Brian Bell

Karl Koch, longtime friend of Weezer, writes: "He soon bought an extremely unreliable but awesome-looking yellow Kapa Challenger, a cheap 50's guitar that was sort of a Fender Stratocaster copy. The thing was simply unsuited for live performance, and Brian later gave this guitar to his sister. I did some digging and learned the following: There is a 70's Kapa Challenger that looks like a big Rickenbacker, this is not it. There is also a: 'USA Made (in Maryland) '63 or '64 model. Volume and tone along with 3-way selector. Two double coil pickups. Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. Has Jazzmaster-like tremolo tailpiece, 22 frets. Cool kind of mini-Strat solid body.' That sounds right from my memory."

Karl Koch, longtime friend of Weezer, writes: "Brian joined the band in the fall of 1993. At this point he was playing a red 1963 Gibson SG Melody Maker. Anyway, Brian has said it was a '63, while some folks insist it's a '66. In any case it had a very low 4-digit serial number (possibly #1030), so it was old. The headstock was in the early rectangular shape, which came before the more familiar curved style. The tremolo bar assembly was missing, but you'd never know it unless you knew it was supposed to be there. This guitar was all original except for the tuning pegs, which Brian had replaced with locking ones to help keep the thing in tune (which was an uphill battle). The pickups were the original ones, but what they were remains unknown at this writing ('hotrails' have been suggested, but perhaps they are recognizable fromn the picture below)."

Since 2009, Brian has made this his main guitar. He has about 3 of them, Two are a shiny gray with one having a chrome pickguard and the other having a black pickguard. The other is a black Explorer with a white pickguard

Brian Bell is seen using a Red Gibson ES-335 in this studio performance of "Getchoo" by Weezer.

In this photo, where and when it's taken - it is pretty much unknown, we can see Bell playing Gibson SG Custom.

However, in an interview for Ultimate Guitar, he states following. "My favorite guitar right now is a reissue of a '61 Gibson Les Paul Custom and confusingly it has an SG shape. And not only do I like its tone, which has had the pickups changed out but I really like the neck width. I once wasted a whole evening geeking out over the neck width of different guitars. I was getting lost in the vortex of online forums before I realized that my '61 Les Paul Custom was the exact neck width I was looking for. I'd like to have that night back if I could."

In this photo, Bell is playing his Fender Telecaster Thinline on KROQ Weenie Roast 2009. Weezer's concert took place on 16th of May, 2009. This guitar was also used on music video "Pork and Beans", in which you can clearly see at the beginning with Bell.

In this photo, taken at the Weezer's concert in Downsview Park, 12th of July 2013, we can see Bell playing Epiphone Hummingbird.

In this flashback, Weezer reveals how Brian used Ocasek's Gibson Les Paul Junior Doublecut.

This one might had pickups changed, but this alpine white Gibson Les Paul Custom was seen with Bell when he played "Buddy Holly" with Weezer on Summer Sonic festival in 2002.

Likely the guitar he used during 2005. Bell used it for "Island In The Sun" at Rock am Ring and Hard Rock performances. There are deifinitely more performances.

In this photo, taken at "The Weezer Cruise" in 2013. Bell appears to play Gibson SG Original with vibrola tailpiece.

This could also be Jimmy Page signature model, considering the pickup configuration, but from the source I found, I am still left unsure.

This photo is from one of Weezer's concerts around the Make Believe Tour in 2005, when he was known to use mainly Les Pauls.

This photo comes from behind the scenes photos from recording "Everything Will Be Alright At The End", and Bell is seen with this Telecaster, so it is assumed that this one was used on recording of the exact album.

Bell played this guitar only for music video for "Buddy Holly". This guitar has P90 pickup. No further photos of Bell with this guitar are seen.

Here is Brain Bell with a Sunburst Stratocaster.

Brian's been playing this on the black album tour

Brian can be seen using it at 0:19 into the video and at various other points during it.

In this photo (taken in December 1993), Brian Bell appears to be using Marshall 1960B cabinet.

In this photo, Brian Bell's Gibson SG appears to be plugged in Marshall JCM900 SL-X amp.

Brian on the Matchless Independence amp: "“I’ve been using these amps for a long while. There was one show, I think it was a festival in Korea where I had to use a Kemper, but I didn’t really have time to profile or program it like these guys did and I couldn’t find the exact sound I was after...I like my analogue amps and pedals because I understand them. I can see the parameters and adjust them on the fly, if there’s too much reverb or whatever. I don’t need to flip through any banks.”

The DS-1 can be seen on Brian's pedal board in this studio performance of "getchoo".

In this photo, Brian Bell appears to be using Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb pedal.

In this photo, Brian Bell appears to be using Boss FS-5L pedal.

In this photo, Brian Bell appears to be using Boss GE-7 pedal.

In this photo, Brian Bell appears to be using Boss TU-2 chromatic tuner.

In this photo, Brian appears to be using Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer pedal.

In this photo, Brian appears to be using TC Electronic Stereo Chorus Flanger pedal.