Airline

Airline

Also known as: Airline Guitars

Unclaimed

Airline is an American musical instrument brand originally introduced in 1958 by Montgomery Ward as a house label for guitars, amplifiers, and other musical gear sold through its mail-order catalog. The vintage-era instruments were built in Chicago by Valco, Kay, and Harmony, and covered a wide range of electric and acoustic guitars aimed at beginners and hobbyists. The most distinctive of thes...

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Airline is an American musical instrument brand originally introduced in 1958 by Montgomery Ward as a house label for guitars, amplifiers, and other musical gear sold through its mail-order catalog. The vintage-era instruments were built in Chicago by Valco, Kay, and Harmony, and covered a wide range of electric and acoustic guitars aimed at beginners and hobbyists. The most distinctive of these were the Valco-made models featuring "Res-O-Glas" fiberglass bodies, including the red two-pickup guitar later associated with blues musician J.B. Hutto and, decades afterward, with Jack White of The White Stripes.

In the early 2000s, Canadian builder Eastwood Guitars revived the name and reissued several of the classic shapes — such as the "JB Hutto" Res-O-Glas style, the Map, the Town & Country, and the Jetsons — in more playable, conventionally constructed form. The Airline catalog has expanded over the years to include basses, baritones, tenor guitars, lap steels, mandolins, amplifiers, and effects pedals, all drawing on mid-century American design cues.

Airline instruments have a long association with players who favor offbeat or "pawnshop" guitars, and have been used by artists including Jack White, PJ Harvey, Calexico, The Cure, David Bowie, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The brand remains best known for the unusual body shapes, chrome-bound pickguards, and raw single-coil voicings inherited from the original Valco designs.

Airline has 63 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Solid Body Electric Guitars, Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars, and Combo Guitar Amplifiers. Their gear is featured by 26 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Blues, and Pop. Notable users include Jack White, Bill Nelson, and Dan Auerbach. Airline's catalog spans the full price spectrum — from entry-level options to high-end flagships.

Artists Who Use Airline

Jack White uses 3 Airline products

Jack White

Singer, Guitarist · The White Stripes

Bill Nelson uses 2 Airline products

Bill Nelson

Guitarist, Music Producer · Bill Nelson’s Red Noise

Dan Auerbach uses 1 Airline product

Dan Auerbach

Guitarist, Keyboardist · The Black Keys

Rory Gallagher uses 1 Airline product

Rory Gallagher

Guitarist, Singer · Taste

Josh Klinghoffer uses 1 Airline product

Josh Klinghoffer

Singer, Guitarist · Pearl Jam

PJ Harvey uses 1 Airline product

PJ Harvey

Keyboardist, Harpist · The Desert Sessions

Francisco Durán uses 1 Airline product

Francisco Durán

Singer, Guitarist · Los Bunkers

Brittany Howard uses 1 Airline product

Brittany Howard

Singer, Guitarist · Alabama Shakes

Neil Finn uses 1 Airline product

Neil Finn

Singer, Guitarist · Fleetwood Mac

Meg White uses 1 Airline product

Meg White

Singer, Drummer · The White Stripes

David Desrosiers uses 1 Airline product

David Desrosiers

Bassist · Simple Plan

Tommy Shannon uses 1 Airline product

Tommy Shannon

Guitarist, Bassist · Storyville

Bob Log III uses 1 Airline product

Bob Log III

Guitarist · Doo Rag

Nathaniel Rateliff uses 1 Airline product

Nathaniel Rateliff

Singer, Guitarist · Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Sarah Midori Perry uses 1 Airline product

Sarah Midori Perry

Singer, Keyboardist · Kero Kero Bonito

Peter Kember uses 1 Airline product

Peter Kember

Guitarist · Spacemen 3

Elvin Bishop uses 1 Airline product

Elvin Bishop

Guitarist · The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

Mon Laferte uses 1 Airline product

Mon Laferte

Singer, Guitarist

Cole Alexander uses 1 Airline product

Cole Alexander

Singer, Guitarist · Black Lips

Jay Jay Pistolet uses 1 Airline product

Jay Jay Pistolet

Guitarist, Singer · The Vaccines

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