You’ve seen them before, the nerdy gear talks on Rig Down by Premier Guitar where musicians of all genres talk about their latest set ups and the rest of us get to gawk in awe and jealousy over their gear. This time, country music buff and long-time musical personality, John Bohlinger joins Joe Bonamassa on stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. They nerd out about just a few of Joe’s guitars in his overwhelming and extensive collection and Joe even plays a few riffs for you. Here is a list of the guitars he goes through including the time stamps from the video, so you can jump ahead to the good stuff!

1952 Fender Telecaster “Terry Reid”
Joe bought the guitar straight from Terry Reid, a British musician who was in line to become the vocalist for both Deep Purple and the New Yardbirds but was beat out by Ian Gillian and Robert Plant. Reid kept the guitar since 1968, around the time he was the opening act for the “Farewell Cream Tour.” The guitar is one of Joe’s favorites that he “plays every night” with 11-gauge strings on it which, for you guitarists out there sounds ridiculously difficult to play on a Tele! Also, it has a written stamp on the back from when it was stolen and subsequently found by the pickup maker Semour Duncan. [1:12]

1951 Nocaster
The excited gasp John Bohlinger exhales at 3:59 is completely warranted for this guitar. The Nocasters were so named in 1951 after a lawsuit battle with Gretsch for the original name of Broadcaster. The Nocasters were made exclusively throughout 1951 before the name was changed to Telecaster. These guitars are highly sought after by players and collectors because of their rarity and just how they feel. [3:55]

1956 Fender Stratocaster
This guitar is an odd bird because for some unknown reason, after being manufactured in 1956, the guitar was sent back in 1957 for a refinish. So, as Joe says, “it is a 57-paint job on a 56 body.” [6:25]

1955 Fender Hard-Tail Ashbody Stratocaster
In layman’s terms, a hard-tail simply mean the guitar does not have a tremolo or whammy bar system. Joe prefers this because of something funny that happens when a guitar has the bar… Joe found this beauty while on guitar safari with a family who also sold him his awesome half 12-string half mandolin double-neck guitar. [7:40]

Fender Stratocaster “The Best Strat”
When someone says they have the “best Strat in the world” especially to Joe Bonamassa, it better be pretty damn good. Well, it must hold up to its name because as Joe says, he has played it “every night for the past five years.” For guitarists, it is sometimes hard to pinpoint exactly what makes one guitar superior to others, but for Joe, this one just has that extra something. [9:06]

1967 Sparkling Burgundy Gibson 355
Joe purchased this guitar from his on the road chef and his family and has played it every night, dubbing it the “Zack-caster” for his friend. Armed with jazz flat-wound strings, this guitar is played on the “one sound I don’t have a solo.” [10:47]

1962 Gibson Es-355 “Albert Hall Speck”
Joe has been trying to find reasons to leave this beauty behind because with semi-hollow bodies played at Bonamassa volumes, the beasts tend to howl with feedback. This one however has found a place in Joe’s heart and is quickly becoming a favorite. [12:13]

1956 Gibson Les Paul
This guitar was originally created as a Gold Top with P-90 pickups in it with its original and still lasting, dark back finish. Because of the cool checking patterns and flame coming through the thick brown paint on top, this guitar is very [15:56]

1960 Gibson Les Paul “The Rangin’ Cajun”
1960 is a cherished year for Les Paul’s and Joe’s “tomato soup” colored beauty is a great instrument. [17:56]

1960 Gibson Les Paul “The Runt”
Jealous yet? Yeah this is yet another incredible Les Paul and this particular one was sent out originally to South Africa where it spent most of its life. In those times Gibson was gearing up for the “Les Paul 2” models later known as the SG. [21:15]