Danelectro 59-DC P-90 pickup in the bridge position. Image captured from German TV show Ohne Filter

Gibson Les Paul TV (c. 1958?) Trace Elliot Velocette amp; Retrospec Juice Box Tube DI. Played on Clear Blue Sky, On Cue, Ultraglide, Bordertown, Narcotic Prayer, WPL, Some Candy Talkin’, Can’t Get Off, Din, and Liberation or Death.

National Resophonic Style-O (c. 2002?) Not a vintage guitar. Hiroshi Suda notes, “When I played this guitar at the 2006 NY Tribute, I found “MEDICINE WHEEL” engraved (by Chris, I believe) on the headstock.” This guitar was used extensively on Dirt Floor tracks, including Accordingly, Wild Country, From One Island…, Altitude, Dirt Floor, and Loco Girl.

National Resophonic Resolectric (c. 1991) Image captured from German TV show – Ohne Filter, 1992

Dobro – model name & year unknown However, Jeffrey Duke Patterson offers the following info: This one appears to be at least a 1935 model. Possibly an M-65, as it looks like it has sandblasted etchings. These Dobros were known as “fiddle-side” Dobros and sometimes “scuba” Dobros. The top and back had a lip that rolled over to the side, giving it the look of a violin or “fiddle.” The “scuba” nickname refers to the bodies being made of steel or bell brass, but the way the soundholes looked with the steel crosses welded in them…players thought the guitar had the look of a deep-sea diving scuba helmet. And though these could be stock, these guitars actually came with a banjo-style tuner. The original M-Series Dobros varied with these options. Hiroshi Suda adds that this one has 2 pickups (humbucker or filtertron). Image captured from German TV show – Ohne Filter, 1992

Gibson Melody Maker – model name & year unknown (perhaps 1956) Image captured from German TV show – Ohne Filter, 1992

Duesenberg Chris Whitley Signature Model 2003 Duesenberg website notes that “In November 2005 Chris died of cancer at the age of 45. One of the greatest singer/songwriters has gone. Duesenberg designed a custom guitar for Chris in 2003. It has been a privilege to get to know him.” See also http://duesenberg.de/fileadmin/Dokumente/Instrumente/Starplayer_TV/special/TV_ChrisWhitley.jpg

Close-up of Chris’s right hand showing finger picks on middle and ring finger. A flatpick (must be a purple one from Jim Dunlop) is held by index and middle finger. London, Aug 31, 2002

National 1156 (so-called Resophonic) c. 1950s (1956?) This one does not have a lipstick pickup. Chris’s Resophonic has the factory installed pickup, so perhaps this one was just a prop for the photo session. Artwork from “In The Foreground” promo CD for radio shows

1931 National Triolian see https://allthingschriswhitley.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/mustard-chris-whitleys-iconic-national-guitar/ for more pictures and a full discussion of this gem!

Gibson SG model & year unknown Terra Incognita recording session (from SONY website)

Looks like a Fender Jazzmaster (actually a custom Kelly)

But the blurred logo shape does not look like Fender’s logo. Perhaps a custom model?Photo by John Custer at Muscle Shoals Sound; Alan Gevaert on the right. Update 2014-12-18: Bjorn Johnson has provided the following info: “[This] guitar is a custom built piece from Rick Kelly in New York City. He has pictures of it on his website. He builds guitars in his shop called Carmine Street Guitars. The logo you see on the headstock reads “kelly” and is cut out of metal and screwed on. If I’m not mistaken it belongs to someone in New York that got it as a gift from Chris and it is occasionally brought back to Rick for adjustments or set ups. It’s red and Trixie scratched her name and various drawings into it clear through to the primer underneath.”

1958 Gibson ES-125 (.012 first string; .021 third) Jeffrey Duke Patterson notes that “Chris had this guitar a while and used it quite a bit. He loved that it was an archtop f-hole hollow-body, with a really hot, factory P-90 pickup in the neck position. He could really get some good dirt and grind, tone-wise, out of this guitar.” Played a lot on Terra Incognita (e.g., As Flat As the Earth, Power Down, Weightless, Cool Wooden Crosses, Automatic). Also Firefighter, Dust Radio, I Forget You Every Day, Living with the Law.

Fender Duo Sonic – year unknown

Dobro (?) – model & year unknown Possibly “Brown” on set lists. Played on e.g., God Thing and Never.

Gibson Les Paul Jr. (or Les Paul Special?) year unknown Played on e.g., Aerial, As Flat as the Earth, Oh Gosh (???)

Fender Telecaster – model name & year unknown

Dobro(?) Maker, model name & year unknown

Gibson Les Paul with P-90 pickups; correct model name & year unknown Dan Whitley now owns this guitar (?) Image captured from 1997 appearance on “Late Night with David Letterman”