Big stars, with their old guitars...

[NancyJohnson]

While not strictly bass related, I was just reading a short piece about Joe Strummer's Fender Telecaster; 1966, black over grey primer over sunburst.  He used it pre-Clash through to the last gig he played prior to his death. 

My wife remarked (while I was regaling her with the information), that I would never have kept anything for that long and just stuck with it, because betterment of gear is in my nature (viz. GAS) and I see little gain in vintage kit.  Aside from Brian May, I really struggled at that point to come up with more than one or two people (see below) who've used the same instrument night in, night out, for pretty much their entire (long) career.  I wasn't even certain that the Hofner Macca plays once in a while is from his time with the Beatles.

Joan Jett (the white Gibson Melody Maker):

Francis Rossi (the Telecaster with the hole in it),

Anyone care to add?  Not people who just play Jazz basses (ie Geddy Lee)...anyone who is still using the same gear now as they did 40/50 years ago.

[bassbiscuits]

Malcolm Young and his Gretsch guitar.

Used it throughout his career from the early days when it was red and white, then stripped back to natural wood. 

 

[bassbiscuits]

I'm also pretty sure that Steve Harris's (Iron Maiden) P bass now is the same one he's used since the early 1980s. 

The one that's currently West Ham coloured is the same one that used to be the metallic blue sparkle/mirror pickguard one from around Live After Death tour in 1984/5, which itself was a refin of the white one with black pickguard he used from around Number of the Beast onwards. 

I might be wrong tho. It does happen. 

[bassbiscuits]

Rory Gallagher's battered strat?

[Lozz196]

Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers has used the same ESP Tele style guitar since the early 90s, and I believe his backup guitar is the same Yamaha SG that he used in SLF before that.

[Crawford13]

Fairly certain you could put in Mike Stern (Yamaha Tele) & Pat Metheny (Ibanez) in this list.

From a bass player perspective Jaco & Jamerson come to mind although both careers cut short...

Edited November 25, 2018 by Crawford13

[AndyTravis]

Brian May’s Red Special. Made from a fireplace and a bannister with his dad.

Edited November 25, 2018 by AndyTravis

[stingrayPete1977]

Adam Clayton managed two gigs in a row once without a new signature model for the third gig, does that count? 

[Roger2611]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers has used the same ESP Tele style guitar since the early 90s, and I believe his backup guitar is the same Yamaha SG that he used in SLF before that.

ESP have recently built Jake two new guitars as he has had to retire the White Donald Duck stickered ESP, he does still have a green SG2000 in the back up rack for gigs but I have not seen him need it in many years.

Edited November 25, 2018 by Roger2611
To add a photo

[Roger2611]

Andy McClusky of OMD used the same primer grey Fender Jazz bass for a huge part of their career, he retired it a couple of years ago (just after I built a replica!) and now uses a modern black Jazz

[darkandrew]

Nile Rodgers' "hitmaker" Strat must be getting on a bit.

[Japhet]

As far as I know, Walter Trout has been using the same Squier Strat for decades.

[Delberthot]

Didn't John Deacon use the same Precision for a good number of years, albeit with different finishes?

[pete.young]

Collin Hodgkinson is still playing the same '61 Precision that he had back in the late sixties.

[Paul S]

I believe Norman Watt Roy used the same Jazz most of his career?

[Reggaebass]

7 minutes ago, Paul S said:

I believe Norman Watt Roy used the same Jazz most of his career?

He sold one here

http://andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=165

[AndyTravis]

15 minutes ago, Delberthot said:

Didn't John Deacon use the same Precision for a good number of years, albeit with different finishes?

Think so, started Sunburst, went natural and then finished up black with gold hardware 

[AndyTravis]

9 minutes ago, Paul S said:

I believe Norman Watt Roy used the same Jazz most of his career?

Now plays a replica made by a UK Luthier.

[Graham]

Does Billy-Joe Armstrong still gig the green, sticker covered strat in Green Day?

Fat Mike from NOFX seems to have been playing the same Danelectro for years, don't know if it's the same one though.

[AndyTravis]

3 minutes ago, Graham said:

Does Billy-Joe Armstrong still gig the green, sticker covered strat in Green Day?

I think he’s all about Gibson now.

That strat was a Fernandes, looked like it smelled bad.

[Baxlin]

Willie Nelson and his Martin?

Edited November 25, 2018 by Baxlin

[Graham]

9 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I think he’s all about Gibson now.

That strat was a Fernandes, looked like it smelled bad.

I didn't know it was a Fernandes, I'd always assumed it was a Fender

[skankdelvar]

Neil Young and Old Black (since 1969). OK, not his only guitar but the guitar.

[skankdelvar]

Springsteen's Esquire, purchased 1972, same year he was signed to CBS

Edited November 25, 2018 by skankdelvar

[mike f]

Prince played his Hohner Tele for over 3 decades. Not continuously of course!