Steve Cropper

"My first guitar, on “Green Onions,” was an Esquire – had to be early-’50s. I sanded it down and painted it purple in my parents’ garage at home. I don’t know what year that white Tele was – probably a ’62 or ’63. I bought it new."

-Steve Cropper in the October 2008 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine

the guitar in question would almost certainly be a '53 or 54 Esquire judging by cosmetics in photos and Steve's comment that it was 'early' 50s so I went with '54 since someone had already added this item to Equipboard and I am lazy... -JM

GP: There’s a shot of you playing a Gibson ES-335 at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1969. SC: I love that guitar, and I’ve been using it in the studio a little bit. But after that show in Atlanta, [original Booker T. and the MGs drummer, the late] Al Jackson said to me, “Bring the Tele next time.” And when Al Jackson spoke, you listened.

Cropper isn’t much of a collector and he’s not much into acoustic guitars, but when the economy tanked nearly a decade ago, as an investment for his children he bought several Gibson J-200s that people were selling.

Steve Cropper is seen using a Fender Rosewood Telecaster at 1:37 during the performance of "Hold On, I’m Coming" with Sam & Dave on "The Midnight Special," recorded on May 17, 1974.

Steve Cropper is seen playing a Peavey Generation S1 in a post on his official Facebook page. Peavey later developed a signature model, the Cropper Classic, based on this guitar.

In a 2024 interview with Guitar World, Steve Cropper discusses why he believes his Custom Shop Peavey guitar sounds better than a Telecaster. The interview, conducted by Joe Matera, provides insight into Cropper's preference for the Peavey, underscoring its superior sound quality in his opinion.