arsenal is a “1950-something” Gibson LG-2 that has been with the singer-songwriter for most of his career.
“It has a replaced neck on it and replaced tuners,” Stapleton said, holding up the visibly worn guitar. The finish above and below the soundhole is worn to the natural wood, matching the natural angle of Stapleton’s strumming. Countless nicks and cracks pock the widest part of the body, too. The country star joked that someone likely used it as a canoe paddle at some point, considering all the mud and cracks covering the body.
“I bought this guitar very early in my songwriting career, and most songs that I’ve written have been on this guitar,” he told GQ. “These are the foundations of most of the music that I’ve made in my songwriting and record-making career. I paid about $380 for this guitar. It took about $900 to make it work correctly. But it’s earned its keep beyond that. I don’t know all the stories that made it look like this, but it’s certainly been with me for a lot of good ones.”
And like any good country soul musician, Stapleton has a trusty electric, too.
The Importance Of Finding The Right Tool For The Job
Chris Stapleton’s first guitar love might be his acoustic vintage Gibson LG-2. But his 1964 Fender Jazzmaster is a close second. “This was the first nice, old guitar I ever got, and it was a gift from my wife,” the “Tennessee Whiskey” singer explained. “When I received it, it looked very mint.” Stapleton chuckled as he held his guitar, which now features multiple spots around the edge of the body where the finish has faded to natural wood. “I kept it [mint] for a while, and then I started feeling bad. It’s a tool to me, and it’s meant to be used.”
“So, I’ve used it over the years,” he continued. “It’s certainly in the room for everything that I’ve ever recorded. Even if it’s not played on everything I’ve ever recorded, it’s played on a lot of things that I’ve recorded. You can see over the years, it turned very not mint just from use, but that’s okay. This is all honest wear. It’s been a good tool, and it has served me well.”
Interestingly, Stapleton included another unexpected item in his “can’t live without it” list: a breakfast nook chair. The vintage metal chair with homemade fabric cushion was a fixture in his childhood home in the 1980s and followed him through college and into adulthood. “It’s been my guitar chair that I, kind of, sit around and play guitar in,” Stapleton explained. “Every time I go make a record, the chair comes with me.”
It all goes back to finding the right tool for the job.
Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for iHeartMedia