“A guitar of one of his heroes”: John Mayer has been playing Jeff Beck’s Fender Stratocaster – and Joe Bonamassa has confirmed it’s the real deal

John Mayer has a NEW Fender Strat... and it's Jeff Becks?! - Dead & Company at The Sphere 2024 - YouTube

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Ever since he departed Fender and joined the PRS family, John Mayer has, for the most part, been unwaveringly loyal to his Silver Sky signature guitar.

Having said that, recent months have seen Mayer flick through his wider electric guitar collection. This has resulted in him bringing some old favorites back to stage – including a couple of his prized Fenders, such as the Black1 and Monterey models.

Now, Mayer has been spotted playing yet another Fender Stratocaster on stage… but this time, there’s a bit of a twist.

Back in May this year, Mayer was pictured playing a Custom Shop Strat that once belonged to the late Jeff Beck – a fact that has been confirmed by Joe Bonamassa.

As reported by YouTuber Justin Jeske and Instagram account JohnMayerGear, Mayer used the eye-catching Strat during Dead & Company’s residency at The Sphere, with many spectators sharing snaps of the mystery model.

JohnMayerGear hypothesized the guitar resembled a Jeff Beck Strat with a reverse headstock, complete with a split roller nut, block saddles and a two-point bridge.

The account then went on to note the guitar in question was similar to the reverse headstock-equipped Strat the Fender Custom Shop had built Beck around 2014, and theorized this was another custom model commissioned specifically for Mayer.

However, Bonamassa – whose eye for guitar identification is world-renowned – then confirmed it wasn’t a copy, but the exact model. As it turns out, Mayer has been lent the guitar for a few of the Dead & Company shows, and it looks like he's been putting it to good use.

According to the post, he played Black Peter and Days Between using Beck’s Strat. And, through the clips shared by Jeske, it’s clear Mayer looked to double-down on the Beck vibe by fingerpicking his way through some solo licks, all while enthusiastically waggling the whammy bar.

Mayer’s respect for Beck’s playing is well-documented, so it’s no surprise he’d seize the opportunity to pay homage to one of his biggest heroes.

As Jeske notes, Mayer previously used a Jeff Beck Master Built Strat to perform his track Heartbreak Warfare. This time, though, he’s got his hands on “a guitar of one of his heroes”, which is the real deal.

Earlier this year, Mayer discussed his adoration for Beck, telling Conan O’Brien how Beck’s presence allowed him to finally relax about his guitar playing, saying, “Jeff Beck was in the room – and I was relaxed!

“It was like, ‘Oh, [for once] I don’t have to think about how I play the guitar, because the best is in the room. And it’s not me!’”

When he's not using Beck's Strat during Dead & Company's Sphere residency, Mayer has been playing his Dead Spec Silver Sky, which is inspired by Jerry Garcia's Alligator guitar.