Mikael Akerfeldt

“A second-hand black CE24 that I bought from a friend became my primary tool for Opeth,” Mikael Akerfeldt says. “The year after I bought it, I used it to record all of Blackwater Park. That guitar stayed with me for many years, both on tour and in the studio, although it’s now resting because it has massive sentimental value to me.

"Guitar-wise, everything came from PRS. I also played on a newly acquired Gibson Flying V, a ’79 — and a couple of Strats. I have a ’68 Custom Shop acrylic Strat that sounded great and a ’62 Strat I picked up and put the body and the pickups together myself. I left it to a guitar shop that has one of those plec machines, which gave it a really, really nice setup," says Mikael Akerfeldt, in this interivew, with Guitar World.

From an interview with Guitar World in March 2014"Guitar-wise, everything came from PRS. I also played on a newly acquired Gibson Flying V, a ’79 — and a couple of Strats."

In this video, Mikael Akerfeldt talks about his signature guitar, the PRS SE Mikael Akerfeldt. One of the standout features of it for him is the satin finish on the neck, as opposed to glossy which makes it easier to get stuck. The bridge pickup is an HFS, and the neck pickup is a Vintage Bass. He says, "I play everything from solos to rhythm... I can do pretty much everything on this guitar. It's my favorite guitar of all time."

at 8:51, you can see that Mikael is playing a Jackson RR V

seen used in this performance

Mikael Akerfeldt uses a PRS Custom 24 guitar live, as can be seen in the video Opeth - Deliverance - Live at Wacken Open Air 2015.

At 11:34 into this video, Mikael uses this guitar on "the grand conjuration" live.

In this video clip, Mikael Akerfeldt can be seen playing with his Gibson Les Paul Standart.

Mikael Åkerfeldt frequently uses PRS guitars during live performances, including the PRS P24 in Antique White. This model is distinguished by its Piezo pickup, which allows it to emulate acoustic guitar tones. A photo on Imgur shows Åkerfeldt with the P24, highlighting his preference for this versatile instrument.

Has been using the PRS P24 electric guitar since the release of "Pale Communion." This is evident in the performance captured at the Rock Hard Festival 2017, as seen on YouTube.

Mikael Akerfeldt plays a PRS Custom 22/12 guitar during Opeth's live performance of "Closure," as seen in a video by Chris Stamou on YouTube.

In the image from Thefamousbirthdays, Mikael Akerfeldt is seen holding a PRS S2 Starla guitar.

at 0:42, he's seen playing this guitar

at 11:52, Fredrik mentions that Mikael uses this guitar

Night of the Prog VIII, Loreley, 14.07.2013, Mikael Akerfeldt can be seen using PRS Starla with Bigsby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb5qVRFjPDk

Also making of Heritage album, which can be seen (26:30) in the Heritage Documentary; PRS Starla has been used. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVoNJqvDBzg

Mikael Akerfeldt has confirmed in an interview with GuitarPlayer, conducted by Phil Weller, that he uses a 1990s Fender Telecaster Custom Shop, featuring a humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge. Akerfeldt stated, "No one’s seen me with a Tele before," and humorously admitted, "I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with one because I think they’re ugly! But that’s the only guitar I used."

He used this guitar during "Sorceress" in Mexico , 2025. He used it in the music video for ‘§7’, a track from The Last Will and The Testament.

In this biography, it is confirmed that Mikael Akerfeldt uses a Martin 000-16GT guitar.

In this biography, it is confirmed that Mikael Akerfeldt uses a Martin 000-28 guitar.

In this biography, it is confirmed that Mikael Akerfeldt uses a Black Cherry PRS SC 245.

In this biography, it is confirmed that Mikael Akerfeldt uses a black B.C. Rich Mockingbird electric guitar.

In this biography, it is confirmed that Mikael Akerfeldt uses a Gibson 1961 Les Paul SG Standard Reissue.

According to Mikael Akerfeldt's artist page on the official Martin Guitar website, he uses the Martin OM Mikael Akerfeldt Acoustic Guitar.