Alex Chilton

With money he made from The Box Tops, Alex purchased a "stripped" Fender Telecaster, his "first nice guitar". Likely a 50's model.

Alex Chilton is pictured with a Fender Stratocaster (probably a 1950s model) in New York City during the late 1970s. He used Stratocasters extensively during his time performing with Big Star.

Alex, pre-Big Star, with his Martin D-35. Note the fresh set of Gibson strings and a capo on the 3rd fret (which, coincidentally, is how "Thirteen" is played).

Alex Chilton owned a Fender Super Reverb at the beginning of his time with Big Star.

"When we hooked up with Alex he had a gold Les Paul and a Super Reverb. The Super Reverb was the most deafening thing I ever heard." - Andy Hummel, 2007

Following the Big Star reunion in 1993, Alex Chilton was frequently pictured performing with a late 1950s Gibson ES-225TD, equipped with a Bigsby vibrato and a Gretsch vibrato. It was most famously seen on Big Star's performance on The Tonight Show.

Chilton can be seen holding a Jaguar in this photo.

Alex Chilton is pictured here with a Yamaha FG-230 12-string acoustic guitar, circa 1970.

Alex Chilton played a Gibson Les Paul goldtop, likely a late-1960s reissue, early on in Big Star's career. He was pictured using it on the first Big Star tour.

"When we hooked up with Alex he had a gold Les Paul and a Super Reverb. The Super Reverb was the most deafening thing I ever heard. I think the Les Paul had humbuckers but they may have been P-style pickups. It’s hard to remember and doesn’t matter anyway because he didn’t use it much." - Andy Hummel, 2007

In the YouTube video "Lipstick Traces," Alex Chilton can be seen playing an Epiphone ES-295 with a Bigsby vibrato, which he used occasionally in his later years.

Alex Chilton is pictured on the back cover of Big Star compilation Nobody Can Dance with a Gibson Firebird III, during their performance at the Overton Park Shell in Memphis, TN in May 1974. He also possibly used it on Radio City. Occasional Big Star collaborator Van Duren believes it was borrowed by Chilton after the band's equipment was stolen in 1974.

“When Alex joined the band he showed up in the studio to record 13 and Watch the Sunrise with two Martin acoustics, I think a D-35 12-string and a D-28 (sic) 6-string. They were wonderful guitars. They were used extensively on both LPs, especially the 6-string. I played both a lot.” — Andy Hummel, 2007

“When Alex joined the band he showed up in the studio to record 13 and Watch the Sunrise with two Martin acoustics, I think a D-35 12-string and a D-28 (sic) 6-string. They were wonderful guitars. They were used extensively on both LPs, especially the 6-string. I played both a lot.” — Andy Hummel, 2007

Alex Chilton can also be seen using a Martin D-28 during a segment of "MTV 120 minutes" in 1985.

In a New York Times article titled "Alex Chilton, Rock Musician, Dies" by Dave Itzkoff, Alex Chilton is pictured playing a Gibson Les Paul Faded Double Cutaway with P-90 pickups.

At 1:45 we can see that chilton is using the amp