Many know Johnny Depp for his portrayals of eccentric and wonderful Tim Burton characters, as a swashbuckling pirate, or for his myriad other film roles. Some may be unaware, however, of Depp’s prime aspiration: to be a rock musician! Over his years of fame, Depp far from forgot his musical roots, going on to sharpen his guitar chops and form such bands as Hollywood Vampires alongside rock legends Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. As you’d expect, the Duesenberg Alliance Series Johnny Depp signature guitar is a deluxe instrument with incredibly smooth action and bold rock tone. This axe soars with its American alder body chambered construction, Diamond Deluxe Tremola, luscious Indian rosewood fingerboard, and Duesenberg’s patented Plek process. And wait until you plug it in: a single JD-63 P-90 trapezoidal pickup in the bridge position keeps this guitar on track for scorching tone.
When first developing the original Artist Series Johnny Depp signature guitar in 2014, Duesenberg and Depp wanted the guitar to tell a story. That same aluminum pickguard emblazoned with the artwork of Johnny Depp’s tattoos still resonates deeply, with this Alliance Series model following in the Artist Series footsteps. Far from being a second-rate sequel, the Alliance Series version keeps everything that was rad about the first model while optimizing it for a production run. Herein lies stellar functionality thanks to superb tonewood choices like an alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard. For the alder body, Duesenberg opted for a chambered design that keeps the body light while lifting the tone somewhere between a true solidbody and a semi-hollow construction.
Duesenberg pulled out all the stops for the Alliance Series Johnny Depp signature guitar. With an exacting eye for detail, the company opted for features that allow this guitar to shine unfettered. Right off the bat, you’ll notice the Diamond Deluxe Tremola, a Duesenberg star player and a system that revolutionizes what a classic design can do. With this tremolo, you’ll benefit from reliable tuning stability, simplified string changes, smooth action, and phenomenal tone. Constructed using heavy-duty needle and nylon bearings, this vibrato system is highly responsive. Users can twist the arm freely for 360°, and adjust it to their preferred angle and length.
A collection of Z-Tuners completes the rock-solid tuning stability of this guitar, making for smooth, precise tuning adjustments. You can even hide the end of the string inside the tuner! As for the rosewood fingerboard, it's been Plek’d to perfection to feel superb and to play like a champ. But the sublime tone of the Alliance Series Johnny Depp Signature Guitar culminates in its centerpiece: the JD-63 pickup. This custom-tapped single-coil meets the tonal specifications of an open-sounding P-90 with a unique flare. You can even opt to engage the 1,963 windings of the pickup wire — the number matching Depp's birth year — via a small switch to revel in a warmer, crunchier turn of tone.
Founded by German guitar designer Dieter Gölsdorf in 1989, Duesenberg guitars represent a multinational mixing pot of American art deco aesthetics, hot-rod heritage, and exacting German engineering. Duesenberg’s utterly distinctive instruments — affectionately dubbed “Doozys” by their adherents — gleam with proprietary parts and pickups that merge the daring appointments of the early electric guitar age with the pinpoint precision of modern manufacturing excellence. From the iconic Starplayer semi-hollow guitars to basses, lap steels, and beyond, every Duesenberg that Music Experience carries embodies consummate artisanship. Fittingly, this unerring dedication has attracted more than a few luminaries, including the likes of Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, Mike Campbell, John Mayer, and Tom Bukovac. For the musician who demands superlative performance, idiosyncratic innovation, and master-level musical detail in equal measure, only a Doozy will do.
When we first met Johnny to talk about a personal guitar for him, we told him that we wanted to build one which not only suits his style and needs but one which tells a story. His story. Being one of the most in-demand actors of the past 25 years, and best known for his character Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of Caribbean movies, we have designed his iconic guitar in the Duesenberg tradition by telling Johnny’s story from his tattoos. Each one symbolizes a significant event in his life.
A solid body that features big sound chambers for enhanced tone and weight reduction. Particularly characteristic tone somewhere between a solid and semi-hollow construction.
A single P90 pickup in the bridge position has always been a clear indication of a straight foward rock guitar. We have developed a completely new pickup for this Alliance Series. What makes this guitar even more unique is the custom tapped JD-63 pickup which was specially designed to meet every characteristic of a classic open sounding P90 singlecoil. Taking it a step further we offer the option of adding 1963 turns of pickup wire (1963 is Johnny’s year of birth) to the signal via a small switch creating a warmer and crunchier tone. This pickup is perfectly suited for creating punchy walls of tone and tear them down.
A pleked fretboard guarantees perfectly level frets. This is the basis for our fret polishing and setup work all done by hand that eventually makes our instruments play like nothing you have ever played before. The fretboard is to your music, what the handle of a brush is to a painting. It says a lot about an instrument how much care was taken here. Every single Duesenberg instrument is expertly pleked for buzz-free playability all throughout the fretboard. It is then carefully finished by hand and precisely set up by one of our professional luthiers. The luthier responsible also leaves his or her signature inside the instrument. This all is our promise to you that a Duesenberg instrument will always feel great in your hands.
Curtain raises for the vibrato system, which proves how good a classic design can be. But there is more to discover: The Diamond Deluxe Tremola offers the best sound quality because it is made of lightweight materials. Precise needle and robust nylon bearings as well as a precisely tuned spring guarantee a direct response while simultaneously providing sensitive tremolo action. The arm can also be rotated 360° and individually adjusted in length and angle. We already mentioned the hassle-free string changing above. It is so easy because the strings are simply guided through eyelets below the axle and anchored there. Proven in daily use on stages around the world.
Duesenberg Z-Tuners are specifically made to give you a super smooth and precise feel when tuning. They also allow you to elegantly hide the end of the cut-off string inside the tuner shaft so it's not damaging your case, gigbag or fingertips. Service free life guaranteed.
A trademark of our instruments are the three levels that can be found on almost every component from the head plate to the socket plate. Most of our hardware is also nickel-plated. Compared to chrome, nickel has a warm, elegant shine that develops a completely natural patina over time. Nickel was once used to refine metals before chrome plating became the industry standard. By the way: If you want to preserve the original shine of the hardware, we recommend cleaning it regularly, for example with Duesenberg "The Cleaner".
A good suitcase is always more stable than its contents. Curtain up for the Duesenberg Custom Line series of cases! Indestructible like a flight case, classically cut to shape, built from high-quality materials and designed to withstand most realistic and unrealistic adversities. You can throw this case in the trunk of your car, in the luggage compartment of a train or in the hold of an airplane without having to give it or its contents another thought. The Duesenberg Custom Line Case is included with the purchase of this instrument.
| Body Type | Chambered Solidbody |
|---|---|
| Body Shape | Alliance Johnny Depp |
| Left-/Right-handed | Right-handed |
| Number of Strings | 6 |
| Body Material | American Alder |
| Pickguard | Aluminum |
| Body Finish | PUR lacquer |
| Color | Johnny Depp Tattoo Artwork |
| Neck Material | 1-piece Maple |
| Neck Shape | Classic "D" |
| Radius | 12"-14" Compound |
| Fingerboard Material | Indian Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Inlay | Cream Dots |
| Number of Frets | 22 Jumbo |
| Scale Length | 25.5" |
| Nut Width | 1.673" |
| Nut Material | Synthetic Bone |
| Bridge/Tailpiece | Duesenberg Steel Saddle Bridge, Diamond Deluxe Tremola |
| Tuners | Duesenberg Z-Tuners |
| Bridge Pickup | Duesenberg JD-63 tapped Humbucker |
| Controls | 1 x volume |
| Switching | 1 x slide switch (coil-tap) |
| Strings | Duesenberg Custom, .010-.050 |
| Case/Gig Bag | Hardshell Case |
| Manufacturer Part Number | DJD-BK |
