Top 5SponsoredSeen using
Ernie Ball Music Man
Valentine signature guitarSeen in Ernie Ball Music Man: Valentine Tremolo, September 2026
Photo: Eva Rinaldi (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Maroon 5. Every item links to its public source.
16 items · Last checked What guitar does Maroon 5 play?
Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine has an Ernie Ball Music Man Valentine signature guitar and has named a black Fender Telecaster with Arcane pickups, a Gibson ES-335, a Martin 000-18 and a Suhr, through Matchless and Suhr amps with Strymon, Eventide, TC Electronic and Fulltone pedals.
In stores now
Shop Maroon 5's setup.
Top 5
Where to start with Maroon 5's gear.
01
02
Top 5Has said they use
Gibson
ES-335“one of my old ES-335s”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
03
Top 5Has said they use
Martin
000-18 acoustic“bonding with my Martin 000-18 at home and on the road”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
04
Top 5Has said they use
“Pete Thorn Custom 100-watt amp that just screams”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
05
Top 5Has said they use
Line 6
DL4 delaySaid in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
What guitars Maroon 5 uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
SponsoredSeen using
Ernie Ball Music Man
Valentine signature guitarSeen in Ernie Ball Music Man: Valentine Tremolo, September 2026
Fender
Black Telecaster with Arcane pickups
Has said they use
“my solid black Fender Tele that now has Arcane pickups in it, with a rosewood fretboard and a vintage-style bridge”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Gibson
ES-335“one of my old ES-335s”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
Has said they use
Martin
000-18 acoustic“bonding with my Martin 000-18 at home and on the road”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Suhr
Strat-style guitar (James Valentine)
Has said they use
“a Strat-style Suhr that I have really enjoyed playing”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Stage
Matchless
Independence 35 amp
Has said they use
Matchless
Independence 35 ampSaid in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
“Pete Thorn Custom 100-watt amp that just screams”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Divided by 13
Amp head paired with the Matchless (James Valentine)Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Maroon 5's James Valentine [2015], March 2015
No store page for this one.
Pedalboard
Has said they use
Line 6
DL4 delaySaid in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Fulltone
OCD overdriveSaid in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
TC Electronic
Flashback X4 delaySaid in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Eventide
H9 multi-effect
Has said they use
Eventide
H9 multi-effect“The Eventide H9 is pretty amazing in all of the things it can do”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Strymon
Timeline“I have yet to buy a pedal from Strymon that hasn't blown my mind”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
Has said they use
Strymon
BigSkySaid in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
Strymon
Deco tape saturation
Has said they use
Strymon
Deco tape saturationSaid in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Caroline Guitar Company
Kilobyte“The Kilobyte from Caroline Guitar is sick too”
Said in Premier Guitar: 10 things we learned from Maroon 5's James Valentine, January 2015
Questions
About Maroon 5's gear.
What guitar does James Valentine of Maroon 5 play?
He has an Ernie Ball Music Man Valentine signature model and has said he plays a black Fender Telecaster with Arcane pickups, an old Gibson ES-335, a Martin 000-18 and a Strat-style Suhr.
What amp does James Valentine use?
He has named a Matchless Independence 35 and a Suhr Pete Thorn Custom 100-watt amp; his 2015 Rig Rundown shows a Matchless running alongside a Divided by 13 head.
What pedals does James Valentine use?
He has named a Line 6 DL4, Fulltone OCD, TC Electronic Flashback X4, Eventide H9, Strymon Timeline, BigSky and Deco, and a Caroline Guitar Kilobyte.
What acoustic guitar does James Valentine play?
He told Premier Guitar he has been bonding with his Martin 000-18 at home and on the road.
Related gear guides
Setups that share gear with Maroon 5.
Collective Soul
Alternative
36 itemsSee Collective Soul's gear →
Limp Bizkit
Nu metal
23 itemsSee Limp Bizkit's gear →
Wes Borland
Nu metal
23 itemsSee Wes Borland's gear →
The Last Dinner Party
Indie rock
53 itemsSee The Last Dinner Party's gear →
God Is an Astronaut
Alternative
43 itemsSee God Is an Astronaut's gear →
mewithoutYou
Indie rock
34 itemsSee mewithoutYou's gear →
Named in this guide
M5
Maroon 5
About this guide · Last checked
Maroon 5 is the Los Angeles pop band fronted by Adam Levine, behind Songs About Jane, Moves Like Jagger and Sugar. This guide covers guitarist James Valentine's guitars, amps and pedals as he described them to Premier Guitar.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Maroon 5 didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
Report an error or ask for removal. We fix or remove within 72 hours. You don't need to sign up.
Are you Maroon 5?
Claim this page to make it yours: verify with your Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, keep what's right, drop what isn't, and add your own.
Claim this pagetruerecs 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. Maroon 5 isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.