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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Frank Zappa. Every item links to its public source.
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What guitar does Frank Zappa play?

Frank Zappa was seen with his Baby Snakes SG copy, a 1960s Gibson Roxy SG and Jimi Hendrix's burned Stratocaster, which he restored with a parametric EQ. He said he liked the Synclavier an awful lot, and made seven of the eight Jazz From Hell tracks on it.

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What gear Frank Zappa uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

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About Frank Zappa's gear.

What guitar did Frank Zappa play?

Modified SGs above all: the Baby Snakes SG copy he bought in Phoenix in 1974, with a Rex Bogue onboard preamp, 18dB boost and phase switching, and a 1960s Gibson SG known as Roxy. He also owned and modified Jimi Hendrix's burned Miami Pop Strat.

What synth did Frank Zappa use on Jazz From Hell?

A New England Digital Synclavier. He told Making Music in 1987 that seven of the album's eight tracks were entirely Synclavier based and that he had about $365,000 of Synclavier equipment.

What happened to Jimi Hendrix's burned Strat?

Hendrix's roadie gave it to Zappa in 1977. Steve Vai says Zappa had the burned pickups removed and fitted a parametric EQ. It is now owned by Dweezil Zappa.

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Frank Zappa
About this guide · Last checked

Frank Zappa (1940 to 1993) led the Mothers of Invention and made Hot Rats, Apostrophe and Joe's Garage, as famous for his guitar solos as his compositions. This legacy guide covers his heavily modified SGs, the burned Hendrix Strat he restored, and the Synclavier he composed Jazz From Hell on, from guitar press features and his own 1987 interviews.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Frank Zappa didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

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truerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Frank Zappa isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.