Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ed King Equipment History

LYNYRD
SKYNYRD
EQUIPMENT LISTS
Revised Edition
ALL GUITARS, AMPS, EFFECTS, ECT…

USED BY:
Ed King
During his tenure with these bands:
PRE-SKYNYRD (Strawberry Alarm Clock) (1950’s-1972)
LYNYRD SKYNYRD (1972-1975)
HIATUS YEARS (1975 - 1987)
LYNYRD SKYNYRD TRIBUTE TOUR (1987-1990)
LYNYRD SKYNYRD (1991-1995)
RETIREMENT (1995-2018)
Written and Compiled By:

Sean McMahon
ii
Table of Content
Table of Contents..................................................................................................................................................ii
In the Beginning…................................................................................................................................................2
Spring 1968.............................................................................................................................................................4
Pronounced “Leh-nerd Skin-nerd”....................................................................................................................6
Second Helping.....................................................................................................................................................7
Nuthin’ Fancy......................................................................................................................................................10
Gallery..................................................................................................................................................................12
Intermission (1975-1987)....................................................................................................................................27
The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour...................................................................................................................29
Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991.........................................................................................................................................31
The Last Rebel.....................................................................................................................................................32
Endangered Species............................................................................................................................................34
Southern Knights................................................................................................................................................35
Entr’acte (1996-2006)...........................................................................................................................................37
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony...............................................................................................................40
2007.......................................................................................................................................................................40
2009.......................................................................................................................................................................41
The Last Act / Exit Music..................................................................................................................................42
Many thanks are owed to Roadie Joe Barnes, Ed King, various members of the EK board, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Dixie, Skynyrd Frynds Forum, the Outlaws Official message board, and the various videos, photographs, and
interviews that I have found have all helped me to fill out this list to this extent. And to the old “Official
Lynyrd Skynyrd Message Board” which got the ball rolling.
1
Era I (1950s-1975)
Beginnings, Strawberry Alarm Clock, and Lynyrd Skynyrd
2
In the Beginning…
Guitars
1962 Gibson Melody Maker
 Ed’s first electric guitar
1952 Fender Telecaster
1954 Gibson Les Paul

 Classic Gold Top model
 Maple body
 Mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard
o 24.75” scale length
o 1 11/16” nut width
 Gover tuners
 Soapbar P-90 pickups
 Notes:
 Used in movie “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls”
1965 Gibson SG Special

 Cherry finish with black pickguard
 Mahogany body and neck
 Rosewood fretboard
o 12” fretboard radius
 Soap-bar P-90 pickups
Mid-1960’s Gibson Byrdland

 Was traded along with a Gibson SG for the ‘57 Strat

 Used during his days with the Strawberry Alarm Clock
Basses
St. George Bass
 Fire engine red finish
o Done by Ed himself
 Notes:
o This was Ed’s very first bass that he owned
1958 Fender Precision Bass
1964 Fender Jazz Bass

 Yellow finish with black pick guard
 Was given to Leon when Ed left the band in ‘75
3
Amps
Fender Concert Amp
 Used during the SAC years
Vox Tone Bender
Vox AC-30
Ampeg SVT Bass Amp

 8x10 Speakers
 100 watts?
Effects
Maestro Fuzztone
 Used for solo on “Incense and Pepperments”
Picks
Various types
 “Picks, quarters, whatever I could find.” - Ed
4
Spring 1968
(Note: the following comes from a #tbt image Ed put on Facebook & the ensuing comments on each
guitar. All of these guitars have since been traded or sold away since 1968)
Guitars
1966 Gibson ES-335
 Black finish
 Notes:
o Ed lent it to a friend, who "ruined it."
o Ed bought this from Bobby Arlin who used it on The Leave's cover of "Hey Joe"
Rickenbacker 12-string
 Sunburst finish w/ white pickguard
Gibson SG
 Cherry finish w/ black pickguard
 Soapbar P-90's with black covers
 Gibson Maestro vibrola
 4 controls
o Dot inlays

 Natural finish with white pickguard
o Ed stripped the original finish off
 2 white soapbar P-90's
 Trapezoidal inlays
 4 controls
 Notes:
o Ed bought this in Peoria, Illinois on the day he was arrested.
Gibson SG
 PAF pickups
 Gibson Maestro vibrola w/ cover removed
 4 controls
 Notes:
o Ed bought this one in Memphis, and is "the one Stephen Stills dripped buttered
popcorn on while playing it. He greased it up."
Gibson SG
 Same as previous one
5
Gibson Les Paul Jr.
 Yellow finish w/ black pickguard
 Black soapbar P-90's
 Bigsby vibrato system
 4 controls
 Dot inlays
 Notes:
o Ed got this one in Albuquerque via George Bunnell who got it at a pawn shop
Basses
Gibson ES Bass
 Notes:
o Ed bought this at the music store where he first took lessons, on Victory Boulevard;
cost - $150
6
Pronounced “Leh-nerd Skin-nerd”

Guitars
1957 Fender Stratocaster
 Black with white pickguard
 Maple neck
 Three-way selector switch (bridge, middle, neck)
 Notes:
o All of Ed’s Fenders have 25.5 scale necks
o This remains as Ed’s favorite Strat

 Used for slide on “Mr. Banker”
Amps
Ampeg V4 Head
 2 2x15 cabinets with SRO 15's
 Notes:
o Were used until the SRO’s shorted out and the manufacturer discontinued them
o Ed used a touch of reverb w/ these amps
Fender Quadra verb (2x)
Effects
Jim Dunlop Metal Slide
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Various types
7
Second Helping
Guitars

 The Sweet Home Alabama Strat
 Completely stock, except for pickups replaced in the 90s
o The pickups were replaced in an effort to improve Ed’s dislike for the guitar. It
failed.
 Sunburst finish with white pick guard
o 25.5” scale
o 7.25” radius
 Maple neck
 Notes:
o Ed reports that this guitar was very lousy, the pickups were really poor.
o From Ed’s upcoming autobiography: “The Strat fought me tooth and nail. […] It
sounded thin and didn’t seem to have one single virtue that I could hang onto except for one –
Sweet Home.”
o Also used on Mississippi Kid
o Was displayed at the RRHOF in Cleveland, OH before being sold following Ed’s
death.

 Black finish
 Notes:
o Bought from a pawnshop in Denver for $180.
1964 Gibson SG
 Cherry finish with pick guard removed (due to routing)
 Fitted with Bigsby Vibrato bridge (one of the first from the factory)
 P-90 hum bucker (bridge)
o The P-90 was installed following the original pickup “blowing up.” Ed has stated
that this was the finest Gibson that he had ever owned...till the pickup went bad on
him...
 Gibson Hum bucker (neck) - pole pieces in reversed position
 Gold speed knobs
o From another guitar that Ed treasured (the ‘54 LP)...until that one went south...
 Notes:
o This guitar came from a trade for a ES-330 in 1970
o Used (studio) on Am I Losin’ (Solo), Railroad Song (rhythm), Country Boy (slide
parts), and Freebird live every night.
o Ed recently got this guitar back from a collector

 Used on The Ballad of Curtis Loew

 Used on Workin’ for MCA
8
 Refinished 1959 Fender Strat Body
o Black finish w/ black shell pick guard
 Originally sunburst finish
 The pick guard was made for Ed at Strings N’ Things in Memphis, TN
 1959 Fender Strat neck
o Original neck was maple, but had warped
o Rosewood fretboard
o Clay dot fret markers
o No date stamp (a common feature on ’59 models)
 3 stock Fender Strat pickups
o Bridge and Middle are original 1959 pickups
o Neck pickup blew and was replaced in 1974
 Nickel hardware
o Chrome Telecaster volume knobs
 Notes:
o Ed bought this one in March, 1974
o Ed used this in late ‘74 and ‘most of ‘75 live and on the Nuthin’ Fancy record. He
later sold this one to a friend in New Jersey, who later sold it.
o Ed managed to find it again in July, 2014 and repurchased it at auction. He had it
refurbished – new frets, tailpiece, and nut.
o Professionally appraised at $100,000

 Notes:
o Sold to a friend
o Used on most other songs on Second Helping
Amps
Peavey Roadmaster
 200 Watt output
 3 channels
o “One was so clean, it hurt.” - Joe Barnes
 Used 6550-type tubes in the power section
 Used in conjunction w/ 2 12” speakers, later followed by a Peavey 412 cab.
Fender Quadra verb (2x)
Fender Twin Reverb

 Used for most things except for some solos
Fender Super Reverb

 Built-in tremolo
1963 Fender Princeton

 Built-in Reverb
 Notes:
o Owned by Mike Porter, who played drums on I Need You
o Used for Rhythm guitar on I Need You
9
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Various types
10
Nuthin’ Fancy
Guitars
1964 Gibson SG
1959 Gibson Les Paul - “Lester”

 Serial #9 0891
 Medium flame Tobacco-burst finish w/cream pickguard
 Gibson Burst buckers (neck (zebra) and bridge)
 Tune-o-matic bridge
 Notes:
o Only used on “T for Texas”
o All of Ed’s Gibson’s have 24.5 scale necks
o Recently, Ed has modified “Lester” with the following:
 Burstbuckers removed and replaced with 3 Stratocaster pickups
 Floyd Rose vibrato system installed
 Both required some routing
1960’s Gibson Les Paul Junior

 Cherry Finish w/ black pickguard
 Dot inlays
 P-90 pickup (bridge) and Gibson humbucker (neck)
 2 Control knobs – 1 for volume, 1 for tone
 Notes:
o Was owned by Skynyrd roadie Joe Barnes
o Used live for slide guitar part on “I’m a Country Boy”
Amps
Peavey Roadmaster
Unknown 50-watt Marshall

 Used on the solo for Am I Losin’
 Modified Wiring
 Stolen during the early days
11
Effects
Unknown Mutron-brand Effect pedal
 Used only on “On the Hunt” during live shows.
Unknown Echoplex effect

 Only ever used on studio version of Saturday Night Special
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Various types
12
Gallery
1927 Martin 0-42, ca. 2018 1936 Martin 0-17, ca. 2018
1941 Gibson L-00, ca. 2018 1952 Gibson Les Paul, ca. 2018
13
1953 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, ca. 2007 1953 Gibson Les Paul, ca. 2018
1954 Fender Telecaster, ca. 2018 1954 Gibson Les Paul, ca. 2018
14
1955 Gibson Les Paul, ca. 2018 1957 Fender Stratocaster “Mary Kaye”, ca. 2018
1957 Fender Stratocaster, ca. 1974 1958 Danelectro 6-String Bass, ca. 2018
15
1958 Fender Precision Bass, ca. 2018 1958 Gibson ES-350T, ca. 2018
1958 Gibson Les Paul, ca. 2018 1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120, ca. 2018
16
1959 Fender Duo-Sonic, ca. 2018 1959 Fender Jazzmaster, ca. 2018
1959 Fender Stratocaster, ca. 2018 1959 Fender Stratocaster, ca. 1975
17
1959 Fender Stratocaster, ca. 2018 1959 Gibson Les Paul – “Lester”, ca. 1975
1959 Gibson Les Paul – “Red Eye”, ca. 2018 1960 Gibson Les Paul, ca. 2018
18
1962 Gibson ES-345, ca. 2018 1964 Fender Stratocaster, ca. 2018
1964 Fender Telecaster Custom, ca. 2018 1964 Gibson ES-345, ca. 2018
19
1964 Gibson SG, ca. 1975 1965 Fender Jazz Bass, ca. 2018
1965 Fender Stratocaster, ca. 2018 1965 Gibson SG Special, ca. 2018
20
1966 Gibson SG Special, ca. 2018 1967 Fender Stratocaster, ca. 1973
1973 Fender Stratocaster – “Sweet Home Alabama”, 1980 Monteleone F5 Grand Artist, ca. 2018
ca. 2018
21
1983 Fender Vintage Telecaster, ca. 1987 1985 Pensa-Suhr Custom, ca. 1987
1985 Pensa-Suhr Custom, ca. 1987 1988 PRS Custom, ca. 1992
22
1988 PRS Custom, ca. 2008 1988 PRS Custom, ca. 1991
1988 PRS Signature Series Custom, ca. 1988 1988 PRS Signature Series Custom, ca. 2007
23
1990 Rickenbacker 325/58, ca. 2018 1993 Fender Stratocaster ’62 Reissue, ca. 2018
1994 Fender Stratocaster – “Ol’ Red”, ca. 2005

24
1996 Fender Stratocaster – “Blondie”, ca. 2004 2003 Rickenbacker 325 John Lennon, ca. 2018
2007 VOS ’58 Gibson Les Paul Reissue, ca. 2007 Jerry Jones 6-String Bass, ca. 2018
25
Pedulla Custom Buzz Bass, ca. 2018 Pedulla Custom MVP 5-String Bass, ca. 2018
PRS Custom 24, ca. 2018 PRS Custom, ca. 2018

26
Era II (1975-1995)
Hiatus
-
The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour
27
Intermission (1975-1987)
Guitars
1985 Pensa-Suhr Custom (1)
 Sunburst finish with heavy flame
 All maple construction, except for the neck (made of pao-ferro a.k.a “ironwood)
 EMG-SA single-coil Pickups (neck and middle)
 EMG-81 Pickup (bridge)
o Split-able Humbucker in the bridge
 2 control knobs - volume, tone
 Floyd Rose Vibrato bridge with locking nut
 5-way selector switch
 Notes:
o Custom-made for Ed by Rudy Pensa and John Suhr of Pensa-Suhr
o Used chiefly in the Tribute Tour

 Natural finish with medium flame
 All maple construction, except for the neck (made of pao-ferro a.k.a “ironwood)
 One EMG-81 Pickup in bridge position
o Bridge pickup is a coil-splitter
o Later had a single coil installed in the neck position following the Tribute tour
 One EMG-SA single coil pickup in mid position
 2 control knobs - volume, tone
 Floyd Rose Vibrato bridge with locking nut
 Notes:
o Custom-made for Ed by Rudy Pensa and John Suhr of Pensa-Suhr
o Used chiefly in the Tribute Tour
o Sold later to Judy Janess-Van Zant

 Serial # 9 0850
 Faded ‘Burst finish w/ cream-colored pickguard
 Bound neck w/ trapezoidal inlays
 Originally had small fret wires
 Binding at the bottom of the neck was incorrectly made (there were gaps)
 Pickups are cream-colored (can be seen under the nickel covers)
 Notes:
o Consigned to George Gruhn in 1984. It was later sold to Hank Jr. who then gave it to
Greg Martin of the Ky. Headhunters
28
Acoustic Guitars
1927 00-18 Martin Acoustic
 Spruce top wood with mahogany back and sides
 Notes:
o He owns three of them
o Some are used for slide
o 3 repaired cracks, at top seam, treble side rim, and below the bridge

 Used on the Endangered Species album
Gibson J-200
 Used chiefly for strumming
Amps
Peavey Roadmaster
PRS Amp Head

 Solid state-amp
 70 Watts
 Used in conjuction with 4x12 cabs
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
 Ed found these picks on Assateague Island located on the northeast coast.
 Only 1 in 20 are actually usable
 He started using these after quitting the band in the mid-70’s
29
The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour

Guitars
1983 Fender Vintage Telecaster

 Blonde finish w/ black pickguard
 Notes:
o Used only on “Comin’ Home” during the last 10 dates of the ’87 tribute tour
1988 PRS Signature Series Custom

 Cherry Sunburst finish
 Flamed Maple top
o Extremely figured (artist grade) top
 Pearl flying bird inlays
 Headstock features:
o Back:
 # 8 4086
SIG # 230
CUSTOM BUILT FOR ED KING
 All handwritten
o Front:
 Paul Reed Smith’s Autograph instead of printed logo
 Open-coil pickups (neck and bridge)
 Nickel hardware
 Two control knobs - 1 volume, 1 tone
 Old-style “Sweet-switch” between the knobs
 Notes:
o One of only 1000 made
o This was the first guitar made for Ed by Paul.
o Ed gave it away because it was “dead wood,” it had poor tone
o It was then bought at a Sotheby’s auction in 1994
o Then was purchased by a third collector in 1995
o Offered for purchase on eBay in late October of 2007
1988 PRS Signature Series Custom

 Figured cedar top
 Maple fretboard
o Ed reports that this is a very rare combo
 Notes:
o Ed gave this one away because it was also dead wood
 “Brittle and lifeless” - Ed
30
Amps
Peavey Mace 320T Combo (2x)
 160 Watt output
 Used 6L6-type tubes in the power section
 Notes:
o Used in conjunction with the 4x12 cabinets (see below entry)
o Effects include reverb and tremolo
o Not used until the tribute tour
 Modifications:
o Rewired to fit specs closer to a Marshall
o Exterior recovered with tweed
o 4”porthole in back of cabs (to improve tone)
o JBL E-120 Speakers installed (2x each)
Peavey 4x12 Straight Speaker Cabinet (2x)

 Exterior recovered w/ tweed
 JBL E-120 Speakers installed (4x each)
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
Strings
Dean Markley
 Unknown gauge
 Used during the Tribute Tour
Pianos
Yamaha DX7 Electric Keyboard
 Used during Tribute Tour and early ‘90’s gigs for Tuesday’s Gone and Freebird
 Ed even used this to mimic the horn parts in What’s Your Name
31
Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991

Guitars
Acoustic Guitars
Gibson J-200
Amps
Peavey Classic Series Amp Heads (2z)
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
Strings
Dean Markley
Pianos
32
The Last Rebel

Guitars
1988 PRS Custom (1)

 Whale Blue finish
 Flying bird inlays on neck
 24 frets
 2 volume control knobs
o Has the old-style “sweet switch” installed in place of the tone knob
 Customized with:
o Jumbo Jim Dunlop frets
 Added when Ed first got it
o EMG Open-coil Pickups (neck, mid, and bridge)
 Single coils in the neck and middle positions, dual coil in bridge
o Push-Pull Coil Tap
 Notes:
o Used for the last slide solo on “The Last Rebel”
o Later given to son David
1988 PRS Custom (2)

 Tan finish with heavy flame
 Outfitted with Gibson Burst buckers (neck and bridge)
 Flying eagle inlays on neck
 2 volume control knobs
o Has the old-style “sweet switch” installed in place of the tone knob
1988 PRS Custom (3)

 Red finish
 2 pickups
 3 control knobs - 1 for volume, 1 for tone, 1 is the pickup selector
 Floating tremolo system
1990’s Rickenbacker 12-string

 Notes:
o Used during 1993 on “Tuesday’s Gone”
Acoustic Guitars
Gibson J-200
33
Amps
Soldano Amp
 Used on The Last Rebel Sessions
Rivera Amp
 Used on The Last Rebel Sessions
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
Strings
Dean Markley
Pianos
34
Endangered Species
Guitars
1988 PRS Custom (1)
1988 PRS Custom (2)
Acoustic Guitars

 Ed took this one out on the road for the acoustic part of their live sets
Gibson J-200
Mandolins
1980 Monteleone F5 Grand Artist
 Sunburst finish w/ black pick guard
 Handmade
 #69 of the series
 To get one made today would cost about $25,000
Amps
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
Strings
Dean Markley
35
Southern Knights
Guitars
1988 PRS Custom (1)
1988 PRS Custom (2)
1988 PRS Custom (3)
Amps
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
Strings
Dean Markley
36
Era III (1995-2018)

Retirement
-
Exit Music
37
Entr’acte (1996-2006)
Guitars
 Classic Gold Top model with cream pickguard
 Mahogany body with maple top
o Trapezoidal inlays
o Small-sized frets
 P-90 pickups

 Classic Gold Top model with cream pickguard
 Maple top body
o Trapezoidal inlays
o Small-sized frets
 P-90 pickups
 Tailpiece and studs had been replaced by the time the guitar went up for sale after Ed’s death

 Only flaw on this one is that Ed wanted larger frets on the neck

 Natural finish with white pick guard
 Maple neck
 Gold hardware
Fender Stratocaster “Ol’ Red”

 Flamey Red finish (custom-stained in ‘94) w/ Tortoise shell pickguard
 1994 ash Fender Stratocaster body
 Maple neck off of a 1953 Telecaster with jumbo frets
o Neck has a U-shaped profile
 Seymour Duncan pickups
 Tone knobs have been rewired
o The bottom knob is a blend control (blends the neck & bridge pickups) and the
middle knob affects ALL the pickups. When it's turned counter-clockwise, it has the
same affect has a wah-wah pedal (pedal up). In other words, it's a WIDE sweep and
changes the tone in drastic increments.
 Notes:
o Neck is well-built, no problems with intonation, stays in tune.
o Named for Morgan Freeman’s character in the Shawshank Redemption
o In 2014, Thane Shearon gave Ol’ Red an overhaul: new Fender pickups, a new white
pickguard among them.
38
Blondie
 Blonde finish w/ White pickguard
 1996 Fender Stratocaster body and parts
 1959 Maple Fender Esquire Neck
 Notes
o Another of Ed’s road guitars today
Japanese-made 1962 Stratocaster Reissue

 Ed has four (finishes are Olympic white, sonic blue, fiesta red, and ocean turquoise)
 USA Texas Special pickups
 Rosewood neck
1953 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

 Seafoam green finish w/ white pickguard
 All maple neck
 Nickel hardware
 Gold string saddles
 Notes:
o Was part of a limited run of guitars
o Ed had tried to get a replica made of the neck (for a spare) and Fender refused
Basses
 Sunburst finish with tortoise shell pickguard
 34” neck scale
Jerry Jones 6-string Bass

 Black finish with black pickguard
 Original lipstick pickups
Pedulla Bass
 4 strings
 Green finish
Pedulla Custom Buzz Bass

 Striped natural finish
 fretless version
 five strings
 34” scale length
Amps
Fender Deville 212
 2x12 cabinet
Fender Deville 414

 Used today
 4x10 Cabinet
39
Carr Mercury
 28 Watts
 Ed uses this at home only
 Purchased at an official Carr dealer - Wilcutt Guitars
Roland Micro Cube

 Includes an A-440 tuner
 5” speaker
Effects
Boss Overdrive Pedal
 Used in conjunction with the Carr Mercury amp
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
Strings
D’Addario
 .0095, .012, .016, .024, .034, .044
o Custom gauge
John Pearce
 Straight .010 set
40
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

Guitars
Ol’ Red
Amps
Fender Deville 414
Effects
Glass bottleneck
Picks
Sea shell picks
2007
Guitars
VOS 1958 Gibson Les Paul Reissue (#1)
 Flamey Sunburst finish w/ Cream pick guard
 Body specs:
o Chambered mahogany body
o Maple top
 Gibson hum buckers (neck and bridge)
 4 control knobs - 2 for volume, 2 for tone
 Notes:
o Ed purchased this in August of 2007
VOS 1958 Gibson Les Paul Reissue (#2)

 Same specs as #1
 Notes:
o Ed got this one in September 2007, sight unseen
o Ed says the neck on this one is “ridiculously easy to play”
o Refinished to Cherry in 2011
Effects
Sea shell picks
41
2009
Guitars
1959 Fender Jazzmaster
 Sunburst finish w/ Anodized Gold pick guard
 Neck specs:
o 7.25” fretboard radius
 White Soap-bar P-90 pickups (neck and bridge)
 2 control knobs - 1 for volume, 1 for tone
 Notes:
o Ed keeps this in his “Living Room Setup”

 Looks to be completely stock
 Notes:
Ed King “Ol’ Red Custom”

 60’s-Style Swamp ash body
 Translucent Red nitrocellulose finish
 Original Fender Tortoise shell pick guard
 One piece Maple neck w/ Walnut “skunk stripe”
o Vintage 50’s C-shape neck profile
o Bone nut
o 7.25” radius fretboard
o 25.5” Scale length
o Nitrocellulose finished neck
o 6230 Dunlop fretwire
 Cut to lower profile
o Kluson tuners
 Van Zandt hand-wound pickups
 3 tone knobs - 1 Volume, 1 Tone, 1 Blend control
o Blend control allows for blending of neck and bridge pickups.
 5-way pickup selector switch
 Fender Vintage style six-screw bridge and tremolo
 Vintage cloth wiring/250K potentiometers
Basses
 Sunburst finish with anodized gold pickguard
 34” scale neck
 7.25” radius
 Notes:
Picks
Sea shell picks
42
The Last Act / Exit Music

Author’s note: much of the following equipment was part of the auction of Ed’s musical gear
following his death in 2018.
Guitars
1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120
 Orange finish w/ gold pickguard
 Maple body
o 24 ¾” scale length
 Filtertron pickups
 Nickel hardware
 Bigsby Tremolo
1962 Gibson ES-345

o Scale length 24.75”
o Fretboard radius 12”
 PAF pickups
 Stereo output
 Notes:
o Original bridge replaced with a “Nashville”-style tune-o-matic
1965 Gibson SG
1949 Gibson L-7C

 Serial #: 0641
 Mint condition

 Serial # 0167 (of reissues)
 Red finish with white pickguard
 All-maple 1955 Tele neck
 Stock pickups
o From Ed: “The pickups were ALWAYS some of the best I’d ever heard… so they’re stock.”
 Note:
o Thane Shearon worked on this guitar for Ed.

 Red finish with white pickguard
 All-maple 1959 Strat neck
 Note:
o Thane Shearon worked on this guitar for Ed.
1950’s Fender Telecaster

 Blonde finish with black pickguard
 All-maple neck
 HEAVILY worn
43
 Sunburst finish with white pickguard
1958 Fender Jazzmaster

 Sunburst finish with anodized gold pickguard

 Blonde finish with white pickguard
 Standard neck with rosewood fretboard
o From Ed: “HUGE neck, so comfortable.”
 Notes:
o Exactly like one that Ed borrowed for a 1974 Skynyrd gig. The owner wouldn’t let
Ed buy it, so he found this one and bought it.
Mid-2000’s Fender Custom Shop Strat

 Notes:
o Ed sold this for $1400 on Facebook in December 2014
1964 Gibson SG
 Red finish with black pickguard
 Standard setup
 Gibson maestro vibrola
 Notes:
o Ed purchased this at some point “recently” in 2014
1957 Fender Stratocaster “Mary Kay”

 Blonde finish with white pickguard
 Maple neck
o V-shaped profile
o 7.25” radius
 All gold hardware
o EVEN the truss rod
 Notes:
o EVERYTHING on this guitar is original, down to the frets
o One of the rarest and most collectible/expensive guitars Fender has ever made

 Ash wood, sunburst finished body with tortoise-shell pickguard, manufactured March, 1959
 V-profile neck, manufactured April 1958
o 25.5 Scale length
o 7.25” radius

 Mahogany body with maple top
 PAF replica pickups
 Reissue ABR-1 bridge
 Goto tailpiece
 Notes:
o Guitar was converted to 1959-60 specs
44
1964 Gibson ES-645
 Sunburst finish with black pickguard
o 12” radius
 Patent number Gibson pickups
1958 Gibson ES-350T

 Tobacco burst finish with black pickguard
 2 ¼” depth maple body
o 12” radius
 PAF pickups
 Notes:
o Previously owned by Vince Gill before Ed
PRS Custom
 Striped green finish
 Mahogany body with maple cap
 Flamed maple neck with rosewood fretboard
 Pickups removed and replaced with a Roland GK-2A MIDI pickup
PRS Custom
 Black finish
 Mahogany body with maple cap
 Flamed maple neck with rosewood fretboard
 Pickups removed and replaced with a Roland GK-2 MIDI pickup
1959 Gibson Les Paul “Red Eye”

 Flamed sunburst finish with white pickguard
 Brazilian rosewood fretboard
o Nut width: 1 11/16”
 PAF Humbuckers
1966 Gibson SG Special

o Nut width: 1 9/16”
 Soap-bar P-90 pickups
 Original Gibson tremolo bridge
45
1990 Rickenbacker 325/58
 Natural finish with anodized gold pickguard
 Body made of maple top, back, and sides
 Maple neck with rosewood fretboard
o 21 frets
2003 Rickenbacker 325 John Lennon

 Black finish with anodized gold pickguard
 Body made of maple top, back, and sides
o 21 frets
1959 Fender Duo-Sonic

 Desert sand finish with gold pickguard
 24” scale length
 7.25 fretboard radius

 Blonde finish with black pickguard
 25.5” scale length
 7.25” fretboard radius
 Notes:
o Still has all of its original parts, though it has significant wear.

 Dark burst finish with cream pickguard
 Mahogany body with flamed maple top
 Mahogany neck with Brazilian rosewood fretboard
 Double-White PAF humbuckers
o Replaced the originals

 Blonde finish with tortoise pickguard
 Notes:
o Transitional logo
o Missing plate under the pickguard

 Maple neck
o 7.25” fretboard radius
 Notes:
o The tuners, pickup selector switch, and volume pot have all been replaced
46
1964 Fender Telecaster Custom

 Fiesta red finish with white pickguard
 Scale length 25.5”
1993/94 Fender Stratocaster ’62 Reissue

 White finish with white pickguard
 Notes:
o Constructed in Japan
1964 Gibson ES-345

 Sunburst finish with black pickguard
 Patent number Gibson pickups
1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard “Crackhead”

 Faded sunburst finish with white pickguard
 Mahogany body with flamed maple top
 Mahogany neck with Brazilian rosewood fretboard
 PAF pickups
o Neck pickup replaced with a 1959 double-white PAF
 Notes:
o Repaired headstock crack which lead to the nickname.
o Tuning keys have been replaced, neck refretted.
Acoustic Guitars
1936 Martin 0-17
 Mahogany body
1927 Martin 0-42

 Top Wood – Adirondack spruce
 Back/Side wood – Brazilian rosewood
 Ebony fretboard
47
1941 Gibson L-00
 Spruce top
 Mahogany back and sides
 Notes:
o The top has a pair of repaired cracks.
Basses
 Sunburst finish with tannish-looking pickguard
 Modified to be a 5-stringed bass
Pedulla Custom MVP

 Striped blue finish
 5-string model
 Neck-through body construction
o 34” scale

 Three-tone sunburst finish with tortoise-shell pickguard
 34” scale neck
 Notes:
o Original pickups later replaced, but Ed kept the originals.
1958 Danelectro 6-String Bass

 Copper finish
 Lipstick pickups
Amps
Trainwreck JM Liverpool
 50 watts
 EL34 tubes
 Notes:
o Made by John Mark
1968 Marshall JMP 1930 Popular

 10 watt, 2x12 combo
 6gw8 tubes
Fender Hot Rod Deville

 60 watt, 4x10 configuration
 3-band EQ
 Spring reverb
 Effects loop
 6L6 tubes
48
2017 Carr Mercury V
 16 watt, 1x12 combo
o Attenuated 4 to 0 watts
 (4) 12AX7, (2) 6V6
 Single channel
 Controls for volume, treble, bass, and reverb
 Switches for series/parallel input gain toggle, 3-position boost, attenuator toggle
Fender Vibroverb ’63 Reissue

 40 watt, 2x10 configuration
 6L6 tubes
 Brown tolex
Effects
Jetter GS124
 A favorite pedal of Ed’s to use at home
49
“I wrote the one great lick, and it was God’s gift to me.”
Rest in peace, Ed.
1949-2018

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ed King Equipment History

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ed King Equipment History

Uploaded by

Copyright:

LYNYRD

ALL GUITARS, AMPS, EFFECTS, ECT…

PRE-SKYNYRD (Strawberry Alarm Clock) (1950’s-1972)

LYNYRD SKYNYRD (1972-1975)

HIATUS YEARS (1975 - 1987)

LYNYRD SKYNYRD TRIBUTE TOUR (1987-1990)

LYNYRD SKYNYRD (1991-1995)

Written and Compiled By:

1952 Fender Telecaster

1954 Gibson Les Paul

1965 Gibson SG Special

Mid-1960’s Gibson Byrdland

1965 Fender Telecaster

1958 Fender Precision Bass

1964 Fender Jazz Bass

Ampeg SVT Bass Amp

1954 Gibson Les Paul

Pronounced “Leh-nerd Skin-nerd”

1972 Gibson Les Paul

Fender Quadra verb (2x)

1973 Fender Stratocaster

1960 Fender Stratocaster

1965 Fender Stratocaster

1966 Fender Stratocaster

1967 Fender Stratocaster

Fender Quadra verb (2x)

Fender Twin Reverb

Fender Super Reverb

1963 Fender Princeton

1958 Fender Stratocaster

1959 Gibson Les Paul - “Lester”

1960’s Gibson Les Paul Junior

Unknown 50-watt Marshall

Unknown Echoplex effect

Jim Dunlop Metal Slide

1994 Fender Stratocaster – “Ol’ Red”, ca. 2005

PRS Custom 24, ca. 2018 PRS Custom, ca. 2018

1985 Pensa-Suhr Custom (2)

1958 Gibson Les Paul

1949 00-18 Martin Acoustic

PRS Amp Head

The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour

1985 Pensa-Suhr Custom (2)

1983 Fender Vintage Telecaster

1988 PRS Signature Series Custom

1988 PRS Signature Series Custom

Peavey 4x12 Straight Speaker Cabinet (2x)

Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991

1985 Pensa-Suhr Custom (2)

1949 00-18 Martin Acoustic

Peavey 4x12 Straight Speaker Cabinet (2x)

The Last Rebel

1988 PRS Custom (1)

1988 PRS Custom (2)

1988 PRS Custom (3)

1990’s Rickenbacker 12-string

1949 00-18 Martin Acoustic

Peavey 4x12 Straight Speaker Cabinet (2x)

1988 PRS Custom (1)

1988 PRS Custom (2)

1949 00-18 Martin Acoustic

1965 00-18 Martin Acoustic

Peavey 4x12 Straight Speaker Cabinet (2x)

1988 PRS Custom (1)

1988 PRS Custom (2)

1988 PRS Custom (3)

Peavey 4x12 Straight Speaker Cabinet (2x)