Robin Guthrie

"Garlands, the album, was essentially recorded live in the studio with myself and Will playing together and Elizabeth over-dubbing a few vocals later, very much the way most bands record. My guitar setup was this: a Kawai KS-11-XL electric guitar..."

In this 1996 Guitar Player magazine interview, Robin Guthrie says: "I'm also using two of my old trusty favorites: a '59 Stratocaster and '59 Jazzmaster".

In this 1996 Guitar Player magazine interview, Robin Guthrie says: "I'm also using two of my old trusty favorites: a '59 Stratocaster and '59 Jazzmaster"

In this photo, Guthrie can be seen playing a white Fender Electric XII.

"My main guitar is a Fender Jazzmaster which I recently acquired, it's a 1962. If you switch it to the 'rhythm circuit' it goes very Gibson-ish, a mellow sort of jazz sound. With the main circuit in you've got the three-position switch as normal for a two pickup guitar, but it doesn't affect the rhythm circuit, which seems to be a combination of both pickups. I've used the Jazzmaster on most of the things we've done. When I was in New York they were about $150, very unfashionable guitars, but of course I didn't have a penny then. So I got this one in London for about £350."

Robin Guthrie is playing a red Fender Jaguar in this video.

In this article:

“People will say, ‘Oh, listen to that guitar tone. That must have been a 1957…’ It's like, ‘No, it wasn’t!’ I quite often just use this little baby here [picks up a Squier ’51] – $150 worth of Squier whatever-the-fuck-it-is! It’s made in Indonesia.”

-Robin Guthrie

In the music video for Evangeline, Robin Guthrie plays what appears to be a 1964 Gretsch Duo Jet Silver Sparkle. The way the video is shot makes it rather difficult to see clearly, but at 2:37-2:39 you can see the distinctive tremolo shape, and two staggered pick up selector switches.

Robin Guthrie has confirmed the use of the Paul Reed Smith Standard 24 during the recording process of the album "Heaven or Las Vegas," as quoted in an interview featured on the official Cocteau Twins website:

“As said before, for that whole album I mainly used the Paul Reed Smith..."