Top 5Seen using
Photo: Victoria Morse · CC BY-SA 2.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Jeff Hanneman. Every item links to its public source.
14 items · Last checked What guitar does Jeff Hanneman play?
Jeff Hanneman said his first guitar was a Les Paul and that he used a B.C. Rich Mockingbird on Slayer's first album. He was seen with a sticker-covered Jackson Soloist from South of Heaven onward, then ESP custom guitars, through a custom Marshall JCM800, with a Fender Super Champ for practice.
Top 5
Where to start with Jeff Hanneman's gear.
01
02
Gibson
Les Paul (first guitar)
Top 5Has said they use
Gibson
Les Paul (first guitar)“That first Les Paul that I bought is special to me.”
No store page for this one.
03
B.C. Rich
Mockingbird
Top 5Has said they use
B.C. Rich
Mockingbird“But we traded it for the B.C. Rich Mockingbird that I eventually used on our first album”
Said in Guitar World: Slayer, Grave New World (archive interview), May 2013
No store page for this one.
04
B.C. Rich
Bich custom prototype (1985)
Top 5Seen using
B.C. Rich
Bich custom prototype (1985)Seen in Guitar World: Jeremy Wagner's collection of Jeff Hanneman gear, November 2018
No store page for this one.
05
Jackson
Soloist, 'punk rock' stickers (1988)
Top 5Has said they use
“I also have a Jackson guitar that I played to death.”
No store page for this one.
What guitars Jeff Hanneman uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
Gibson
Les Paul (first guitar)
Has said they use
Gibson
Les Paul (first guitar)“That first Les Paul that I bought is special to me.”
No store page for this one.
B.C. Rich
Mockingbird
Has said they use
B.C. Rich
Mockingbird“But we traded it for the B.C. Rich Mockingbird that I eventually used on our first album”
Said in Guitar World: Slayer, Grave New World (archive interview), May 2013
No store page for this one.
B.C. Rich
Bich custom prototype (1985)
Seen using
B.C. Rich
Bich custom prototype (1985)Seen in Guitar World: Jeremy Wagner's collection of Jeff Hanneman gear, November 2018
No store page for this one.
Jackson
Soloist, 'punk rock' stickers (1988)
Has said they use
“I also have a Jackson guitar that I played to death.”
No store page for this one.
ESP
Custom Shop guitar (1998)
SponsoredSeen using
Seen in Guitar World: Jeff Hanneman's guitars purchased by Broken Hope's Jeremy Wagner, December 2015
No store page for this one.
ESP
Custom guitar (2001, Still Reigning)
SponsoredSeen using
Seen in Guitar World: Jeremy Wagner's collection of Jeff Hanneman gear, November 2018
No store page for this one.
ESP
Custom guitar 'Killer' (2005)
SponsoredSeen using
Seen in Guitar World: Jeff Hanneman's guitars purchased by Broken Hope's Jeremy Wagner, December 2015
No store page for this one.
ESP
Custom 'Raiders' logo guitar
SponsoredSeen using
Seen in Guitar World: Jeff Hanneman's guitars purchased by Broken Hope's Jeremy Wagner, December 2015
No store page for this one.
Gibson
ES-175 (his father's)
Has said they use
Gibson
ES-175 (his father's)Said in Guitar World: Slayer, Grave New World (archive interview), May 2013
No store page for this one.
EMG
81 and 85 pickups
Seen using
Seen in Guitar World: Jeremy Wagner's collection of Jeff Hanneman gear, November 2018
No store page for this one.
Amps
Seen in Guitar World: Jeff Hanneman's guitars purchased by Broken Hope's Jeremy Wagner, December 2015
No store page for this one.
Fender
Super Showman
Has said they use
Fender
Super Showman“When I started doing shows, I had a Fender Super Showman, but it didn't take me long to get the Marshall thing going.”
Said in Guitar World: Slayer, Grave New World (archive interview), May 2013
No store page for this one.
Fender
Super Champ
Has said they use
Fender
Super Champ“My practice amp back then, which I still have today, is a Fender Super Champ. Those things are awesome.”
Said in Guitar World: Slayer, Grave New World (archive interview), May 2013
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Questions
About Jeff Hanneman's gear.
What guitar did Jeff Hanneman play?
His first guitar was a Les Paul, and he said he used a B.C. Rich Mockingbird on Slayer's first album. He played a B.C. Rich Bich prototype in the Hell Awaits and Reign in Blood era, a sticker-covered 1988 Jackson Soloist from South of Heaven onward, and later ESP custom guitars.
What amp did Jeff Hanneman use?
He said he started on a Fender amp and a Fender Super Showman before moving to Marshalls, and kept a Fender Super Champ as his practice amp. His 1986 Marshall JCM800 2203 with a custom graphic is now owned by Broken Hope's Jeremy Wagner.
What was Jeff Hanneman's punk rock Jackson?
A 1988 Jackson Soloist he covered in punk band stickers. He was seen using it on South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss and the Clash of the Titans tour, and said he played it to death.
What ESP guitars did Jeff Hanneman play?
ESP built him custom guitars, including a 1998 model used on Diabolus in Musica, a 2001 guitar seen on the Still Reigning DVD and a 2005 guitar called Killer used for Christ Illusion. ESP called him a key member of its artist family.
What pickups did Jeff Hanneman use?
His B.C. Rich Bich prototype from around 1985 was fitted with EMG 81 and 85 pickups.
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Jeff Hanneman
About this guide · Last checked
Jeff Hanneman (1964 to 2013) co-founded Slayer and wrote Angel of Death, Raining Blood and South of Heaven. This legacy guide covers his Les Paul and B.C. Rich beginnings, his sticker-covered Jackson Soloist and ESP custom guitars, and the Marshall and Fender amps he played, with his own words where he gave them.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Jeff Hanneman didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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