So what IS a PROPER Shoegaze Guitar???

[Nick]

Yeah I really can't think of a "shoegaze guitar"...I don't know, Rickenbackers and Danelectros maybe? Pretty much anything that isn't a Les Paul with humbuckers will do the trick.

[vierphoria]

Pretty much anything that isn't a Les Paul with humbuckers will do the trick.

[ultratwin]

The trouble is that the silly shoegazer word can mean MBV and Medicine as much as early Boo Radleys, early The Verve, Cocteau Twins, along with Lush and even the "non-country" side of Moose. I'd argue from that standpoint as well as proof from the bands that represented the genre forced on them by the press that pretty much any guitar will do just fine.

Obviously Jaguars and Jazzmasters have probably been the most consistent in finding their ways into shoegazing of yesterday and what the genre has become today more than other guitars, but the fact is that many bands indeed tended toward bright and/or hot singlecoil tones of all sorts, many-a-Strat included. That being said, if there were any two makes/styles that were otherwise shared, this is what I've noticed:

Rickenbacker 330s and 360s: Ride, Slowdive, Chapterhouse, Lush (Miki, sometimes), Boo Radleys, Bethany Curve, The Autumns, etc.
Telecasters (including no small number of '72 thinlines): EVERYBODY.

Pretty much anything that isn't a Les Paul with humbuckers will do the trick.

I share your feelings, but I don't think this is completely true.

Jimmy Hartridge from Swervedriver played a Les Paul all the time, Secret Shine's Scott Purnell played lead guitar on both LPs and Teles, Ride had shows in the early/mid '90s where both Andy Bell and Mark Gardner were doing shows with LPs together, even Graeme Naysmith(pale Saints) almost exclusively used his Custom LP from In Ribbons all the way until the band broke up after Slow Buildings bombed. Granted, in Ride's case it wasn't necessarily their more dreamy Nowhere sounds, but with the way that amps were set, they were getting really thick, yet bright, jangley tones. Lesters may not be deemed "proper" when we think of early dream pop and the chimey sounds from the shugayz days (say, 88-94), but I wouldn't rule them out altogether for working just fine in some setups. As for SGs, they were hardly common, but Medicine could be seen with them regularly after the earlier noisy albums turned into the dreamy stuff of the mid-90s. Also, 335s and Sheratons were/are everywhere in the scene.

I'm such a geek. Why do I know all of this?

[Fran]

Telecasters (including no small number of '72 thinlines): EVERYBODY.

I dont think there is a genre of music Teles cant do well.
Using Esquires a lot i thought the other day; this is so primitive but it just does everything so well.

[gypsyseven]

Using Esquires a lot i thought the other day; this is so primitive but it just does everything so well.

+1

[stewart]

as a slight aside, i was shocked recently to see the singer from the weather prophets playing a les paul; i'd never have guessed that's what it was by listening to the recordings, i'd have put my money on a rick or something.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Simon]

Pretty much anything that isn't a Les Paul with humbuckers will do the trick.

I share your feelings, but I don't think this is completely true.

Jimmy Hartridge from Swervedriver played a Les Paul all the time, Secret Shine's Scott Purnell played lead guitar on both LPs and Teles, Ride had shows in the early/mid '90s where both Andy Bell and Mark Gardner were doing shows with LPs together, even Graeme Naysmith(pale Saints) almost exclusively used his Custom LP from In Ribbons all the way until the band broke up after Slow Buildings bombed. Granted, in Ride's case it wasn't necessarily their more dreamy Nowhere sounds, but with the way that amps were set, they were getting really thick, yet bright, jangley tones. Lesters may not be deemed "proper" when we think of early dream pop and the chimey sounds from the shugayz days (say, 88-94), but I wouldn't rule them out altogether for working just fine in some setups. As for SGs, they were hardly common, but Medicine could be seen with them regularly after the earlier noisy albums turned into the dreamy stuff of the mid-90s. Also, 335s and Sheratons were/are everywhere in the scene.

I'm such a geek. Why do I know all of this?

Nick McCabe used to play Les Paul's & 335's in The Verve's early days. Maybe the odd Strat too...

[dezb1]

I suppose all this has proven is that shoegaze is more to do with the effects than the guitar used... anything from pointy headed Charvels to Rickenbackers and Gretsches have done the job over the years

[Rayjaysonic]

+1 on the Rickenbacker, or Gibson 335. From memory of my youth semi's seemed to be a popular choice with the shoe-gazers of the early 90's!

[lorez]

the rule used to be anything that was decent, didn't go out of tune and wasn't a strat or les paul. although a lot of people jumped on the offset & semi acoustic band wagon as did most indie guitarists of the time.

[westtexasred]

[dezb1]

Who dat?

[Mages]

the joy formidable. and it looks like they are playing at pianos. they're not really that good though and her guitar is not guitar is not particularly interesting either.

[KPI]

its not so much about the guitar per se.

a jazzmaster + 1995 = shoegaze.

a jazzmaster + 2012 = error

with the internet at HD tv, everything is too slick nowadays. that film clip with Jared Leto with the red mowhawk is a prime example. everyone is too made over these days.

[KPI]

IT KIND OF RUINS IT FOR ME WHEN I SEE NEW BANDS ON THE TV PLAYING VINTAGE GEAR LIKE 1977 PBASSES and MINT CONDITION TELECASTER CUSTOMS. AND YOU JUST KNOW THEY GOT THEM OFF EBAY VIA THEIR IPAD.

[hotrodperlmutter]

wtf is a shoegaze guitar

[ultratwin]

the joy formidable. and it looks like they are playing at pianos. they're not really that good though and her guitar is not guitar is not particularly interesting either.

Meh, "Monterey Jimi" artwork and a humbucker in the bridge make that Strat slightly interesting.

They've sounded like post-rock-flavored Paramour pop music to me. Live clips have been less than impressive, but I've heard worse.

[Tweedhead]

Agree with the Danelectro comments. They're so clean and jangly that their tone remains even when you try to bury it in a floor full of effects. I think some Les Pauls could definitely work; I played a Les Paul Professional, (the one with all the switches and the low impedance pickups, XLR output, stereo output, similar to Les' personal guitar, etc.) and you could fine tune amazing tones with that thing; not to mention the possible stereophonic capabilities. The only downside is that it weighs sixteen-thousand tonnes.

[Mages]

They've sounded like post-rock-flavored Paramour pop music to me. Live clips have been less than impressive, but I've heard worse.

that's a fair description. but for some reason (likely self-branding) they get categorized as shoegazing, hence their being in this thread. I first heard of them from a facebook ad that said, "like my bloody valentine? check out the joy formidable!" which is just baffling. you're right, they're not really that bad, they're doing their thing and it's fine enough. but they've made the most notable thing about themselves that they think they sound like MBV when they don't. it just makes you think that it's either some sort of calculated attempt to build blog buzz or they've missed the mark entirely on what they're trying to sound like.

[Jaded]

Something jangly and clear i'd say, why Jags are so good for this.

+1 on that. So long as those are covered it's all down to personal preference. Jaguar, Jazzy, Tele, Rickenbacker, Mosrite, Gretsch all tend to cover those bases.
I'm actually surprised you don't see more Mosrites used.