You hear the percussive, chopping strum on “Ants Marching” and want to know what’s making that sound. For a player built around acoustic guitar, Dave Matthews has a surprisingly deep gear story.
His tone isn’t about one magic guitar. It comes from how he attacks the strings, the picks and gauges he favors, and a small group of acoustics he keeps coming back to.
Those guitars have also changed over the decades. The model he leans on today isn’t the one that recorded the early hits.
This guide maps out his full setup and how it evolved. Let’s start with the guitars Dave Matthews actually plays.
What Guitar Does Dave Matthews Play?
Dave has played a number of different guitars across his career, but a handful of acoustics have defined his sound. Below is his current main rig followed by the notable models he has relied on over the years.
His Current Main Guitar Rig Setup
Currently, Dave’s main acoustic guitar is the Rockbridge Acoustic Guitar Model SJ, a custom instrument built specifically for him. The guitar features a solid red spruce top, along with solid Cocobolo back and sides.
It also has Koa bindings, abalone trim and rosette, and Fishman electronics. This combination gives him the warm, articulate sound he needs for his music.
Other Acoustic Guitar Brands and Models
Before settling on the Rockbridge, Dave cycled through several high-end acoustic guitars, including a couple of his own signature models. Here are the ones he’s best known for.
Taylor 914CE Signature Dave Matthews Acoustic
Another guitar he’s well known for is the Taylor 914CE Signature Dave Matthews Acoustic Guitar, built for him by Taylor Guitars.
This grand auditorium cutaway acoustic features a solid sitka spruce top, along with solid Indian rosewood back and sides. The mahogany neck is fully adjustable through the truss rod.
It has a bone saddle and nut and an ebony fretboard with custom inlays. Gotoh 510 tuners let you tune quickly and accurately.
This guitar even comes with a hardshell case and Elixir Nanoweb strings.
Ovation Legend (His Black Acoustic)
In earlier years, he was also known to use a black Ovation. The link and picture here isn’t the exact model, but it’s the closest one still available - his version has been discontinued.
This acoustic features an ebony top, along with cherry back and sides. It has an ebony fretboard with abalone dots, plus a bone nut and saddle.
The electronics include the Ovation OCP-1K pickup with an OP Pro Studio preamp.
Martin DM3MD
The Martin DM3MD is another well-known Dave Matthews signature acoustic. This guitar features a solid Engelmann spruce top with a hybrid “X” scalloped bracing pattern, along with East Indian rosewood back and sides.
This 20-fret acoustic has a long list of high-end features, including a solid mahogany neck and an ebony fingerboard with signature inlays. The nut is made of white Corian, and grained ivoroid binding wraps the body.
It also has chrome Gotoh tuners with butterbean knobs and a solid black ebony bridge.
This signature guitar is a must for any fan of his, or for anyone who simply loves a great acoustic.
Gibson Chet Atkins SST
The Gibson Chet Atkins SST is another acoustic Dave used in the past. This dreadnought-style guitar features a spruce top, along with mahogany back and sides.
The mahogany neck is very comfortable to play and features a 22-fret ebony fingerboard with custom inlays. The neck shape is a modified D profile with a soft “C” feel.
Other features include a high-gloss finish, matching bridge pins and saddle, and chrome hardware. Like the rest of his collection, it helped shape the sound he’s known for.
Electric Guitar Brands and Models
When you think of Dave Matthews, you probably don’t immediately picture electric guitars, since he mostly plays acoustics. He does pick up an electric from time to time, though.
Here are the electric models he’s known to use.
Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster
The Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster features a maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, and a Stratocaster tremolo bridge. It also has a Fender-designed single-coil pickup system.
Other features include a three-ply pickguard, synthetic bone nut, single-ply fingerboard binding with pearloid dot inlays, and 21 medium-jumbo frets. It comes with a high-gloss polyester finish, a modern C-shape maple neck, and a 9.5” to 14” compound-radius fretboard.
The guitar usually ships with a molded hardshell case.
Jerry Jones Baritone Electric Guitar
The Jerry Jones Baritone is a 6-string baritone electric with a very distinctive look and sound.
This guitar features a cutaway body, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with jumbo frets.
The lipstick-tube pickups are made of nickel-plated steel, and the chrome die-cast tuners make tuning easy. The result is a unique low-end voice that stands apart from a standard electric.
Other Guitar Gear That Dave Matthews Uses
Beyond the guitars themselves, a few other pieces of gear help Dave dial in his tone.
For strings, his acoustic of choice is the D’Addario XT set. These strings use a high-carbon steel core wrapped in coated wire to balance bright tone with longer life.
A hex-shaped core and steel ball end add durability without sacrificing sound.
For picks, he reaches for the Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.60mm. These medium-thickness picks are about as standard as it gets - the same ones you’ll find in most music stores - which keeps his attack consistent night after night.
Dave Matthews Guitar Timeline and History
Over the years, Dave has rotated through a number of different main guitars, as you probably gathered from the models above. The table below tracks which acoustic served as his go-to instrument during each stretch of his career.
| Guitar | Years Played |
|---|---|
| Ovation Legend Acoustic | 1991-1993 |
| Gibson Chet Atkins SST | 1994-1999 |
| Martin DM3MD Dave Matthews Signature | 1999-2001 |
| Taylor 914C Dave Matthews Signature | 2001-2011 |
| Rockbridge Custom SJ | 2011 - Now |
His Guitar Sound
Dave is known for his signature sound. He plays with a lot of effects but mainly leans on them for chorus-like shimmer and reverb.
He also uses a custom capo that lets him play in different keys without moving his fretting hand up the neck.
To get this tone, Matthews relies on a Matchless SC30 amplifier most of the time.
His Guitar Influences
His influences come from many different places, including The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Johnny Cash. He draws on their styles as reference points while shaping his own voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What guitar does Dave Matthews play now?
Dave’s current main guitar is a custom Rockbridge Acoustic Model SJ built specifically for him. It has a solid red spruce top, Cocobolo back and sides, Koa bindings, and Fishman electronics.
He has used it as his primary stage and studio acoustic since 2011.
Does Dave Matthews play electric guitar?
Yes, though it’s rare. He’s primarily an acoustic player, but he occasionally reaches for a Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster or a Jerry Jones baritone electric for certain songs.
The vast majority of his recorded and live work, however, is built on acoustic guitar.
What strings and picks does Dave Matthews use?
He strings his acoustics with D’Addario XT coated strings, which pair a high-carbon steel core with a coated wrap for bright tone and longer life. For picks, he uses Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.60mm, a common medium-thickness pick.
Both are widely available, so it’s easy to get into the same setup he uses.
What amp does Dave Matthews use?
For amplification, Matthews most often runs a Matchless SC30. He also leans on effects for chorus-style modulation and reverb, plus a custom capo that lets him change keys without shifting his hand position.
Final Thoughts
There you have it - the guitars Dave Matthews plays, the gear he relies on, and how his main instruments have evolved over the decades. The through-line is clear: a string of premium acoustics, anchored today by his custom Rockbridge SJ, all chosen to support his rhythmic, percussive style.
His rig has shifted from an Ovation to a Gibson, then to signature Martin and Taylor models, and finally to the Rockbridge. It’ll be interesting to see how his collection changes over the next decade and what guitar he leans on next.
