Ray LaMontagne's Guitars
"Instead, it appears LaMontagne is now playing a Bourgeois DS-260. Our first tipoff was the slothead (the Martins Ray was playing have flat headstocks) and our second tipoff was the slope-shouldered nature of the guitar. Just to make sure we weren’t being deceived, we checked out the Bourgois website and sure enough, they confirm that LaMontagne is playing a Bourgois DS-260."
In this video you can see LaMontagne play one of his D-35's. There's a story that Ray sold his Volkswagen van to buy a 1972 Martin D-35 because he wanted the same brand of guitar as Stephen Stills.
"The first time I laid hands on a Bourgeois guitar I knew I was playing an extraordinary instrument. A friend of mine, Rick Tintle, a cabinet maker and woodworker from Vermont who had been working on the careful restoration of my 200 year old farm house in the Berkshires had brought a few guitars from his extensive collection for me to try.
The first guitar he handed me was a Bourgeois Country Boy Deluxe, figured mahogany, Adirondack Spruce, beautiful to behold. I had heard good things about Dana’s guitars, but had never played one myself. I sat on the bumper of Rick’s car and strummed a single chord. I was immediately struck with the clarity, tone and balance I was getting with just the flesh of my thumb. One chord, and I remember looking over at Rick who was grinning ear-to-ear and saying “Holy Shit!” That was it. I was sold...
When I hit the road that fall I brought four new Bourgeois guitars with me, and retired all but one of my loyal Martins.
Dana and his team are working on another level entirely. When Dana and I began talking about a Signature Series I knew that I wanted to create a guitar that was first and foremost a “working” instrument. A guitar built for touring. A guitar that could take a beating , yet remain stable while enduring the drastic temperature and humidity changes that it would undoubtedly encounter on the road. And in my experience, that is a very difficult trait to find in any guitar… If you’ve ever played a Bourgeois Guitar you know that Dana’s guitars are remarkably stable instruments.
I was far less concerned with the outward appearance of the instrument. I think that stumped Dana for a minute. I remember phone conversations where Dana would ask about bindings, figured woods and inlays, and me trying to explain that I thought of the guitar in much the same way that I though of any tool in the toolbox.
I wanted the guitar to be understated, with a nod to the great guitars that inspired builders like Dana to pursue, and in Dana’s case, forward the art of the Luthier.
I wanted us to focus on the balance within any given chord, and how that balance within the chord would then relate to the voice. Also there was the challenge of building something that could deliver some punch playing open chords while tuned down a whole step, something I do quite often.
Dana took all my suggestions into consideration and set out to build a guitar that we both could be proud to have our names on. I am so proud to have had the chance to work with Dana, Bonni and every one at Pantheon Guitars. What a lovely bunch of people. And I am honored to have my name alongside Dana Bourgeois on one of his instruments." - Ray LaMontagne on http://bourgeoisguitars.net
Played by Ray since about 2015.He has at least 3 for stage use in different tunings
Uber Pro Audio reports that he used a D-28 alongside other Martins before mainly switching to Bourgeois Guitars.
According to their website LaMontagne used a Rockbridge Smeck guitar.
According to Uberproaudio, Ray LaMontagne previously used a Martin HD-28 before transitioning to primarily using Bourgeois guitars.
Uber Pro Audio has reported that a D-18V was part of LaMontagne's gear in that time before he mainly switched to Bourgeois guitars.
According to Uber Pro Audio one of LaMontagne's beloves Bourgeois guitars is a "Victoria" parlor guitar.
Besides his Custom Masterbuilt Stratocaster LaMontagne used to have a few other Strats (such as an American Vintage '64 and a AV '65). He sold these ones via Reverb.
LaMontagne had an white American Vintage '65 Jazzmaster which he sold on Reverb.com.
LaMontagne used to own a Collings Goldtop but he sold it in early 2015 through reverb.com.
"Another stunning Collings guitar from the private collection of Ray LaMontagne. This is a truly incredible guitar with a very '50s-Gibson-like feel to the neck and body. It plays beautifully up and down the fretboard, and sounds divine. The P90 style pickups don't have quite the width of a humbucker, but certainly pack their own unique flavor that's well suited for just about any style."
LaMontagne once owned this particular Stat built by master luthier Jason Smith but sold it in September 2015.
LaMontagne once owned a Transitone but he sold it in March 2015.
Besides the CL Goldtop LaMontagne had owned a CL Deluxe as well. He sold it in May 2015 via Reverb.com
LaMontagne had a I35 in Dog Hair White until he sold it in November 2015.
LaMontagne sold his custom SoCo Deluxe in February 2016 via Reverb.com
Uber Pro Audio states that one of LaMontagne's Bourgeois guitars is a D-150.
LaMontagne once owned a Custom Shop '64 Telecaster but he sold it through Reverb.com in early 2016. Besides that guitar LaMontagne owned a few more Telecasters.
LaMontagne had a 1965 Jaguar until he sold it in April 2015 via Reverb.com.
LaMontagne had one but sold through Reverb.com in May 2015.
LaMontagne owned more than one WEW by Campbell American Guitars. He sold two of them via Reverb.com.
"This WEW has an offset Linden wood body with a tremolo bridge and two knobs: volume and tone (with coil-tapping). It has a five-way selector switch. Think of this as a funky Strat interpretation with handmade, boutique-level attention to detail.
Campbell American Guitars has been building guitars since 2002 out of their Rhode Island workshop, with the help of some former Guild luthiers. Many of their models are customized by the buyer."
LaMontagne sold his tabacco-burst ES-335 from 2006 on Reverb.com in 2015.
This is a community-built gear list for Ray LaMontagne.
- Find relevant music gear like Microphones, Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals, and other instruments and add it to Ray LaMontagne.
- The best places to look for gear usage are typically on the artist's social media, YouTube, live performance images, and interviews.
- To receive email updates when Ray LaMontagne is seen with new gear, follow the artist.
Discography