Kenny's Custom Guitars:

Kenny's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

This guitar is "THE ONE". Every guitar player dreams of finding that one guitar that they pick up one day and it fits like a glove. This is that guitar for KWS. Kenny describes it as an extension of his own body. He loves all of his guitars, but they all take a back seat to this one.

One day when about 16 years old Kenny was in Los Angeles on a trip with his father. They decided to go by the Guitar Center in Hollywood and see what they had in stock. Kenny went into the vintage room at GC and began picking up Stratocasters. Eventually a mildly worn three-tone sunburst Stratocaster with jumbo frets and a rosewood slab neck caught Kenny's eye. He picked up the guitar and instantly knew this was the guitar he had always been looking for. There was something about this guitar that was different than any other he had ever played. It felt just right. It fit like a glove. Kenny knew this was that once in a lifetime chance to get the guitar he had always dreamed of. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford the guitar's steep price and reluctantly had to hang it back on the wall and walk away. From that day forward the memory of that guitar never left Kenny's mind. It was a little over a year later when Kenny had a showcase gig booked in Los Angeles. The first thing he wanted to do was go to the Guitar Center again to see what guitars were hanging on the wall. With little hope that the guitar would still be there, Kenny headed into the vintage room at the GC again. This time when Kenny walked into the room the first thing he saw was that same '61 Strat hanging right in the middle of the wall. Kenny couldn't believe it was still there. He immediately picked the guitar up and began playing it just to make sure it was as great as he remembered… and it was. When the time came to leave this time, Kenny refused to go without the guitar. He still didn't have enough money for the guitar, but he vowed not to leave without it. Finally, Kenny's Dad talked with his A&R guy Jeff Aldrich and his attorney at the time Jim Zumwalt and the three of them agreed to buy the guitar and split the cost three ways as long as Kenny paid them back. The deal was done, and history was made that day. KWS got his dream guitar and has played it relentlessly and lovingly from that day forward. He has recorded with that guitar on every album since and traveled all over the world playing to millions of people while wielding the '61 Strat.

1958 Fender Stratocaster

KWS bought this original 1958 Fender Stratocaster while on the road back in 1997 from the Guitar Center in Houston, TX. KWS made a public appearance at the Guitar Center signing autographs before his concert that evening and picked this guitar up and immediately fell in love. It is a very rare 3 tone sunburst, hardtail, maple neck Stratocaster of which not many were made for '58. The guitar was in near mint condition and was completely original. KWS bought it on the spot and proceeded to play it relentlessly for the next several years on the road. The only modification made to this guitar was the addition of GraphTech saddles. KWS loves this guitar and touts it as being one of the best guitars he has ever played. KWS has used this guitar on a countless number of recordings on his own records, and also on several guest appearances on other artist's records including Wynona Judd and Willie Nelson.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Series Stratocaster

For nearly twenty years Fender and modern blues sensation Kenny Wayne Shepherd have shared a stage and they released of his new signature model, the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster guitar.
A sleekly elegant addition to Fender's stable of artist Strat models, the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster is based on Shepherd's own '61 instrument (which will soon be on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum) and welds vintage style to modern features. Most distinctively, Shepherd's new signature model boasts a blueswailing voice of its own thanks to its three custom-voiced Kenny Wayne Shepherd pickups.

Other features include an alder-body, maple neck with 12"-radius rosewood fingerboard and 21 jumbo frets, vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge with Graph Tech saddles and Fender vintage-style tuning machines. The guitar comes in three polyester finishes — a Black model with a three-ply black-white-black pickguard and racing stripe body graphic, and Three-color Sunburst and Arctic White models that each have a three-ply mint green pickguard (with cross graphic on the Arctic White model).

"It's an honor to be a part of the Signature Series guitar line. My goal throughout the design process was to combine top notch quality with unique appearances and road proven components at an affordable price,' said Shepherd. 'These guitars will help a new generation of guitarists develop their own signature sound the way Fender has helped me to develop mine.'

The Louisiana-born Shepherd began recording his first album at age 16 and became a blues/rock sensation. He has sold millions of albums worldwide, including the platinum selling Ledbetter Heights (1995), the Grammy-nominated and platinum selling Trouble Is … (1998), Grammy nominated Live On (1999), The Place You're In (2004) and two time Grammy nominated 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads (2007). Shepherd has four number-one blues albums to his credit, including Billboard Magazine's # 1 Blues Album of 2007, a string of number-one mainstream rock singles, two Billboard Music Awards (1998's Rock Song of the Year and Blues Album of the Year), two Orville H. Gibson Awards, the Blues Foundation's Keeping The Blues Alive Award, and a Blues Music Award.

"In addition to his unbelievable abilities and general fingerboard prowess, Kenny is one of the modern-day ambassadors for a true American art form—the blues," said Justin Norvell, Fender's marketing director for electric guitars. "His Grammy-nominated 10 Days Out showcased a mutual respect that crosses generations. He is the real deal, and he has the entire package."

SRV "Charlie" Lipstick Special Guitar

This guitar was custom made for KWS by Rene Martinez. Martinez was Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar tech for many years leading up to his untimely death in 1990. This guitar was built as a replica of a guitar Stevie owned that was custom made for him by Charlie of "Charlie's Guitar Shop" in Dallas, TX. A very limited number of these guitars were made and Rene specially made this one for Kenny.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Series Martin Acoustic

Designed by KWS and the talented people at Martin guitars. "...Blue on black, tears on a river..." — blues phenomenon Kenny Wayne Shepherd's 1998 hit "Blue On Black" is filled with colorful imagery. Martin draws on that imagery in its new Kenny Wayne Shepherd Limited Edition Signature model JC-16KWS, creating a guitar as distinctive as the musician himself. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Limited Edition Signature model JC-16KWS combines distinctive design and tonewoods with unique appointments. The rich, full tone of the jumbo cutaway shape is enhanced by solid tonewoods throughout; sapele back and sides for clarity and projection, Sitka spruce top for warmth. Martin's patented "A-frame X" scalloped bracing enhances this unique voice. The genuine mahogany neck features standard 1-11/16th inch width and modified low oval profile for easy playing.

1931 National Duolian C-series

This 1931 National Duolian was bought by KWS at the Guitar Center in Hollywood. KWS used this guitar was used for all acoustic slide parts on the album "Live On". KWS also wrote many songs for that same album on this guitar.

Yamaha SE150 - The Beginning

This is the one that started it all. The Yamaha SE150 pictured here is Kenny's first electric guitar. His mother and father gave Kenny this guitar for Christmas when he was 7 years old. Kenny immediately began playing it and used it for the next several years before he got his first Stratocaster. You can see a picture of Kenny playing this guitar as a young boy inside the CD booklet from the album "Ledbetter Heights". The scratches you see in the paint of this guitar are a result of a thirteen-year-old Kenny trying to make his guitar look tattered and worn like a vintage guitar. Kenny took screwdrivers and scratched the paint, banged a few nicks and dings into the body, and even dragged it up and down some concrete stairs a few times… kids will be kids. The attempt at "aging" the guitar could have been better executed, but none the less it seems Kenny was a bit ahead of his time considering it was several years before the guitar companies began manufacturing new guitars to look like older, well worn guitars.

Vintage 1964 Gibson L-30 Acoustic

An old friend gave this guitar to KWS back in the 90's. KWS used this guitar primarily around the house to write songs. "Electric Lullaby" was written on this guitar.

Fender Custom Shop Jimi Hendrix Monterey Pop Stratocaster

Kenny received this custom guitar as a birthday present from his Dad. Fender made just over 200 of these beautiful guitars, which makes them highly collectible. It is a replica of the guitar that Jimi Hendrix played and burned on stage at the Monterey Pop Festival. When Kenny got the guitar he immediately had Fender make him a custom neck with jumbo frets and a backwards headstock. Also added were the GraphTech saddles. Since then Kenny has played this guitar all over the world, ending each show by tearing down the house with his version of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child".

Fender Custom Shop Prototype Relic Stratocaster

Kenny received this guitar as a gift from Fender guitars in celebration of his endorsement deal as a Fender artist. This guitar is one of the very first Relic guitars ever made by Fender and was also played by Keith Richards at one point. Before Kenny received the guitar he asked that Fender add the left handed tremolo, GraphTech saddles, and jumbo frets to the instrument. Kenny has played this guitar ever since on almost every tour he's ever done and it was used for a very long time as the guitar he ended the show with while playing "Voodoo Child" during the encore.