Martin L. Gore

Martin Gore’s guitar tech Jez Webb: “Here is Martin's setup. 12 guitars we've got out at the moment but I'm sure there's many more lying at home in California. This guitar has been with us for nearly 20 years now. It was made by a gentleman, Dick Knight, in England and it's a copy of the Gretsch Double Anniversary. Martin has one of those but we got Dick to make this for us to take out on tour. ”

This is from the TC Electronic video “Gear Run: Martin Gore of Depeche Mode”, uploaded March 2010, 2:18 into the video. The upload date indicates this was Depeche Mode’s Tour of the Universe.

In this Depeche Mode performance live at the Austin City Limits Festival in October 2013, Martin L. Gore can be seen playing a Gretsch G3156 Streamliner Electric Guitar (he plays it on "Precious" and it can be seen around the 3:10 mark). Gore's Streamliner has a red finish, and distinctive "cat's eye" holes rather than f-holes. It also appears to not have a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece installed.

Martin Gore’s guitar tech Jez Webb: “Martin's passion is for Gretsch and we've got quite a few Gretsch's out with us. The old Bo Diddley being one of them.”

The guitar pictured here is indeed the Bo Diddley, although not the exact model used by Martin. Martin uses a white/silver 1968 Gretsch Bo Diddley (source: http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/depeche-mode39s-martin-gore/17021)

This is from the TC Electronic video “Gear Run: Martin Gore of Depeche Mode”, uploaded March 2010, 2:47 into the video. The upload date indicates this was Depeche Mode’s Tour of the Universe.

As seen in this live performance of "Barrel Of A Gun" on Letterman, this is the guitar he is using.

In this Depeche Mode performance warming up for the Spirit Tour live in Berlin March 17, 2017, at 19:40 they play A pain that I'm used to (Lu Cont remix). Martin L. Gore can be seen playing a Gibson Firebird V in a Vintage Sunburst finish. While the body of the guitar is that of a normal Gibson Firebird V, the headstock is pointing down as it would in a Gibson Non-Reverse Firebird V model.

Martin Gore uses a Gibson Melody Maker guitar for “In Your Room” during the Tour Of The Universe in Barcelona. A closeup shot can be seen at 3:09 into the video.

In this video of Martin Gore performing "Breathe" during the Exciter tour in 2001, he can be seen playing a Micro-Frets Spacetone electric guitar. Around 2:07 some good shots of the guitar can be seen.

"Nice delicate sound." as M.G. states in this video, where he shows his guitar collection at 0:37. Plays it in Studio sessions version of classic Stories of old, performed in 2008, that took place during recording sessions for the album Sounds of Universe.

His is blue. Uses it live in the song Wrong. Can be seen 0:59 into this video.

Martin uses this guitar in "Angel" during the 2013-2014 'Delta Machine Tour'.

After further review, there can be little doubt in this photo that that is a Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville guitar.

From Musician magazine, October 1993 issue:

"Depeche Mode keeps things simple onstage: no amplifiers. Every sound, from keyboards to guitar to drums, runs through the P.A. system: a Brittania Pow Flashlight System. Dave Gahan and the backup singers use Samson Synth radio microphones with EU 757 capsules. Martin Gore plays a Roland A-50 and Alan Wilder plays an Akai MX1000, each controlling two Emulator Emax II samplers: Andrew Fletcher has another pair of Emaxes. Each pair is hooked up in parallel, so that if one were to malfunction, the other is ready. But 'I don't remember an instance when we had to go to a spare,' says Wob Roberts, the keyboard technician. Samples come from strange and sundry sources, including old analog equipment. The piano onstage is a Korg 01/W Pro X transplanted into a grand-piano body. For down-stage keyboards, Fletcher and Wilder use Philip Reese MIDI line drivers. A MicroLynx sends SMPTE time code to the video and film setups. Away from the keyboards, Gore plays either a Gretsch Country Gentleman or a copy of a Gretsch Anniversary guitar, strung with Gibson strings, from .010 to .046 gauge. Dick Knight copied Gore's original Gretsch for stage use, using Gretsch parts but adding more wood in the body to cut down feedback. The guitars run through a MESA/Boogie Tri-Axis preamp and a Zoom 9002 effects processor, with a Sennheiser UHF transmitter. Wilder's drums are mostly Yamahas: a 22" bass drum and 12", 13", 14" and 16" tom-toms. He uses Noble and Cooley piccolo and 7" snare drums and Zildjian K cymbals: a 22" ride, an 18" China, 16" and 18" crashes, a 6" splash and 13" hi-hats. And don't forget the tapes: two Sony 3324s, one of them a spare. Of the 24 tracks, Depeche Mode uses only 14, because many of the songs were dubbed from a 16-track Tascam that used 12 tracks for sound and four for sync. 'As soon as anyone sees the size of the machines, they think the whole show is on tape,' says Roberts. 'But it's just bass and drum parts and a couple of sequences. This band does not mime.'"

His is black, two pickup tremolo version. Used probably in studio only. Can be seen 1:05 into the video

Probably only used in the studio. Video 1:09

He used it live in song Heaven during the Delta tour and in this Letterman performance. However he used his trusty green Gretch/Knight G6118 Anniversary in the Studio sessions video.

This is a different guitar from all the others he uses, and pretty much the only songs he uses it for are "Dream On" and "Left Hand Luke And The Beggar Boys".

According to this live performance of "Jezebel" in Barcelona, this appears to be the guitar he uses in that song.

According to this live performance of "In Chains" in Barcelona, this is the guitar that Martin uses. It is also used on "A Question Of Time" during the Delta Machine Tour in Berlin.

Martin uses this guitar in "Where's The Revolution".

Martin uses this guitar while performing "Soft Touch/Raw Nerve" on Letterman

The guitar can be seen 0:58 into this video

Used in 2006 in Rock am Ring version of A question of time. However later on Tour of the Universe version he used Gibson Firebird.

Image credit gettyimages, Norbert Millauer

According to the picture of his wikipedia page it obviously shows that he is using a Fender Starcaster in 2009.

As seen in this video, Martin uses this guitar for "Behind The Wheel" during the 1993 Devotional Tour.

I purchased this guitar from MLG in 1979 so he could buy his first synth. Photo of MLG playing this guitar when performing with ‘Norman and the Worms’

Commonly used by Martin on stage. Incorrectly listed as Gretsch G6136TLTV White Falcon, Martin's guitar quite clearly features the center block body type, the more angular pickguard, an arch of switches along the curve of the body and the block inlays on the neck . All indicative of model 7595, as listed together with 7594 specs on this page of 1979 Gretsch guitar and bass catalog: https://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/gretsch/catalogues/1979_2.php#img

Introduced by Martin here: https://youtu.be/tfdRvPW_qqw?t=20 And by Martin's guitar tech here: https://youtu.be/cCIxe97Eqbk?t=178