Ariel Bellvalaire

Pictured and discussed in this July 31, 2013 Guitar Girl interview.

GGM: As for that rainbow guitar you were photographed with, is it a custom-designed model?

Ariel: That particular guitar was actually used in the Broadway show “Fela!” The Gibson showroom in NYC is kind enough to let me borrow guitars and rehearse there. I was walking around the showroom, saw the rainbow guitar, and it was love at first sight! It’s Gibson Zoot Suit Les Paul Model.

A Big Apple in a Shoreline Gold finish, later customized, was Bellvalaire's third guitar. It features in the music video for "Elastic" starting at 0:37 and is discussed in the following sources:

Guitar Girl, "Interview with Ariel Bellvalaire: Shredding From the Suburbs to the Subways" by Steve Byrd (July 31, 2013)

GGM: Among the guitars you currently own, do you have a particular favorite or two?

Ariel: My two main electric guitars are both Fender Stratocasters with double humbuckers. I use both equally, but I think my first one will always be my favorite…just don’t tell that to my other Strat!

Rockin' Interviews, "Interview: Ariel Bellvalaire (Paradise Kitty)" by Shannon Wilk (October 22, 2018)

Shannon – What was your first guitar?

Ariel – “It was a Schecter, it was the Oman 6 series, it was blue and so pretty. I played it for a little bit, but once I got my first Fender, I was sold. That was a Squier. I eventually graduated to a Strat. But I still have the Squier.”

Guitar Girl, "Metal Music Talk with Guitar Shredder Ariel Bellvalaire" by Lindsey Borders (December 30, 2019)

Are there any preferences on which guitars you use while recording in the studio, and while you’re on tour?

Man, I have so many guitars but definitely play favorites for touring! My absolute favorite and go-to guitar is my Fender Stratocaster with double humbuckers and a custom shop neck! There is a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck pickup in the neck and a Dimarzio distortion pickup in the bridge, so it’s a pretty versatile guitar if you have songs in multiple genres for a show and can only have one guitar. If I have a funk or country gig, I love pulling out my red Tele! She is definitely the prettiest of all my guitars! For studio work, I love to play every single one of my guitars and whatever they have in the studio as well to layer all the different sounds and get a huge wall of guitars!

[...]

Guitars:

I have quite a few but here are some of my favorites:

• Fender Stratocaster with double humbuckers
• Fender telecaster limited edition sandblasted ash
• Fender Paramount Acoustic
• Taylor 316ce acoustic

Guitar Girl, "Tone Talk with Ariel Bellvalaire" by Anonymous (GGM Staff) (February 28, 2020)

Which guitars, amps, and pedals are you currently using and why?

Currently, I use all Fender guitars. My main “go-to” guitar is a custom shop Stratocaster with double humbuckers – a Jeff Beck pickup in the neck and a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge. I’m able to get that nice big heavy distortion sound but also that nice clean Fender tone as well. It’s so versatile and can go anywhere from heavy rock to jazz. I like to pair every guitar with the Fender Deluxe Reverb amp because it has such a great clean channel with the perfect reverb sound and pairs great with all my pedals.

Guitar World, "Meet Ariel Bellvalaire, the Strat-toting pop-rocker who performs stunts while she shreds" by Michael Astley-Brown

A Fender Big Apple Strat with Seymour Duncan JB and DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups provided the track’s sizzling tonal approach, teamed with a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp and Boss DS-1X distortion pedal.

chorus.fm, "Interview: Ariel Bellvalaire" by Adam Grundy (June 24, 2021)

So, I read that you had a lot of love for specifically Fender guitars. What specifically makes you so attracted to this brand?

Oh, man, I can’t even tell you how much I love my Strat! My first guitar actually was a Schecter though. I didn’t really know much about electric guitars when I picked it out. I just liked the shape of it but never really liked the feel of it much. Shortly after my dad got me a Fender Squire and I loved that guitar. Eventually, after playing in a band, consistently practicing and getting better, my guitar teacher told me I was ready for a full on Stratocaster so I went to Guitar Center with him and my dad, and started test playing every guitar in there. There was one guitar in particular that felt amazing in my hands, and it’s actually the same gold guitar in the video. I hated the color at first because I was the little girl who thought she needed a pretty sparkly guitar (Laughter) but something about that guitar just felt so good. After playing it for a year, it became the love of my life and I was sold on Fender.

Sounds like it has like its own personality! The way you’ve spoke about what made you want to choose that one.

Man, she really does have a personality! She’s like a part of me and has a name too! Originally was it was Tarie but I loved her so much my friends kept referring to her as my “bae” so now her name is Bae. (Laughter)

Bellvalaire's first guitar, as stated in this 2018 Rockin' Interviews interview and in this 2021 chorus.fm interview.

Rockin' Interviews, "Interview: Ariel Bellvalaire (Paradise Kitty)" by Shannon Wilk (October 22, 2018)

Shannon – What was your first guitar?

Ariel – “It was a Schecter, it was the Oman [sic] 6 series, it was blue and so pretty. I played it for a little bit, but once I got my first Fender, I was sold. That was a Squier. I eventually graduated to a Strat. But I still have the Squier.”

chorus.fm, "Interview: Ariel Bellvalaire" by Adam Grundy (June 24, 2021)

My first guitar actually was a Schecter though. I didn’t really know much about electric guitars when I picked it out. I just liked the shape of it but never really liked the feel of it much.

Visible in press photos of Bellvalaire (including this one at least three by Jack Lue (here, here and here)) and discussed in this December 30, 2019 Guitar Girl interview.

Are there any preferences on which guitars you use while recording in the studio, and while you’re on tour?

Man, I have so many guitars but definitely play favorites for touring! My absolute favorite and go-to guitar is my Fender Stratocaster with double humbuckers and a custom shop neck! There is a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck pickup in the neck and a Dimarzio distortion pickup in the bridge, so it’s a pretty versatile guitar if you have songs in multiple genres for a show and can only have one guitar. If I have a funk or country gig, I love pulling out my red Tele! She is definitely the prettiest of all my guitars! For studio work, I love to play every single one of my guitars and whatever they have in the studio as well to layer all the different sounds and get a huge wall of guitars!

[...]

Guitars:

I have quite a few but here are some of my favorites:

• Fender Stratocaster with double humbuckers
• Fender telecaster limited edition sandblasted ash
• Fender Paramount Acoustic
• Taylor 316ce acoustic

Listed in this December 30, 2019 Guitar Girl interview.

Guitars:

I have quite a few but here are some of my favorites:

• Fender Stratocaster with double humbuckers
• Fender telecaster limited edition sandblasted ash
• Fender Paramount Acoustic
• Taylor 316ce acoustic