Guitars etc...

Scotty said he never used any guitar but his own on a session.....still does not today.  He may on occasion take someone else's guitar and strum a little and has at times been pictured doing it, but on shows and sessions, he only uses his own guitar.  He has them tweaked to the point that they fit him perfectly, so that he can concentrate on what he's playing and not what he's playing on.  He usually took his guitar with him when he traveled....usually by car,  but when by plane, they would still let you carry them on.   He did not ship his stuff ahead with any of the others.
 June 3, 2003

Article

These are most of the guitars and amps that Scotty has used throughout his professional career, some from his personal collection he plays at home and most of the instruments owned by Elvis, Bill and D.J. when they performed together ^* (click on each link to learn more about that instrument):

Technique

Tiny Timbrell's (pre-War) Gibson L5 Premier

Case Candy: Picks, Strings and Straps

^*The guitars and drums that Elvis, Bill and D.J. used when performing with Scotty are included here because we've been asked about them on occasion and their histories don't appear to be recorded in detail elsewhere.  For info on the complete performance guitars of Elvis Presley click here.

^**There has been some confusion regarding Scotty's first amp.  I  initially reported and listed Scotty's first amp as a TV front Fender Deluxe based on the fact he reportedly bought a Deluxe in 1952 and according to the Fender Amp Guide which suggests that design was made at that time.  He actually remembers it only to be a small Fender and then looking at pictures of a wide panel champ identified it as that.  Documents now reveal that he traded in a Fender Deluxe with a serial number suggesting it to be a wide panel design, which resembles the Champ, but the Amp guide reports those as made in 53. Given that I'll assume the guide is not definitive and at present believe it to be a 52 Wide Panel Deluxe.  I wish to apologize for the misinformation.
James V. Roy    November 18, 2003

*** Due to an old photo of Scotty and his friend James Lewis from around 1953 showing Scotty on a porch with his Fender it had been mistakenly identified as an Esquire and the error has propagated over the years as such.  Recently alternate photos surfaced which revealed the guitar to actually have been a Telecaster, complete with the neck pickup.
James V. Roy  February 21, 2015