Top 5Has said they use
Said in Never Mind The Bollocks, here's Steve Jones, February 2025
s
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Sex Pistols. Every item links to its public source.
19 items · Last checked What gear does Sex Pistols use?
Steve Jones has said he played a white 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom through a Fender Twin Reverb he stole off Bob Marley. Glen Matlock uses a Fender Precision Bass and an old Fender Bassman, and Frank Carter has a Shure SM58 tattooed on his leg.
Top 5
Where to start with Sex Pistols's gear.
01
02
Top 5Has said they use
“I used one of those MXR Phase 90s on one of the rhythms as well.”
Said in Steve Jones breaks down the Sex Pistols' seminal statement, August 2024
03
Gibson
Les Paul Custom, white (1974)
Top 5Has said they use
“It was a ’74 Gibson Les Paul, a white Custom.”
Said in Steve Jones on joining the Sex Pistols, June 2022
No store page for this one.
04
Fender
Twin Reverb, Gauss speakers
Top 5Has said they use
“All I was using was one Fender Twin Reverb, which I stole off Bob Marley at the Hammersmith Odeon.”
Said in Stolen amps and punk rivalry – inside the making of the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, August 2026
No store page for this one.
05
H&H
Solid-state head
Top 5Has said they use
Said in Never Mind The Bollocks, here's Steve Jones, February 2025
No store page for this one.
What gear Sex Pistols uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Steve Jones: guitar
Gibson
Les Paul Custom, white (1974)
Has said they use
“It was a ’74 Gibson Les Paul, a white Custom.”
Said in Steve Jones on joining the Sex Pistols, June 2022
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Said in Never Mind The Bollocks, here's Steve Jones, February 2025
Find it on
Fender
Twin Reverb, Gauss speakers
Has said they use
“All I was using was one Fender Twin Reverb, which I stole off Bob Marley at the Hammersmith Odeon.”
Said in Stolen amps and punk rivalry – inside the making of the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, August 2026
No store page for this one.
H&H
Solid-state head
Has said they use
Said in Never Mind The Bollocks, here's Steve Jones, February 2025
No store page for this one.
Marshall
JCM800 heads“But with them Marshall 800s? There honestly ain’t a lot to it.”
Said in Steve Jones on the return of the Sex Pistols and how new frontman Frank Carter joined the fun, January 2025
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
“I used one of those MXR Phase 90s on one of the rhythms as well.”
Said in Steve Jones breaks down the Sex Pistols' seminal statement, August 2024
Danelectro
Daddy-O Overdrive
Seen using
Danelectro
Daddy-O OverdriveSeen in Never Mind The Bollocks, here's Steve Jones, February 2025
Gibson
Les Paul Junior (1955)
Seen using
Gibson
Les Paul Junior (1955)Seen in The story of Gary Moore's '55 Les Paul Junior – a bargain buy from a Sex Pistol, September 2026
No store page for this one.
Glen Matlock: bass
“But I do have a new bass, a Fender Precision. I like it because it’s light, and I’m a bit older now.”
Said in Glen Matlock on how the Sex Pistols have changed, while his bass rig never has and never will, July 2025
No store page for this one.
Fender
Bassman
Has said they love
Fender
Precision Bass, ivory (1961)
Has said they love
Said in Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock seeks help locating stolen guitars, December 2016
No store page for this one.
Fender
Precision Bass, black (Mexican)
Has said they use
Said in Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock seeks help locating stolen guitars, December 2016
No store page for this one.
Guild
D37, blonde
Has said they use
Guild
D37, blondeSaid in Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock seeks help locating stolen guitars, December 2016
No store page for this one.
Sid Vicious: bass
Fender
Precision Bass (Sid Vicious)
Seen using
Seen in The 10 most outrageous moments of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, February 2023
No store page for this one.
John Lydon: vocals
Shure
Beta 58A wireless
Seen using
Summit Audio
DCL200 compressor
Seen using
Frank Carter: vocals
Shure
SM58 (Frank Carter)
Has said they love
Shure
SM58 (Frank Carter)“The thing about the SM58 is, it’s not just a microphone to me,”
Said in Frank Carter's Festival Freedom, November 2018
Ultimate Ears
UE 18+ Pro in-ears
Seen using
Ultimate Ears
UE 18+ Pro in-earsSeen in The Sex Pistols, Bringing it Loud & Clear, May 2025
No store page for this one.
Shure
PSM 1000
Seen using
Questions
About Sex Pistols's gear.
What guitar did Steve Jones play in the Sex Pistols?
A white 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom that Malcolm McLaren brought back from managing the New York Dolls. It sold at Julien's for $390,000 in 2024. Jones has also said he played a Les Paul Custom Black Beauty.
What amp did Steve Jones use on Never Mind the Bollocks?
Steve Jones has said all he used was one Fender Twin Reverb, which he stole off Bob Marley at the Hammersmith Odeon, turned up to 10. It had Gauss speakers. Before that he played an H&H solid-state head, and today he plays Marshall JCM800s.
What bass does Glen Matlock play?
Glen Matlock has said he always ends up with the same simple gear: a Fender Precision and an old Fender Bassman head, which he bought for £99 in a sale and loves. His 1961 ivory Precision was stolen in 2016.
What microphone does Frank Carter use?
A Shure SM58. Frank Carter has said the SM58 is not just a microphone to him, and he has one tattooed on his leg. On the Sex Pistols' 2025 Australian tour he used an SM58 with Ultimate Ears UE 18+ Pro in-ears on a Shure PSM 1000.
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Named in this guide
SP
Sex Pistols
About this guide · Last checked
Sex Pistols are the London punk band of Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock, with John Lydon and Sid Vicious in the original line-up and Frank Carter singing since 2024, behind Never Mind the Bollocks, Anarchy in the U.K. and God Save the Queen. This guide covers the band's documented gear: Jones' white Les Paul Custom and Fender Twin, Matlock's Precision and Bassman, and the band's vocal mics.
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