Top 5Has said they love
Vox
AC30“I wanted this Vox sound, which was very distorted and very cutting, but seemed to have a bass resonance.”
Said in How Ritchie Blackmore got the world's loudest Marshall amp, February 2025
r
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Ritchie Blackmore. Every item links to its public source.
7 items · Last checked What guitar does Ritchie Blackmore play?
Ritchie Blackmore uses Fender Stratocasters with scalloped fretboards, and played Marshall amps through Deep Purple and Rainbow, including a Marshall Major boosted to 280 watts. He has said he loved the Vox AC30 sound, used an Akai tape deck as a preamp and started on a 1961 Gibson ES-335.
Top 5
Where to start with Ritchie Blackmore's gear.
01
02
“When I was about 19 or 20, I started sandpapering down the fretboard in between the frets, and it felt better.”
Said in Ritchie Blackmore on Jim Marshall, Leo Fender and his perfect guitar tone, March 2026
No store page for this one.
03
Fender
Stratocaster, black (ex-Eric Clapton, 1969)
Top 5Seen using
Seen in Ritchie Blackmore says his first Stratocaster came from Eric Clapton, September 2026
No store page for this one.
04
Gibson
ES-335 (1961)
Top 5Seen using
Gibson
ES-335 (1961)Seen in Ritchie Blackmore on buying a Gibson ES-335 from Jim Marshall, October 2024
No store page for this one.
05
Marshall
Major 200-watt head, modified to 280 watts
Top 5Has said they use
“At that point, I basically had the loudest amp ever made by Marshall.”
Said in How Ritchie Blackmore got the world's loudest Marshall amp, February 2025
No store page for this one.
What guitar gear Ritchie Blackmore uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
“When I was about 19 or 20, I started sandpapering down the fretboard in between the frets, and it felt better.”
Said in Ritchie Blackmore on Jim Marshall, Leo Fender and his perfect guitar tone, March 2026
No store page for this one.
Seen in Ritchie Blackmore says his first Stratocaster came from Eric Clapton, September 2026
No store page for this one.
Gibson
ES-335 (1961)
Seen using
Gibson
ES-335 (1961)Seen in Ritchie Blackmore on buying a Gibson ES-335 from Jim Marshall, October 2024
No store page for this one.
Amps
Marshall
Major 200-watt head, modified to 280 watts
Has said they use
“At that point, I basically had the loudest amp ever made by Marshall.”
Said in How Ritchie Blackmore got the world's loudest Marshall amp, February 2025
No store page for this one.
Marshall
Combo amp with Vox innards
Has said they use
Marshall
Combo amp with Vox innards“That was the big secret of the day.”
Said in How Ritchie Blackmore got the world's loudest Marshall amp, February 2025
No store page for this one.
Has said they love
Vox
AC30“I wanted this Vox sound, which was very distorted and very cutting, but seemed to have a bass resonance.”
Said in How Ritchie Blackmore got the world's loudest Marshall amp, February 2025
Effects
Akai Professional
Tape deck used as a preamp
Has said they use
Akai Professional
Tape deck used as a preamp“I liked the fact that it fattened up the sound without distorting it too much.”
Said in Ritchie Blackmore on Jim Marshall, Leo Fender and his perfect guitar tone, March 2026
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Ritchie Blackmore's gear.
What guitar does Ritchie Blackmore play?
Fender Stratocasters for nearly his whole career, including with Blackmore's Night. His first Strat was a black one bought in 1969 from one of Eric Clapton's roadies. Before that he played a 1961 Gibson ES-335, seen in the Child In Time video.
Why are Ritchie Blackmore's fretboards scalloped?
He liked the feel of the concave wood on an old classical guitar he played at 15, and started sanding the fretboard between the frets at about 19 or 20. He says it takes three days of scalloping with tape over the frets.
What amp did Ritchie Blackmore use?
Marshall amps with Deep Purple and Rainbow, including a 200-watt Marshall Major that Ken Flegg and Ken Bran pushed to 280 watts, and a Marshall combo fitted with Vox AC30 innards. He fed them through an Akai tape deck used as a preamp.
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Named in this guide
RB
Ritchie Blackmore
About this guide · Last checked
Ritchie Blackmore is the English guitarist behind Deep Purple, Rainbow and Blackmore's Night. This guide covers the scalloped Stratocasters, modified Marshalls, Vox AC30 and tape deck preamp he has described to Guitar Player, plus the Gibson ES-335 he played in early Deep Purple.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Ritchie Blackmore didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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