Pat Metheny Gear Guide
Pat Metheny’s hollow-body guitars, custom instruments, guitar synthesizers, delays and studio signal paths.
A quick-reference inventory of documented guitars, amplification, effects and recording-era associations. Exact setups vary by song, session and tour.
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Gibson ES-175 | Early and long-associated hollow-body electric. | Early career |
| Ibanez PM-100 | Signature hollow-body with floating pickup. | 1980s onward |
| Ibanez PM-120 | Later signature variation on his hollow-body setup. | Selected periods |
| Ibanez Metheny models | Custom hollow-body designs for his tonal and ergonomic preferences. | Signature years |
| Pikasso 42-string guitar | Custom Linda Manzer instrument used for multi-string compositions. | 1990s onward |
| Manzer baritone guitar | Custom acoustic baritone for low-register parts. | Selected recordings |
| Nylon-string guitar | Acoustic/classical color in intimate arrangements. | Selected use |
| Roland guitar synth controller | Guitar interface for synthesizer and MIDI sounds. | 1980s onward |
Amplification and synths
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Roland JC-120 | Clean stereo chorus amp used in some electric setups. | Selected periods |
| Roland GR-300 | Analog synth guitar; Metheny identifies it as the sound behind several famous synth-like lines. | 1979 onward |
| Roland GR-700 | MIDI guitar synthesizer controller for external instruments. | 1980s |
| Synclavier guitar controller | Custom interface connected to Synclavier system. | 1980s |
| Kurzweil synthesizer | Synth voice triggered through guitar MIDI/controller setup. | Selected era |
| Stereo amplification | Separate channels for guitar, synth and processed signals. | Touring / studio |
Effects and processing
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Lexicon digital delay | Pitch shifting and repeats in early synth-era rigs. | 1980s |
| Eventide harmonizer | Pitch and stereo processing for layered guitar sounds. | Studio |
| Chorus | Wide modulation on clean electric tones. | Selected recordings |
| Reverb | Spatial depth for guitar and synth voices. | Studio / live |
| Pitch shifting | Harmonized and detuned layers from digital processors. | Studio |
| Looper and phrase layering | Repeated figures build orchestral guitar textures. | Recording |
| MIDI switching | Routes guitar controller to synthesizer voices. | Later rigs |
Recordings and era
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Bright Size Life | Hollow-body electric and warm, clear amp tone. | 1976 |
| American Garage | Guitar ensemble and amplified electric colors. | 1979 |
| Offramp | GR-300 and Synclavier guitar-synth colors. | 1982 |
| Are You Going with Me? | GR-300 is a notable synth-guitar reference. | Offramp |
| Imaginary Day | Custom acoustic instruments and layered production. | 1997 |
| One Quiet Night | Baritone acoustic guitar in an intimate solo recording. | 2003 |