Dave Grohl Guitars and Gear List (2024 Update)

You might know him as the drummer from Nirvana, or the leader of the colossal Foo Fighters, but whichever you prefer, there is only one man that has been giving the best of himself to keep Rock N’ Roll on the radar for many decades and many more to come. Undoubtedly one of the most iconic musicians of the last three decades and with unparalleled rock pedigree, Dave Grohl has been a road artist ever since he was 17 years of age. Grohl dropped out of high school after years of pillow drumming to join in European tour his first act as a drummer before he found himself auditioning for a small-town band called Nirvana.

Dave Grohl Playing Guitar
Photo by Raph PH

A Rock & Roll icon, his fascination for music has been inspiring years from his debut, needless to say, he didn’t stop at only one instrument. His first time around a guitar is something we can’t say with precision, but recording with six-string dates back to the recording sessions of Nirvana back when Cobain wouldn’t show up, and so Dave would take the chance to record a few demo tapes that would later become the very first Foo Fighters tracks that, as we know, have taken the world by storm and stand the test of time as it seems. Let’s discuss some of the guitars Dave Grohl used over the years.

What Guitar Does Dave Grohl Play?

Dave Grohl plays a 1967 Gibson Trini Lopez Standard ES-335 guitar as well as Gibson DG-335 guitars, which were modeled after the Trini Lopez Signature, all having diamond-shaped body holes as well as an alternative headstock shape from the traditional Gibson ES-335 design.

He acquired his 1967 Gibson Trini Lopez Standard ES-335 circa 1992 and then in 2007 Gibson Custom Shop made Dave his own version of this guitar which is referred to as the DG-335 model. Dave owns several of these Gibson ES / DS 335 guitars and has played a plethora of other guitars and gear throughout his career. See the full list below.

1967 Gibson Trini Lopez Standard ES-335

Dave Grohl 1967 Gibson ES-335 Trini Lopez Signature

Finish: Cherry Red
Years Used: 1992 to Present

With no room for doubt, this is the guitar that defined the Foo Fighters, in terms of sound, as well as its familiar yet cutting edge design that lingers on a classic ES-335 with a few mods to its classic cut. Dave Grohl’s Trini Lopez is a gem on its own, and ever since he first laid eyes on it, the guitar quickly became part of him, it’s the one six-string that has stuck with him before there were even any Foo Fighters, to begin with.

Dave Grohl came across the Trini Lopez Gibson in Bethesda, Maryland as he toured with Nirvana back in 1992. Earnie Bailey, Kurt Cobain’s and Dave Grohl’s guitar tech recalls the moment when Dave headed to a shop called Southworth Guitars, he backed and polished the guitarist’s story, stating that it was a “love at first sight” ordeal.

As for the guitar itself, there is a whole lot of lore to the Trini Lopez outside the Foo Fighters, Grohl said during an interview about it, “I thought it was unusual. It looks like a Gibson ES-335, except it has diamond-shaped f-holes and has this different headstock on it. And I didn’t really know anything about Trini Lopez, the artist when I bought it.” The Trini Lopez was created by Gibson on special order by, well, Trini Lopez when he was a young and exciting prospect, it took a Firebird headstock, PAF humbucker pickups, and the semi-hollow body of the classical ES-335. But Lopez wanted yet another twist, by shaping the traditional f-holes for diamonds to achieve a sharper resonance into this traditional thick-sounding body.

It is important to point out that initially, the edges on the Trini Lopez were very much like the sharp horns of an SG, but that changed when Gibson made the model commercial, so this version would remain a deluxe issue for the singer only and 97 copies alike.

Grohl has made the best out of this vintage guitar ever since he got it in 1992, from studio work to most of the band’s music videos this cherry red Trini Lopez has cemented itself into Dave’s image and association as a guitarist. There are only so many Foo Fighters features with this rock icon, so we believe that highlighting the music videos would be best to point out its trajectory. When it comes to live performances, this guitar is rare to see, Grohl’s relationship and appreciation for it makes it impossible for him to put this piece on any type of risk.

Used in Learn to Fly, Times Like This, Best of You, and many other special occasions, the 1963 Gibson Trini Lopez laid the basis for Grohl’s future signature model, the DG-335, after the release of said model, the use of this first six-string has become rarer and rarer. It is still, without a doubt the sound maker of the Foo Fighters, Dave’s undisputed favorite after decades.

Gibson Custom Shop DG-335

Dave Grohl DG 335 Pelham Blue

Dave Grohl DG 335 Ebony

Finish: Pelham Blue/ Ebony
Years Used: 2007 to Present

By 2007, the Foo Fighters were already in for 5 critically acclaimed albums, and in the making of a sixth one: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. Grohl on another hand was a well-established Rock N’ Roll icon, while Gibson struggled to keep afloat, so these two decided to partner up for the guitar line Inspired By, to create what would become finally a Dave Grohl signature guitar. And so, ever since its first issue in 2007 Grohl received two models, one in Pelham Blue and another one in Ebony, both have been extensively used in his career and have been a major feature with the band’s recording process and their iconic documentary series Sonic Highways.

The specs on the guitar include a few software upgrades, like two Burstbucker pickups covered in PAF hardware, and a Tune-O-Matic stop tail bridge, typically in a striking pelham blue color that really marks a departure from tradition. The guitar itself is made out of laminated maple and a mahogany neck styled like in the 50s, as for the fingerboard, it is rosewood with a split diamond inlay. Nevertheless, Dave’s DG-335 stays true in an aesthetic way to its predecessor model, keeping its Firebird headstock and semi-hollow body with diamond shaped F holes.

When it comes to usage, these guitars especially the pelham blue one have so many live appearances it’s hard to keep count, but we would have to go with the time Grohl broke his leg using a silver DG-335, only to comeback on-stage with his blue one to accompany Taylor Hawkins finish jamming to Under Pressure. But it’s also been used for several music videos ever since its issue in 2007, it can be spotted in Something From Nothing in 2014 and Run more recently in 2020.

It’s important to note that Dave owns quite a few models of this signature guitar, it’s been reported that many of them are mostly kept for the road, the DG-335 in other words dethroned almost every other high-profile piece of equipment from his catalog. Nevertheless, the original Trini Lopez remains Dave’s favorite for recording while these are his predetermined tour guitars.

Gibson Custom Shop DG-335

Dave Grohl DG-335 Metalic Gold

Finish: Metalic Gold
Years Used: 2014 to Present

In 2014 Gibson issued another Dave Grohl signature model DG-335, this time in Metalic Gold finish. Along with the Blue and Black DG-335s he got from the Gibson Custom Shop in 2007, Dave has been seen performing live with this new gold model on several occasions.

1991 Gibson Les Paul Custom

Finish: Polar White/ Black Top
Years Used: 1995 to Present

Dave Grohl has been a renowned Les Paul player ever since he started the Foo Fighters, and during the final stretch of the U.S leg of the tour in 1995, Dave acquired matching Custom Les Pauls, one in polar white with black pickguard, and another one in black. These became two of his most memorable and associated guitars, as they were often seen on stage by mid 1996 along with his Custom SG and his signature Gibson Explorer.

It is important to note that even though these guitars came in the 1995-1996 period they became prominent and noticeable with Grohl during the Color and Shape era. These two Les Pauls saw extensive action during live shows mostly, and they were reportedly rotated in the studio with other members of the band during the Color and Shape recording sessions.

The polar white Les Paul is fairly memorable ever since the Foo Fighters went on to play live in a Virgin-MTV promoted concert in New York City, in 1996, it was used for the entire set-list in this and many other performances. While the black Custom Les Paul went down in history as the guitar Dave pops out in the video for Everlong after fighting off Pat Smear, however, both of these guitars can be easily spotted in much live footage from this era.

Despite making their mark all the way through to the 2000s, they were gradually replaced on stage by Dave’s Gibson Explorers and Standard RD guitars. Nowadays they can be spotted in the Foo’s touring museum, while they still occasionally pop out in a few concerts with Pat Smear and sometimes Grohl himself.

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Finish: Tobacco Burst
Years of Use: 1994 to 2007

Right after the disbandment of Nirvana in 1994 Grohl took a brief hiatus from music, he said he would travel with no destination or purpose because of his grief, but soon enough during a drive in the Irish countryside, Dave decided to take up arms again and record the first Foo Fighters record. It is presumed he picked up this tobacco-burst Les Paul while in Europe, but things are far from established regarding the origins of this particular guitar.

Although Dave’s favorite Trini Lopez Gibson was present during the recording sessions of the eponymous Foo Fighters debut, Barrett Jones, the producer, claims that much of the material was recorded in this Standard Les Paul. It is also known as Grohl’s main guitar for the 1995 promotional tour of the Foo Fighters, with its first recorded live use taking place at the very start, at the Velvet Elvis Arts Lounge, Seattle, WA on March 4th.

This Les Paul Standard is a classic, with two full humbuckers on the bridge and neck position and a tobacco burst two-tone finish, Grohl picked up this traditional six-string to suit his ideal band.

The guitar remained as one of Grohl’s main choices for live performances up until 2007, when he decided that he wanted to customize it “to look like a Matchbox racing car” but instead he was left with a skeleton, it is believed that Grohl still has it lying around somewhere. This is one of my favorite Dave Grohl guitars of all time.

Gibson SG Custom

Finish: Cherry Red
Years Used: 1995 to 2004

Riddled with much confusion, Dave Grohl owns various SG models, two white, one black, and this cherry red custom edition, the reason it stands out is that it was used for the first ever Foo Fighters concert, along with his Standard Les Paul. This Gibson SG however was a gift from his ex-wife, Jennifer Leigh Youngblood who he married in 1994 prior to the foundation of the band. This SG was used mostly for live performances and mild arrangements for the band’s second studio installment The Colour and Shape, it was immortalized, however, when he used it for the music video of I’ll Stick Around.

Many believe this SG is a 70s vintage model, nevertheless, Gibson has always kept the design to a standard true to their tradition. In this case, the guitar is set up with three Gibson signature custom buckers plus pickups on the bridge, middle and neck positions.

Dave made extensive use of this solid body guitar during the first few years of the Foo Fighters, while it might not have been his main choice, it was certainly one of the most rotated pieces of gear in his catalog. Later on, he would employ other SG’s to his road guitar selection with a rather similar setup.

As for its current whereabouts, Grohl and the Foo Fighters have kept a collection of their historical pieces, this SG as well as many other guitars and drum tapes are part of it.

Gibson Explorer

Finish: Black
Years Used: 1995 to 2001

Dave Grohl’s time-tested choice for on-stage presentations, his Gibson Explorer seems to be as much as a signature as his trademarked model, the DG-335. But this one has been rotated with other seemingly preferred guitars over the years, but unlike his Les Paul or other particular models, the Explorer seems to be the regular prevalent six-string ever since he picked it up in 1995. The story of how Dave got his hands on this heavy metal classic seems rather unclear, while some sources claim that he got it from friend and producer Barrett Jones, others just lean towards the most obvious conclusion, he just bought it somewhere and stuck with it ever since.

Used in several videos throughout the years as well as countless performances, some may refer to this as the guitar from the Big Me music video, while it has been made clear as Grohl’s usual stage back up and the main guitar up until 2001. The use of this guitar became even more notorious during the Foo Fighter’s third installment There’s Nothing Left to Lose, in 1999, during the promotional tour for the record, this guitar can be seen in almost any live footage of the shows.

This Explorer saw action up until the Foo Fighters’ final show for the One by One promotional tour in 2001, from that point, its use started to slow down, and it hasn’t been seen in many shows ever since then.

Gibson Firebird

Finish: Black
Years Used:
1997 to Present

Since the late 90s, Dave Grohl has been known for growing his vast electric guitar catalog, but the Firebird is more than just a rotatory piece of gear to this man, it was by far the most associated six-string to his name aside from his Trini Lopez until 2007. Similar to the RD, the firebird has been a crucial part of his repertoire, and this specific black model has been largely credited for reaching the color and shape his beloved Trini Lopez can’t provide, a fine example would be the Echoes Silence, Patience & Grace years.

Built with a slim taper neck profile and a full-on mahogany design to its body and neck, the Firebird has little changes to its specs section, nevertheless ever since the 2000s, there has been a massive evolution to its wiring.

There have been many Firebird guitars coming in and out of rotation in Grohl’s rig, nevertheless, if there’s been a somewhat iconic one to his name it has to be the black finished with white pickguard one. It’s easy to say that there are probably various similar models to this guitarist, nevertheless, he is one of the biggest names to man this six-string. The black firebird can be easily recognized and often called the guitar from the music video of The Pretender, and despite not being the main choice anymore, this is a guitar that tends to pop out in live performances from time to time.

Martin D-28

Finish: Natural Glossed Top
Years Used: 1994 to Unspecified

This music industry-standard acoustic got to Dave’s hands during the early to mid-90s, its easy to say that this was his most recurred acoustic piece for almost two decades. Amassing a vast amount of live appearances as well as extensive studio use, this guitar even made its appearance during the band’s live acoustic album, Skin, and Bones.

But perhaps the Martin D-28 became a beloved piece when Grohl came in as a special guest on the live Kilborn show to sing a down-to-earth bonfire rendition of Elton John’s classic Tiny Dancer.

Taylor 612ce

Finish: All Natural
Years Used: 2006 -to Present

From the latter half of the 2000s, Dave started using two specific Taylor acoustic models, the 612ce guitar has been more prominent in guest appearances for radio and solo performances. While its studio performance is unspecified, this acoustic piece has accompanied Grohl as one of his most regular backup instruments for special performances during and after the Skin and Bones years, brief as it was.

It can be seen in various performances for radio shows, especially when the Foo Fighters toured the United Kingdom in 2009, Dave went to perform a solo rendition of Wheels over at BBC Radio 1.

Gibson Elvis Presley Dove

Finish: Black Top and Back
Years Used: 2011 to Present

The Gibson Dove makes for a parallel vintage guitar to the electric Trini Lopez, while it is unspecified how Grohl got his hands on this legendary electro-acoustic piece, it has slowly become his main choice for stripped-back versions. Since 2011, Dave gave this Gibson classic a proteogenic role to some of his most emotional live tunes, this was around the time Wasting Light came out so Grohl added a little routine to the band’s on-stage performance, at some point on any concert he will pop out this acoustic and deliver a laid back rendition, most often than not, audiences can expect, Everlong.

As for its specs and history, the Gibson Dove is a humbler and more dynamic sibling to the legendary Hummingbird model, both coming out during the 60s as revolutionary folk fitted six-strings. The Dove is a square-maple-backed piece that offers a clear resonance, one that proved dynamic and effective for all genres, among its most notorious users we can find Elvis Presley, who was issued with a special black and wired model to stand out in contrast to the Dove’s standard all-natural finish.

After a decade as a heavily associated instrument to Grohl, there are only so many memorable performances one can account for this acoustic, but our choice has to go with Howard Stern’s special Birthday Bash version of Everlong in 2014.

1978 Gibson RD Standard

Finish: Two-Tone Sunburst
Years Used: 1996 to 2007

In 1996, Dave started to become slightly unpredictable in terms of gear for his live performances with the Foo Fighters, he adopted this Standard Gibson RD to his rig for concerts and studio use as well. It was seen extensively during the late 90s to the point that it was considered Dave’s new signature model along with his black Explorer, but its time on stage was limited up until Gibson made a new trademark for him in 2007 the DG-335, based on his vintage Trini Lopez but with few modifications that would dethrone the RD.

“RDs are awesome. It’s like holding a kitchen table up to your chest and having it scream like a jet airplane. I like that they’re really heavy and can sound fat or bright. They’re kinda nasty guitars, played through a Boogie rectifier they sound completely insane.”

The Gibson RD is somewhat the reverse unsung brother of the classic Firebird, as the 1970s were ruled by the Les Paul, the RD came in as a sophisticated electric piece. It was one of the first guitars to try out Gibson’s newly introduced VI humbucker pick-ups hooked to a classic setup of a three-way toggle. This is the case for Dave Grohl’s guitar being a certified 78 model.

According to the Foo Fighters engineer for their second album The Color and the Shape, Bradley Cook, the RD was the main go-to for several hit tracks on the record, such as Everlong and My Hero.

Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker

Finish: Unspecified
Years Used: 1990 to 1993

Although this guitar never really belonged to Dave Grohl, this was one of the few and most notorious six-strings that he employed to record his first demos and ideas for the Foo Fighters. This particular Melody Maker belonged to friend and producer Barrett Jones, who would assist and assess Dave in the studio the days Cobain and Novoselić wouldn’t show up during the Nevermind recording sessions. It was one of the very first guitars that allowed him to explore new sounds and his own ideas as a songwriter outside of his first iconic act, and also the first Les Paul type guitar that enabled him as a guitarist. After using this specific model, Grohl found himself fixated on the thick full-body sound that Gibson is known for, hence his signature dominant mode of choice, which would soon become his main choice for the rest of his career.

Reportedly, Grohl would borrow this guitar from Jones at the Laundry Room studios throughout the years, he used it mostly to develop the songs that would later debut in the Pocketwatch EP and subsequently the Foo Fighters eponymous debut album.

1963 Series Silvertone

Finish: Glitter Glossed Black
Years Used: 1981 to Unknown

Another Vague piece on Grohl’s catalog is the guitar his mother gave him for Christmas in 1981, Dave once shared that it came with a built-in amplifier into its guitar case. As for its specs, these Silvertone models are now a rare find, they were short-scaled, bolt-on models that featured a Danelectro styled double-cutaway body. Their setup consisted of two lipstick D’Addario single coils, for a mid to low end guitar, the 1963 Silvertone Series were a fierce instrument in the right hands.

The importance of this particular electric guitar is that it saw Dave’s transition to a drummer, and it would be a quick dynamic back up during jam sessions for his friends. After a few years of extensive use, this first guitar was quickly replaced by Dave’s drums and eventually a studio Les Paul Melody Maker during his time at the studio with Nirvana.

Flamenco Style Nylon Stringed Acoustic

Years Used: Unknown, Early Teenage years

According to Dave himself in Paul Brannigan’s This is A Call, his first encounter with music occurred when his mother bought this old Flamenco guitar for Grohl’s father. He would mess around with this six-string until after years of use made it into a three-stringed guitar. With the remaining strings on this classical acoustic, Dave told Brannigan that he taught himself how to play power chords, something that would come in handy in the future as we can see.

There’s not much to be said about this first guitar that didn’t even belong to Dave, at least not formally. Soon enough his mother would gift him his first proper guitar for Christmas 1981.

Table Showing the Guitars Dave Grohl Used at Each Point in His Career

MakeModelColor/FinishYears
Gibson 1967 Trini Lopez Standard ES-335Cherry Red1992-Present
Gibson2007 Custom Shop DG-335Pelham Blue2007-Present
Gibson2007 Custom Shop DG-335Ebony2007-Present
Gibson2014 Custom Shop DG-335Metalic Gold2014-Present
Gibson1991 Les Paul CustomPolar White1995-Present
GibsonLes Paul StandardTobacco Burst1994-2007
Gibson SG CustomCherry Red1995-2004
GibsonExplorerBlack1995-2001
Gibson FirebirdBlack1997-Present
MartinD-28Natural1994 - Unspecified
Taylor 612ceNatural2006 - Present
GibsonElvis Presley DoveBlack2011 - Present
Gibson1978 RD StandardTwo-Tone Sunburst1996 - 2007
GibsonLes Paul Melody MakerUnspecified1990-1993
Silvertone1963 SeriesGlitter Glossed Black1981 - Unknown
unknownFlamenco Style Nylon Stringed Acousticunknownunknown

Dave Grohl Gear and Amps Overview

Marshall JCM900

Years Used: 1994 to 2000

Ever since the beginning of his career as a guitarist and singer, Grohl had already developed a certain affinity for the JCM900 from his days in Nirvana, it was one of the two amplifiers he used for the recording and tour of the band’s first and second albums, Foo Fighters and The Color and Shape. Reportedly, Grohl paired this JCM900 with a mini–Marshall MG50GFX and fitted it into a can to get a “grungier” sound out of his gear.

There were also occasions when the JCM900 was put through a Boogie Mesa rectifier, a choice of excellence that’s been around for both studio and tour for the band. Nowadays this amp occasionally pops out for some more experimental endeavors and a few live shows on the road, but it was quickly replaced by a Vox AC30.

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier

Years Used: 1994 to Present

Ever since his free studio time in his Nirvana day and age, Grohl understood and paired himself to the Mesa Boogie Dual rectifier, this brings to speculation that this might be in fact, Kurt’s own Mesa Boogie, but that’s up to theory craft. What is known for a fact, is that this piece of gear has been used all through the entire Foo Fighters discography, whether it is for Pat Smear or Grohl himself, this dual rectifier gets to the laces no effect pedal can, and according to Dave, this is its charm.

Vox AC30

Years Used: 1999 to Present

By all means, a true rock icon. The Vox AC30 was a real game-changer for both the Foo Fighters and Dave Grohl, ever since it was adopted for the There’s Nothing Left to Lose, record and era. Ever since then, it’s become Grohl’s most used amp for both live shows as well as in the studio, on the road, it is mostly used for clean tones, while for the crunchier Foo sound, Dave would rectify it through his Mesa Boogie.

This amp has become a quintessential piece to the point that Grohl even got to share his standard-setting on it, he said he uses it with the bass at 8, and the treble in between 6 or 7, the rest is tweaking with some extra features on it. According to Dave though, one of his favorite features of the classic AC30 is the tube overdriven distortion. He said to Guitar Player Magazine:

“We focused on not using too many distortion pedals and went for a cleaner, fatter, more natural overdrive. We used a Vox AC30 for pretty much everything on the record, tweaking the sound so that it broke up nicely when played loud… We wanted to move back to that huge, warm, sludgy sound and get something a little more garagey – not something so well-produced and pristine. So rather than play through a distortion pedal and an amp with its volume at 5, we wouldn’t use a pedal at all. We cranked up the amp to 10 so that it sounded like the speakers were screwed up.” – Dave Grohl for Guitar World Magazine

Dave Grohl Pedalboard Overview

Despite the fact that Dave Grohl is known to be a purist in his craft, there are a few pedals that have been regulars to his rig ever since he started the Foo Fighters. There is a certain master of simplicity trait to Dave’s pedalboard, with a few classical and reliable modular distortion effects the trick to the Foo sound is simply balancing analog amps to the pedal functions.

Pro Co Rat Distortion Pedal

Years Used: 1994 to Present

While the Pro Co Rat is far from being a standard pedal for this man, its become a sporadic tool for the hardpans in his guitar for live sound, while on studio the RAT pedal is a crucial piece when it comes to achieving a more aggressive sound, it was largely used for the recording of There is Nothing Left to Lose. Grohl said this about the distortion effect: “Sometimes we’d double a track using an old Pro Co Rat, and then hard-pan the parts so that a super-distorted guitar was in the left channel and a grindy guitar was in the right. Then we’d sprinkle in lots of clean guitar overdubs.”

BOSS TU-3 Chromatic Tuner

Years Used: 1994 to Present

As an industry-standard, this chromatic tuner can be seen with any professional musician, and so is the case for Dave Grohl, and it can be seen in any live performance where you can get a clear view of his rig. Dave, however, has a 90s model of this pedal so it’s easy to guess that it’s been there for a few decades now, probably the oldest one to his name.

MXR Phase 90 Orange Phaser Pedal

Years Used: 1994 to Present

A quintessential pedal to Dave Grohl’s pedalboard ever since the very early stages of the Foo Fighters. The Phase 90 has been a staple for rock music since 1972, and Grohl, an avid rock aficionado, has made extensive use of its dynamic compatibility for his clean intros to add a mild modular depth. It can also be heard on many live freakout solos, nevertheless, the most prominent use of the Phase 90 came in the intro and bridge for the song Breakout a promotional single for the band’s third album There is Nothing Left to Lose.

BOSS Waza Craft DM-2W Delay

Years Used: 1994 to 1999

The BOSS Waza delay pedal was seen for many years in both live performances and in-studio as well. The delay effect is not a dominant feature in the sound of the Foo Fighters, but that doesn’t mean is not present, as it’s mildly used in small arrangements for many tracks throughout their discography. This pedal in particular can be spotted in the band’s first three albums, and its most iconic tune is Learn to Fly. Soon after this, the BOSS Waza Craft was replaced by the BOSS DD-3T, which would later become Dave’s main choice up to this day.

BOSS DD-3T Digital Delay Pedal

Years Used: 1999 to Present

Soon after 1999, the BOSS DD-3T delay replaced Grohl’s previous model for a good reason, It is completely spot on thanks to its digital selection, it cancels the classic annoyance of undesired oscillation. It makes sense that Dave adopted this piece of gear, it allows him to set an automatic activation thanks to its tap tempo feature. Other than handiness and reliability, this delay pedal features massive compatibility and a vast range of sound. Ever since the 2000s, the DD-3T has made several main features, especially in the song Rope, a perfect example of the capabilities of this piece of gear.

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Delay Pedal

Years Used: 1999

For Dave Grohl, the EH Deluxe Memory Man Delay has been pretty much a studio tool and an occasional handy feature to his rig on stage, it’s strange that its employment hasn’t been more extensive considering the fact that this is one of the most organic analog pedals in the market. Its reportedly used to record the song Headwires in 1999, and it occasionally pops out in his pedalboard, but this Foo Fighters pedal has been mostly used by Pat Smear.

Wrap Up

As a role model, Dave Groh has funded and brought new music to three generations in his lifetime. That being said, his unique input and approach to music on another hand might be his most appealing quality. While Grohl might lack the ability and skill set of a virtuoso guitarist, there’s no room for doubt that he knows how to handle a beat, in other words, his drummer perspective has served him well. 10 studio albums and a vast collection of awards may be enough evidence that Dave Grohl knows how to deliver heavy, hard-hitting emotionally charged tunes from his guitar.

A remarkable drummer, dynamic and aggressive guitarist, and a one in a million singer, Dave Grohl has made his mark on Rock music with a fair share of iconic acts since he broke out with Nirvana. But founding the Foo Fighters was only the beginning of Dave Grohl’s rise as a prominent and influential figure that remains latent up to this day. Over the course of 30 years now, he’s been part of Queens of the Stone Age, and supergroups Them Crooked Vultures as well as the Sound City Players, Dave has also been a significant featured artist with acts such as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mick Jagger, Slash and briefly joined Caged the Elephant in 2011 to replace their drummer due to a medical emergency.

There are few artists of this caliber, who are willing to go the extra mile just to play music, Grohl understands the joy this art form brings to people and has repeatedly stated his desire to continue to deliver to his audience flawlessly.

There’s also a beautiful humane factor that makes Dave stand out from his peers, often referred to as “Rock’s nicest guy”, 2018 saw Grohl celebrating the challenges and rewards of dedicating ones life to music by releasing a 31-minute long film following the frustrations of recording as a one-man-band. This project was made to support the Join the Band project, which tutors children on their preferred instruments and educates them on what being part of the industry as a musician really are, could you really ask more of this guy?

Dave Grohl can be identified as one of the most refined punk rockers, an outstanding singer/songwriter and drummer, and looking back on his trajectory this man has helped create some of the most compelling albums from the past three decades. His life philosophy is that of always doing better than he did yesterday, a relentless thriving quality that’s made him grow to the point of being one of the most notorious rock ambassadors of our time, “all you need is three chords and a big heart”.

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