Mark Mothersbaugh

Mark almost exclusively used Fender Telecasters which he liked to duct tape his pedals to. This choice was not only aesthetic but practical as well as he can often be seen twiddling the knobs on the pedals while playing. He played what seemed to be a stock Telecaster in the “Satisfaction” video with what appears to be an Electro-Harmonix Frequency Analyzer mounted on the body though it looks like at times he had up to three pedals. Live footage of Devo in Japan in 1979 also shows Mark playing what appears to be a different Telecaster modified with a humbucker in the neck position.

In "The Pointless History of DEVO's Satisfaction Guitar," at 6:28, it is confirmed that Mark's current black, left-handed Strat is a Squire, not a Fender. The logo on the headstock is covered, or "greeked" in industry parlance, to avoid any appearance of a paid manufacturer endorsement. Without a visible logo, his Squire is indistinguishable from a Fender for all intents and purposes.

The New York Times' article, "Devo's Future Came True," [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/arts/music/devo-mothersbaugh-casale.html], features many high quality photographs of DEVO throughout their long career. Among these photos is one photo of Mark and Gerry (and presumably the rest of the band) playing at Lollapalooza 1996, credited to Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives, via Getty Images. The Squire logo is clearly and plainly visible on Mark's guitar's headstock. As he is on record as having owned only one black, left-handed Strat, we most logically conclude that Mark's black, left-handed Strat is a Squire, not a Fender.

I suppose this requires that this entry be deleted and re-entered under the correct title of "Squire Stratocaster Electric Guitar," but this is beyond my limited knowledge of the mechanics and processes behind Equipboard.

In a user-uploaded photo, Mark Mothersbaugh is playing the Gibson L6S while performing "Satisfaction."