What guitars were used in the 80s?

Guitars used in the 80s include Jackson, Charvel, Ibanez, ESP and Kramer ‘Superstrats’. A craze for such instruments began due to the influence of Eddie Van Halen, whose homemade ‘Frankenstein’ guitar hugely influenced both other musicians and guitar brands. Superstrats were the most significant guitars of the 80s, but players such as Slash kept the Gibson Les Paul popular, whilst Yngwie Malmsteen re-popularised the more traditional Fender Stratocaster.

What guitar pedals were used in the 80s?

Guitar pedals used in the 80s include the ProCo Rat distortion, BOSS CE-2 Chorus, the MXR M117 Flanger, BOSS DS-1 Distortion, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and the Dunlop Crybaby wah. On top of those, a popular effect - though not strictly a pedal at the time - was the Tom Scholz designed Rockman headphone amp. The sound of this is now available as the MXR Rockman X-100 pedal.

Why are 80s guitars so expensive?

80s guitars are so expensive for two main reasons. One is that they are now considered to be ‘vintage guitars’, as they are above 30 years old. This adds a level of desire on top of the increasing scarcity of any guitar from decades ago. The other reason is artist association. The 1980s was when artist signature model guitars started to become a thing, and so lots of top artists like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen had their own special guitar models available. These were often limited edition instruments, and so their association, mixed with age, scarcity and vintage designation makes certain guitars from the 80s expensive.

How to get an 80s guitar sound?

You can get an 80s guitar sound relatively easily, thanks to the popularity of the guitar music from then. Lots of digital modelers, multi-effect processors and software plugins will have a range of pre-made sounds that directly capture famous guitar sounds of the 80s. You can get an 80s guitar sound by checking out the equipment used by 80s players that you admire, and buying the same gear. Most 80s gear is available today in reissued form, so you’ll be able to get largely like-for-like guitars, amplifiers and pedals as new purchases.

What music genres were popular in the 80s?

Music genres that were popular in the 80s include classic rock, hair metal, soft rock, power ballads, college rock, pop, synth pop, thrash metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.