Dr. Nico

Dr. Nico is confirmed to have used a 1957 Fender Stringmaster Deluxe 6 lap steel guitar, identifiable by its two pickups. This is evidenced by images of him playing the instrument on the album cover of Docteur Nico – Dieu De La Guitare and its presence on the LP sleeve of Docteur Nico Et Son Orchestre – L'Afrique Danse N° 5 where it is leaning against a conga drum. He utilized this guitar in recordings for the Sukisa label during the latter half of the 1960s, which featured a distinct tape echo effect, imparting a syrupy, slightly Hawaiian sound to the music. The use of a lap steel guitar was unconventional in African Rumba at the time.