Jeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley frequently used his 1983 Fender Telecaster during performances and recordings, as seen in the live performance of "Last Goodbye" on MTV in 1995. After his passing, this iconic guitar was sold to a private dealer in New York for $50,000.

In a live performance at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel on May 19, 1995, Jeff Buckley is seen playing a Gibson 1974 Les Paul Custom Reissue. This guitar, which he purchased in 1995 from a shop in Wisconsin, was later displayed at The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum alongside other personal items, including his clothing and handwritten lyrics. Additionally, Jeff received a Les Paul copy as a gift for his 14th birthday, as noted on GroundGuitar.

Just couple of month before his death, Jeff purchased a dark green Talman TC620. The guitar had a pearloid pickguard, and P-90 pickups.

It is quite possible that this wasn’t Jeff’s first Talman, as there are photos of him playing a grey TC620 couple of years prior to this.

Jeff Buckley favored the Yamaha FG-180 Red Label for composing, as noted in a Kijiji listing.

He used this guitar live on songs such as Last Goodbye, What Will You Say, Vancouver and Kangaroo. He kept his Rickenbacker tuned in either Open G (Last Goodbye, What Will You Say) or Open D (Vancouver, Kangaroo).

In this user-uploaded photo from Tumblr, Jeff Buckley is pictured with a Series 10 Telecaster Copy, showcasing his use of this electric guitar.

Listed among Buckley's gear on his official website.

In this video Jeff Buckley is playing on a Gibson L-1 Robert Johnson from 1993/1994. According to Janine Nichols, the original owner of Jeff's borrowed 1983 Telecaster: "at some point I suggested to Jeff that perhaps he should keep the guitar (the telecaster) since he'd gotten so attached to it and buy me a Gibson Robert Johnson model acoustic instead. He then bought a Gibson for himself and kept the tele until he had something custom-made, the guitar he got in the weeks before he died." (source: https://www.mojopin.org/pages/telecaster.php)

Janine Nichols not only had an influence on Jeff's instrument choice with the borrowed telecaster, but it seems Jeff also bought the Gibson Robert Johnson acoustic as Janine said it was a guitar she wanted. Perhaps he had plans to gift it to her later on? Or perhaps he really respected her taste in guitars. The Gibson L-1 Robert Johnson was reissued in the early 90s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_L-1) and Janine's suggestion of the guitar and Jeff using it in the live videos would put it at around a 93 or 93 model, assuming it was bought new.

Aound 5.25 in the video there's a clear shot of the guitar. Note the wear and scratch marks on the upper corner of the sound hole on the bridge side. The same marks are present in this photo from a rare, acoustic set, http://tinyurl.com/ok8f9wt

Listed among Buckley's gear on his official website.

Listed among Buckley's gear on his official website.

Jeff Buckley played an Ovation Viper Electric Guitar around 1986, as shown in a user-uploaded photo on Photobucket.

In the FAQ section of Jeff Buckley's official website, his manager states Buckley and his band used an unspecified "dobro guitar w/ case."

In the FAQ section of Jeff Buckley's official website, his manager states Buckley and his band used a black Ernie Ball Music Man Silhouette Electric Guitar.