The Joe Bonamassa Collection

Joe Bonamassa, a blues-rock guitar legend, owns one of the world’s most remarkable collections of vintage guitars and amplifiers, housed at his personal museum, “Nerdville.” His passion for music history and tone shines through in every instrument, each representing a rare piece of rock history. Through his collaboration with the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop, Joe has faithfully recreated the unmistakable tones of his most iconic guitars, offering musicians the chance to capture the legendary sounds that have shaped his career.

The Joe Bonamassa Collection features expertly crafted, limited-edition pickups, including the ’63 Cradle Rock Strat® Set, “The Bludgeon” 1951 Nocaster® Set, “The Blonde Dot®” 1960 Humbucker Set, and the 1950 Broadcaster® Set. These hand-built pickups authentically reproduce the distinct, powerful tones of Joe’s prized guitars, giving players and collectors a rare opportunity to experience the unparalleled sound and precision that define his storied collection.

The Joe Bonamassa Greenburst Stratocaster® Pickup Set

The Joe Bonamassa 1950 Broadcaster® Pickups

Joe Bonamassa’s “The Blonde Dot®” 1960 P.A.F. Humbucker Set

Joe Bonamassa’s collection of vintage guitars is full of treasures from the golden era of electric guitar manufacture. This means Joe knows a thing or two about Gibson’s® P.A.F. humbuckers – the earliest versions of Seth Lover’s milestone innovation in pickup design. Vintage Gibson ES-335s® are known to be some of the finest semi-hollow instruments ever built—and the P.A.F. humbuckers they were originally equipped with are the vessel for the powerful sound and sustain that these guitars are known for.

Joe Bonamassa’s “The Bludgeon” 1951 Nocaster®

Anyone who knows Joe Bonamassa knows that his guitar collection contains some of the most sought after and incredible sounding instruments ever produced. So when he says that one instrument is “the best guitar he’s ever owned”, it must be a truly special piece. “The Bludgeon” is Joe’s 1951 Fender Nocaster®, and it came into his life in 2014. He has played it in almost every show he has performed since.

Joe Bonamassa’s ’63 Cradle Rock Strat® Set

Joe Bonamassa first laid eyes on the “Cradle Rock” Strat® as a teenager at the Philadelphia Guitar Show in 1994. He purchased the then-pristine 1963 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster®, and it became one of the most sentimental pieces in his collection. Named after the Rory Gallagher tune Joe recorded on his debut album, the pickups in this Strat® had a distinctive powerful sound that he wanted to share with guitarists chasing this seminal tone. The Seymour Duncan Custom Shop engineered the period-correct wind, aged the magnets, and color-matched the covers until Joe deemed these pickups a “spot on” recreation. Crafted in the Custom Shop, the Cradle Rock Strat® Set is limited to 1000 units, with Joe’s printed signature on each pickup.