Lou Reed

Epiphone states on their website that the guitar Lou Reed is holding in the album cover for Transformer is an Epiphone Riviera.

This picture shows Lou Reed with a Fender Telecaster.

Reed can be seen in this photo with a Gretsch Country Gentleman.

In this picure Lou Reed can be seen with this guitar.

Here he is using a Klein guitar.

Mentioned in this 1998 Guitar World interview.

Photos from that era show you playing through a Fender Deluxe amp.

I still have it. Oh, what a great amp. But I hurt the speaker, finally, about two or three years ago. I accidentally threw a switch on my guitar that made the pickup a humbucker. That was it. They don’t make those speakers anymore.

Amazing video with luthier Carl Thompson, explaining building guitars for Lou. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QtwIwAGoVChMIo9Lz3t2YyQIVhugmCh3hfwjq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMz1JWfRDD8Y&usg=AFQjCNH1OkkPbdh6O-8dRSq-undyXSaHkg&sig2=CLaDxaTat5AEOR0weIxMDA

Lou Reed used the Vox V828 Tone Bender during his time with the Velvet Underground, as documented on the archived Lou Reed Guitar Archive website.

At Gibson's page where they list Reed's Gibson/Epiphone guitars, they mention "A Gibson Les Paul Junior with a single P-90 pick-up"

I have contemporary amps that work well for electric guitar for me. I’m a big fan of my Soldanos

Reed can be seen in this photo playing a Gibson SG.

Lou Reed is seen using a Schecter Strat-Style Stratocaster in a photo provided by Musicradar.

But as far as acoustic guitar goes, there’s an amp called the Tone King. They look really Fifties-ish.

This guitar was custom made by Rick Kelly for Lou Reed. It is 1 of only 3 ever made. It has a beautiful silver sparkle finish. The neck profile is HUGE, the patented 'Double D' neck. It is probably the thickest neck that we have ever seen come through our store. Don Mare Handwound pickups.

On this picture you can see Lou Reed playing on white B.C. Rich Seagull II

In 1994, Pete Cornish created an updated effects system for Lou Reed, enhancing his 1992 pedalboard setup. This information comes from Pete Cornish's official website.

Lou Reed used a Pigtronix Philosopher King pedal, according to Pigtronix's website.

The Steinberger site states: "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Lou Reed sent us these great pictures. Lou has been using the Steinberger Synapse Transcale ST-2FPA Custom in the studio."

Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison purchased a Fender Electric XII 12-string guitar for their third album, as noted on Wikipedia.

Lou Reed played Silvertones live and in the studio. He played a Twin Twelve live at the Cleveland Public Hall as you can see on the picture.

Lou Reed is pictured playing a Noah Paraffina Slapster Guitar in a user-uploaded photo on Yorokobu.

In a photo from 2000 featured in the Lou Reed Gallery, Lou Reed is seen with an Epiphone EA 7P Professional outfit. This image dates back to the period of his eighteenth solo studio album, Ecstasy, released in April 2000. The album, a concept piece exploring Reed's personal experiences with marriage and relationships, marks his final solo rock album.

Lou Reed can be seen sitting with a Haken Continuum Fingerboard in this photo from a SonicScoop article.

Used in his Metal Machine Trio tour, clearly seen left of the floorboard. Picture © Pete Cornish: http://www.petecornish.co.uk/GreySeries.html. Built as a "controllable feedback machine": http://www.petecornish.co.uk/lrtt.html

In a full concert video from September 25, 1984, at the Capitol Theatre, Lou Reed is seen using the Shure SM57 microphone.

In a user-uploaded photo on Wordpress, Lou Reed is seen playing a Plexiglass Guitarman electric guitar.

In this concert, Lou Reed plays an Olson guitar. He had already played it in Perfect Night (https://www.guitarworld.com/magazine/lou-reed-talks-about-velvet-underground-songwriting-and-gear-1998-guitar-world-interview), saying that "It’s a guitar built by a guy named Jim Olsen [sic]". And he added "“I have never been so stunned by a guitar, this guitar is a living thing" (https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2013/10/31/remembering-lou-reed-calm-vineyard-moment). From the 5 Olson models (https://olsonguitars.com/the-art/guitar-models/), it seems to me that his is an SJ. However, I am not sure.

Used in his Metal Machine Trio tour, clearly seen on the right. Picture © Pete Cornish: http://www.petecornish.co.uk/GreySeries.html.

Used in his Metal Machine Trio tour, clearly seen on the right. Picture © Pete Cornish: http://www.petecornish.co.uk/GreySeries.html.

Used in his Metal Machine Trio tour, clearly seen on the floorboard (Custon Batt Frees, according to Cornish's website, year 2010: http://www.petecornish.co.uk/client.html). Picture © Pete Cornish: http://www.petecornish.co.uk/GreySeries.html.