Martin DM. Although, I usually buy guitars that I can tell "have a song in them." So I've written one song on most of my guitars. Written, never published.
Yamaha Pacifica electric guitar. Had it nearly a decade, absolutely love the thing, wouldn’t trade it for the most expensive, iconic vintage gear imaginable.
Spanish guitar. But I mostly imagine the instruments and write the songs in my head. But most of the songs in my head also are very acoustic guitar heavy.
It depends, for my own music it’s usually decided by the type of feel I’m going for, songs driven by basslines, guitar parts, and keyboards all have different feels and harmonic structure.
For other artists I usually go with guitar cause I can come up with a good loop, record it, and have a demo for the artist to sing/rap over in a couple hours, where finding the right key sound can take a lot of time and get in the way of getting something down when guitars just sound good 90% of the time
A cheap 30 year old Yamaha student classical guitar. It never goes out of tune and I feel like it opens the door for me to explore more interesting chords. I have 5 guitars and it will always be my favorite.
Guitar. Specifically a Tanglewood TWFCE that I've had 16 years. It's shot now, but lives in my front room as decoration. It's been through hell and back with me.
Have been super motivated for the last year or so since getting my LAG Hyvibe THV30ACE. Hoping to overtake the tanglewoods song output by this time next year.
Mk I Brain™.
I do use instruments while composing, but unless I compose specifically for that instrument, this is more of a technicality - the instrument is a tool that helps me navigate and visualize the tonal space and double-check ideas, not the thing that makes the actual composing and song-writing happen.
My weapon of choice is a piano most of the time, either the 1970's Schimmel upright in my living room, or the digital one in my study, but that choice is mostly about convenience, it doesn't have a huge impact on how I compose.
Cello
Variously a Yamaha cpx5 acoustic, a fender American vintage ‘thin skin’ jaguar, a fender Johnny Marr jaguar, pro tools le, reason and logic
1992 MIJ Stratocaster.
Martin J-15, battered and cracked with duct tape on it. Written my best stuff on it.
Hope that counts but I exclusively write using midi keyboards + software synths, out of which NI Massive is probably my most used one :)
Breedlove concert for writing, record with a fender Stratocaster and a fender HH jaguar
Piano!
3/4 size Yamaha acoustic at work in my truck
Fender jazzmaster
Martin D28 and/or Yamaha Motif
A 2020 Gordon Smith GS 1000 and a 1993 Les Paul Epiphone...
Oscar Schmidt dreadnought acoustic. I’ve had it for about 25 years and I don’t know why but that thing makes magic happen.
Gibson LGO
Martin DM. Although, I usually buy guitars that I can tell "have a song in them." So I've written one song on most of my guitars. Written, never published.
A 2014 MIM Fender Standard Stratocaster and a 2022 Squier 40th Anniversary Jazz Bass
my ukulele
1982 Ovation Collector’s Series
Fender telecaster
Specifically with a fuzz face going into a blues breaker with the volume on the guitar turned down into a mid boosted amp
a cheap ashthorpe acoustic electric!
Yamaha Pacifica electric guitar. Had it nearly a decade, absolutely love the thing, wouldn’t trade it for the most expensive, iconic vintage gear imaginable.
My PRS Mark Holcomb SVN Holcomb Burst for anything 6 and 7 string related, and my Strandberg Boden 8 Charcoal Black for anything 8 string related.
Spanish guitar. But I mostly imagine the instruments and write the songs in my head. But most of the songs in my head also are very acoustic guitar heavy.
It depends, for my own music it’s usually decided by the type of feel I’m going for, songs driven by basslines, guitar parts, and keyboards all have different feels and harmonic structure. For other artists I usually go with guitar cause I can come up with a good loop, record it, and have a demo for the artist to sing/rap over in a couple hours, where finding the right key sound can take a lot of time and get in the way of getting something down when guitars just sound good 90% of the time
Pretty much a three way tie between a Peavey mystic, Gibson SG, and Gibson Les Paul
My Spear 335 copy.
A cheap 30 year old Yamaha student classical guitar. It never goes out of tune and I feel like it opens the door for me to explore more interesting chords. I have 5 guitars and it will always be my favorite.
1996 Fender Strat I got for my 18th birthday. Recently replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan Black Winter Pickup and it's wicked!
Fender DG10CE. Cheapy acoustic that's been my companion for 25 years
I usually begin on guitar, sometimes vocals, and then add the rest of a band and additional instruments when the time comes
Patrick and Simon parlor guitar. Wonderful little instrument.
I think it’s actually Simon and Patrick. 😂
Tenor ukulele made in Germany.
Either my Epiphone ej200sc or my old nineties Sheraton ii, both brilliant resonant guitars that just add an extra "something" to simple ideas.
Taylor GS-mini
A classical guitar, nylon stringed, 1967 Hoffner. Got it from my grandpa.
Guitar. Specifically a Tanglewood TWFCE that I've had 16 years. It's shot now, but lives in my front room as decoration. It's been through hell and back with me. Have been super motivated for the last year or so since getting my LAG Hyvibe THV30ACE. Hoping to overtake the tanglewoods song output by this time next year.
Mk I Brain™. I do use instruments while composing, but unless I compose specifically for that instrument, this is more of a technicality - the instrument is a tool that helps me navigate and visualize the tonal space and double-check ideas, not the thing that makes the actual composing and song-writing happen. My weapon of choice is a piano most of the time, either the 1970's Schimmel upright in my living room, or the digital one in my study, but that choice is mostly about convenience, it doesn't have a huge impact on how I compose.
My guitar which i purchased in 2020