What guitar did Tom Verlaine use?

Tom Verlaine, an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television was an avid user of Fender guitars.

Verlaine began his career in music at an early age when he took up studying piano.

He switched to saxophone in middle school after hearing a record by Stan Getz.

Verlaine switched again to the guitar in his adolescence after he heard the Rolling Stones’ “19th Nervous Breakdown”.

After settling on the guitar, Verlaine underwent an extended period of experimentation to develop a personal style.

Verlaine was an advocate of guitar techniques and recording processes including close miking, delay, reverb, slap echo, phasing/flanging, tremolo, etc.

Television’s first commercially released recording, “Little Johnny Jewel”, saw Verlaine, in defiance of common practice, plugging his guitar straight into the recording desk with no amplification; he rarely employed heavy distortion.

During the heyday of Television, Verlaine played a Fender Jazzmaster and a Fender Jaguar through Fender and Vox amps; surprisingly, these Fender guitars were an unusual choice for a rock musician at that time.

Verlaine is credited as having been instrumental in bringing what were seen as “surf” guitars, the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, into the rock arena.

At solo concerts and at Television concerts, Verlaine played a guitar built in the style of a Fender Stratocaster that was modified with Danelectro “lipstick” pickups and fitted with a Fender Jazzmaster neck.

Verlaine died in New York City on January 28, 2023 after a brief illness, at the age of 73.