Supermodel Summer: Signature Models That Will Make You Swoon

By Justin Boden

The 2023 film “Air” tells the true story of Nike’s Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) and Sonny Vicario’s (Matt Damon) seemingly genius marketing insight that forever changed the world of athletic sneakers and celebrity branding deals in 1984. By locking, then rookie, Michael Jordan into a revolutionary signature shoe deal, Nike would introduce to the world the Nike Air Jordan shoe, which nearly 40 years later still makes a cultural impact well beyond basketball and fashion.

Ben Affleck working on the Gigli soundtrack.

However, one quick glance at the neck of his own guitar and Ben Affleck should perhaps understand why the music industry may silently chuckle when it comes to recognizing just how inspiring it can feel to use the same gear as our heroes and the benefits that signature products bring.

Historically, guitarists have been working directly with famed luthiers since at least the 1860s, but it wasn’t until the later success of the Gibson Les Paul (released in 1952) that manufacturers began paying note to the correlation between consumers seeking out their favorite role model’s axe and the size of executive bonuses.

Fast-forward a generation and whether it’s Fender teaming with Eddie Van Halen’s “Frankenstrat” roots to create an entire brand in EVH, PRS finding magic with a John Mayer pairing, or the plethora of celebrity-endorsed instruments, pedals, and amps, everyone seems to be getting in on the action.

Only 3 easy payments of tree-fiddy and you too can Flamenco!

Even seminal Sunday morning infomercial legend (and Arizona’s own) Esteban discovered a nice little signature niche while getting grandmothers across the world excited for their grandchild’s first guitar. The signature game runs deep.

Arizona Music Pro has carried many of the most popular artist-endorsed instruments from popular manufacturers like Fender, PRS, Jackson, Taylor, Martin, and more. But is there more to a signature guitar than just the name attached to it? Read about some of our hottest artist-endorsed instruments and find out for yourself.

Jim Adkins - Jimmy Eat World

Fender Jim Adkins JA-90 Telecaster Thinline

There’s something about living in a desert that fosters hard driving, mind-expanding riffs into music and look no further than the Arizona Valley for proof. Jim Adkins, frontman for Jimmy Eat World, has been producing memorable and pacing guitar tracks since they started the group in Mesa, AZ in 1993.

The band captured moderate success as they sharpened their own sound throughout the 90’s finding great inspiration from bands like Sunny Day Real Estate (*check out Rising Tide), joining up with producer Mark Trombino (Blink-182, Rocket From The Crypt, The Specials) to carve out a unique and pounding driven sound, but with crisp, clear and bright clean tones that Jimmy Eat World have come to love.

It was the middle of the 2000’s (2005) when Jim Adkins and gang catapulted beyond the indie scene and into the pop chart landscape, and rightfully so as “Bleed American”, their 3rd studio release, brought a perfect blend of overdrive and articulate riffs with hits like “The Middle” and tasty guitar-driven gems like “Sweetness”.

Based off the TC-90 semi-hollow body telecaster, the Fender Jim Adkins JA-90 Thinline has every bit of Jim’s input and inspiration built into it. Coupled with Seymour Duncan soap bar-style single coil pickups, 4 control knobs (2 tone, 2 volume) for maximum on-the-fly pickup control, and a thinline body for easy playability, the JA-90 supplies an endless array of clean and dirty tones for a player looking for a versatile guitar that won’t require back surgery after 5 years of playing out.

John Mayer - Singer/Songwriter, John Mayer Trio, The Dead & Co.

PRS SE John Mayer Silver Sky

While he may have positioned himself atop the charts and into the hearts of millions with starry-eyed acoustic heart-tuggers, John Mayer’s quest from acoustic body positivity ballads to ripping a space in time with his exquisite take on modern blues rock has cemented him as one of the greatest modern guitar players still carving their own name in rock lore.

Mayer’s comprehension of the six-string and buttery touch would make even the most rudimentary dumpster instrument sound sweet, and while he has honed his sound in on many different instruments throughout the years, he has always preferred the glassy, quacky tones that only a single-coil can bring. That’s why Mayer teamed up with Paul Reed Smith to develop a guitar he could finally call his own in the PRS SE Silver Sky.

John wanted to step beyond the Stevie Ray Vaughn’s and Hendrix vibes, developing a single coil pick-up called the 635JM S that provides the chime one comes to expect in modern classic rock, but a bark that harkens back to the ‘69, while leaving the mud in New York. Glass meets sky and enters space with the 635 neck carve and 8.5” radius so smooth and fast that those PRS birds will be begging for oxygen.

Nita Strauss - Solo Artist, Alice Cooper, Demi Lovato

Ibanez Nita Strauss Signature JIVAJR

Sometimes life just isn’t fair. Need proof? Pick up your guitar, take it into the bathroom, and take a gander in that mirror. Then look above at the Ibanez Nita Strauss JIVAJR. It’s a lot cheaper than surgery.

Or, recognize what it takes to play for (another Arizona legend), Alice Cooper and the masterful skillset Nita Strauss has developed and get your butt back on those scales stat! The perseverance, dedication, and time Nita Strauss has given to commanding and understanding the guitar is the true beauty here, and her skills shut down even the most ardent Tim Pool-esque “alphas”. She has single-handedly become a name bigger than the music she creates and her sound, tone, and touch keep even the casual music fan spellbound.

Inspired by firestarters like Steve Vai and Shawn Lane, Nita Strauss has chosen Ibanez as her go-to since touring around with various bands out of Los Angeles before joining Alice Cooper in 2014. The JIVAJR features Nita's own personal touches, such as her signature pickups by DiMarzio and the special “Beaten Path” fingerboard inlays. Nita named the guitar JIVA, which translates to one's soul, a word found in Asian religions, and one that has a deep personal connection with Nita as well. You might not be able to be the virtuoso that Strauss is, but at least you can look more like her trying to.

Santana - Santana

PRS SE Santana

What can be said about a man who has amassed multi-generational accolades for 60 years managing to allude becoming just another dust collector in your Dad’s vinyl collection by incorporating his sound into modern trend shifts and recording with just about anyone who’s anyone in the music industry including Steven Tyler, Rob Thomas, Shakira, Alicia Keys and Chad Kroeger.

Playing guitar for that long ensures you’ve touched just about every iteration and idea any manufacturer has put out there and while you can find a photo of just about any guitar in the man’s hands, Santana has settled in with PRS as his choice for capturing his signature sound.

So inspired by Santana and his work with PRS, Paul Reed developed the SE line purely to try and get amazing instruments, developed and honed by top-tier musicians into everyone’s hands despite budget restraints. Welcome the PRS SE Santana to the mix and a budget-conscious, professional-level instrument is born. Featuring Santana "S" humbuckers, and the same Santana body shape silhouette as Santana’s revered American-made PRS models this guitar rocks. A beautiful TV Yellow finish completes the PRS SE Santana and if you close your eyes hard enough, perhaps you too can enter the Santana Metatron and harken the metaphysical sounds that have kept Santana in the limelight for decades.

Tim Armstrong cosplaying as a Venice Beach street performer (This man has a Grammy)

Tim Armstrong - Operation Ivy, Rancid, Common Rider, The Transplants

Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic-Electric

If you think punk is dead, well Tim Armstrong has a boot you can taste because he’s proven time and time again that tenacious gutter punk never dies when it’s attached to thoughtful lyrics, a “screw you” attitude, and an emotional passion that comes through his music whether he’s giving warning of fascist movements back in 1989 as a part of Operation Ivy or smashing out four-chord punk driven acoustic jams as a part of Common Rider. Tim Armstrong has ensured that the only true Hellcat comes with a So-Cal vibe that couldn’t be further from the Motor City.

As a songwriter, Armstrong used to turn to his old Fender concert-style acoustic for inspiration. The Tim Armstrong Hellcat is based on Armstrong's personal classic instrument, with modern appointments including high-quality onboard electronics by Fishman, and scalloped bracing.

A great guitar for pop, rock, folk, and more, it has a solid mahogany top for an especially sweet sound and a satin-finish maple neck for smooth playability meaning you won’t have to worry about a thing, just like our favorite panhandler, Tim Armstrong.

Paul Gilbert - Mr. Big, Racer X

Ibanez PGMM31 Paul Gilbert Short Scale

Paul Gilbert has been a guitar prodigy since a teenager, even being featured alongside fellow up-and-comer Yngwie Malmsteen in an issue of Guitar Player magazine at the ripe age of 15. He then reached out to Shrapnel Records founder, Mike Varney and asked for a gig with metal mega-stud Ozzy Osbourne. The rest is history for Paul as he quickly formed Racer-X and later Mr. Big to deliver some of the most memorable riffs of the 80s and into the 90s.

Gilbert has been tearing down and fiddling with his instrument since the beginning so it’s no wonder that he needed a specific instrument to capture his sound. The Ibanez PGMM31 Paul Gilbert Short Scale brings exactly what Paul needs to the table.

With its shorter scale neck and smaller body, this PGMM31 is ideal for younger guitarists or those with smaller hands that struggle with wider frets. At the same time, those with longer fingers will love being able to play deep bends with the looser strings and due to the shorter scale even your pedestrian T-Rex can perform blistering feats.

Soldier armed for duty, Folsom County Prison.

The Martin D-28 - Cash, Frusciante, Mayer, Gilmour, Slash, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Brad Paisley…

Martin D-28 1933 Ambertone

Sometimes, a signature sound comes along that is so extraordinary it goes beyond any artist’s individual input. While this could be said for an entire quiver of instruments, the Martin D-28 has quite possibly been a part of more influential and important songwriting than perhaps any other instrument made. The greats, the artists that expanded beyond their own genres and into the ears of millions around the world for decades.

Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, John Frusciante, The Beatles, Stones, you probably could thumb through catalog after catalog to the bone and you still would never hear all of the impact the D-28 has provided. It carries a signature sound all its own, and while this guitar has been copied, redesigned, and updated nothing may ever compare to the sound and playability ease the D-28 provides.

Crafted with East Indian rosewood, which is very resonant and offers deep bass and rich overtones. It is a well-balanced guitar for all playing styles. It also combines vintage appointments like open gear tuners, an aged toner top, antique white accents, and a faux tortoise pickguard with a modern neck profile for a fast, comfortable playing experience that should surely have you penning this generation’s “Blowin’ In The Wind”.