Top 5Has said they use
Dunlop
Cry Baby wah“It's a standard Dunlop classic wah.”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
Photo: Jennifer Hammer (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY 2.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Richie Kotzen. Every item links to its public source.
26 items · Last checked What guitar does Richie Kotzen play?
Richie Kotzen plays his signature Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster, both with DiMarzio pickups. He has said he ran a signature Tech 21 RK5 Fly Rig and a Dunlop wah into 100-watt Marshall Plexi heads with 30-watt Celestions, and he has been seen with signature Cornford and Victory heads.
Top 5
Where to start with Richie Kotzen's gear.
01
02
Fender
Richie Kotzen Stratocaster
Top 5SponsoredUses
“Believe it or not, I solo on that middle pickup a lot”
Said in Richie Kotzen's signature Strat has been rolled out worldwide, June 2025
No store page for this one.
03
Fender
Richie Kotzen Telecaster
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Richie Kotzen Telecaster“I'll start with the guitar I play. This is my signature-model Telecaster.”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
04
DiMarzio
Twang King neck pickup
Top 5Has said they use
DiMarzio
Twang King neck pickup“The pickups are made by DiMarzio and in the neck, you have the Twang King Neck”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
05
DiMarzio
The Chopper T bridge pickup
Top 5Has said they use
DiMarzio
The Chopper T bridge pickupSaid in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
What guitar gear Richie Kotzen uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
Fender
Richie Kotzen Stratocaster
SponsoredUses
“Believe it or not, I solo on that middle pickup a lot”
Said in Richie Kotzen's signature Strat has been rolled out worldwide, June 2025
No store page for this one.
Fender
Richie Kotzen Telecaster
SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Richie Kotzen Telecaster“I'll start with the guitar I play. This is my signature-model Telecaster.”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
DiMarzio
Twang King neck pickup
Has said they use
DiMarzio
Twang King neck pickup“The pickups are made by DiMarzio and in the neck, you have the Twang King Neck”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
DiMarzio
The Chopper T bridge pickup
Has said they use
DiMarzio
The Chopper T bridge pickupSaid in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
Hipshot
GT2 Electric Xtender drop-D tuner
Has said they use
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
D'Addario
Electric strings .011-.049
Seen using
D'Addario
Electric strings .011-.049Seen in Rig Rundown: The Winery Dogs' Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan, November 2015
No store page for this one.
Pedals
Tech 21
RK5 Fly Rig (signature)
SponsoredHas said they use
Tech 21
RK5 Fly Rig (signature)“It's called the Fly Rig and this particular Fly Rig is my personal signature model.”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Dunlop
Cry Baby wah“It's a standard Dunlop classic wah.”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
Fire Custom Shop
Bobber Wah
Seen using
Fire Custom Shop
Bobber WahSeen in Rig Rundown: The Winery Dogs' Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan, November 2015
No store page for this one.
Line 6
G50 wireless system
Seen using
Line 6
G50 wireless systemSeen in Rig Rundown: The Winery Dogs' Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan, November 2015
No store page for this one.
Voodoo Lab
Pedal Power supply
Seen using
Voodoo Lab
Pedal Power supplySeen in Rig Rundown: The Winery Dogs' Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan, November 2015
No store page for this one.
Amps
Cornford
RK100 signature head
SponsoredSeen using
Cornford
RK100 signature headSeen in Rig Rundown: The Winery Dogs' Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan, November 2015
No store page for this one.
Victory Amplification
RK100 Custom signature head
SponsoredSeen using
Victory Amplification
RK100 Custom signature headSeen in Victory Amplification unveils the Richie Kotzen RK100 Custom, September 2019
No store page for this one.
Marshall
1959SLP Super Lead 100-watt Plexi head
Has said they use
“I like it because it's a very simple amp. It's loud and it's very percussive”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
Marshall
Hand-wired 100-watt Plexi head
Has said they use
Marshall
Hand-wired 100-watt Plexi headSaid in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
Celestion
30-watt guitar speakers
Has said they use
Celestion
30-watt guitar speakers“As for the speakers, I'm using the 30-watt Celestions.”
Said in Rig tour: Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs, October 2014
No store page for this one.
Records that shaped me
Tamla
Talking Book (Stevie Wonder, 1972)
Has said they love
“As a kid, this is a record I used to play over and over again on repeat.”
Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Warner Bros. Records
Breezin' (George Benson, 1976)
Has said they love
Warner Bros. Records
Breezin' (George Benson, 1976)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
EMI
The Number Of The Beast (Iron Maiden, 1982)
Has said they love
“I actually wore out my first copy of it!”
Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Warner Bros. Records
Van Halen (Van Halen, 1978)
Has said they love
Warner Bros. Records
Van Halen (Van Halen, 1978)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Epic Records
Texas Flood (Stevie Ray Vaughan, 1983)
Has said they love
Epic Records
Texas Flood (Stevie Ray Vaughan, 1983)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Anthem Records
Moving Pictures (Rush, 1981)
Has said they love
Anthem Records
Moving Pictures (Rush, 1981)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Arista Records
Industry Standard (Dixie Dregs, 1982)
Has said they love
Arista Records
Industry Standard (Dixie Dregs, 1982)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
A&M Records
Brother To Brother (Gino Vannelli, 1978)
Has said they love
A&M Records
Brother To Brother (Gino Vannelli, 1978)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Harvest Records
Blackout (Scorpions, 1982)
Has said they love
Harvest Records
Blackout (Scorpions, 1982)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Track Records
Smash Hits (The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1969)
Has said they love
Track Records
Smash Hits (The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1969)Said in Richie Kotzen picks 10 essential guitar albums, April 2017
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Richie Kotzen's gear.
What guitar does Richie Kotzen play?
His Fender signature models. His signature Stratocaster got a worldwide release in 2025, and he has said his signature Telecaster, first released in Japan in 1996, has a thick maple neck, DiMarzio Twang King and Chopper T pickups and a Hipshot drop-D tuner.
What amp does Richie Kotzen use?
In a 2014 rig tour he said he played a hand-wired 100-watt Marshall Plexi at home and rented a 1959SLP Super Lead in London. He has also been seen with his Cornford RK100 signature heads, and Victory built an RK100 Custom to the spec of the amps he played live.
What pedals does Richie Kotzen use?
His signature Tech 21 RK5 Fly Rig, which combines overdrive, boost, delay and a SansAmp with reverb, plus a Dunlop Cry Baby wah. Premier Guitar also showed a Fire Custom Shop Bobber Wah and a Line 6 G50 wireless.
What strings does Richie Kotzen use?
Premier Guitar's 2015 rig rundown says he strings his signature Telecaster with D'Addario .011 to .049 sets.
What albums influenced Richie Kotzen?
In 2017 he named Stevie Wonder's Talking Book, George Benson's Breezin', Iron Maiden's The Number Of The Beast, Van Halen's debut, Stevie Ray Vaughan's Texas Flood and Rush's Moving Pictures among his 10 essential albums.
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Named in this guide
RK
Richie Kotzen
About this guide · Last checked
Richie Kotzen is an American singer and guitarist known for his solo records, The Winery Dogs and Smith/Kotzen with Adrian Smith. This guide covers his signature Fender guitars, Tech 21 Fly Rig, amps, and the records he has said shaped him.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Richie Kotzen didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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