The ultimate list of the best guitar brand logos (names and symbols)

The best guitar brand logos and names have carved a space into the hearts of music lovers worldwide. More than just attractive marks, the top guitar logos are powerful symbols, often seen as badges of honor for members of the musical landscape. 

The chances are, even if you’re not a musician yourself, you’re probably familiar with some of the most popular brands. Companies like Fender, Gibson, and Ibanez have a significant presence all over the world. Their brand marks grace some of the world’s biggest stages every year.

What’s more, these logos are frequently championed by some of the most influential figures in pop, rock, heavy metal, and even country music. 

Today, we’re taking a closer look at some of the most memorable and powerful guitar logos and names in the world, to see what makes them so special. 

The common features of the best guitar brand logos

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to creating the perfect guitar brand logo. There are various examples throughout the music industry, all with their own unique nuances. However, as you’ll see from the examples covered below, many of the top images do have some commonalities. 

For instance, most guitar brands use their name in their logos. It’s rare to find a guitar company that relies on an image alone. Instead, we usually see companies using a variety of stylistic fonts, from script-style typography to decorative characters. 

Other things you might notice when browsing through guitar brand symbols include:

• Minimalism: Guitar logos need to work well on a range of formats, including on the headstock of the instrument itself. This means most logos are often quite simple.
• Simple colors: Many of the most popular guitar logos are depicted in black and white. This straightforward color palette makes the logo more versatile and scalable.
• Shapes: Basic shapes are common among guitar logos. You might see an outline of an acoustic or electric guitar, a set of wings, or a star. 

The best guitar logos and names: Amazing guitar brand symbols

While there are some similarities in the design elements of many famous guitar company logos, each brand mark has its own unique nuances and appeal. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most famous and memorable guitar brand logos of all time.

1. Fender

Easily one of the most recognizable guitar logos in history, the Fender emblem is an eye-catching and vibrant wordmark. The company, first launched in 1946, evolved from a radio repair company, managed by Clarence Leonidas Fender, who named the brand after himself. 

Today, Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers, and solid-body electric guitars. It’s best-known for instruments like the Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Jaguar. The Fender logo, designed to look like a signature, is extremely powerful. 

The red coloring, combined with the script text infuses the image with passion and vitality. 

2. Gibson

Another major name in the guitar industry, Gibson Brands first launched in 1902. Like Fender, the company is named after its founder, Orville Gibson, who began making musical instruments from the comfort of his own home. 

Gibson now sells guitars under a variety of brand names, but the Gibson logo is still famous around the world. It looks a little like the head of a guitar, with its unique shaping and angled positioning. 

The bold wordmark is a little industrial in its aesthetic, with long tails on the “G” and “N” that add a sense of creativity to the image. 

3. Yamaha

Though you might be more familiar with Yamaha for its motorcycles, the Yamaha brand is also an innovator in the musical industry. Yamaha’s has one of the most interesting guitar brand logos on this list, often presented either in black and white, or purple and white. 

While the font on the design is pretty basic, featuring block, sans-serif letters, the symbol alongside it is particularly meaningful. The three tuning forks demonstrate a connection with the music industry. 

However, they’re also intended tor represent the three pillars of the business, sales, production, and technology. Yamaha also says the forks stand for “melody, harmony, and rhythm” 

4. Ibanez

Japanese brand, Ibanez, was first introduced in 1957. The company was named in honor of the Spanish luthier, Salvador Ibanez. Interestingly, Ibanez was one of the first Japanese companies to gain a significant foothold in the guitar landscape across the US and Europe. 

It was also the first brand to mass produce different types of guitars, like the seven-string, and eight-string instrument. Ibanez is currently considered the third biggest guitar brand in the world. 

The sleek and stylish Ibanez logo is a simple wordmark, with a slight cursive twist. The letters all blend together perfectly, showing harmony. 

5. Epiphone

Tracing its roots all the way back to an instrument manufacturing company created in 1873, Epiphone is one of the oldest guitar companies on this list. The name comes from the nickname of Epaminondas Stathopoulos, “Epi”, and the suffix “phone” which is Greek for “voice”. 

Like many popular guitar company logos, the Epiphone emblem is a simple wordmark, with a creative twist. The letters are all joined together, to demonstrate consistency, melody, and harmony. There are also various elongated elements throughout the characters. 

The logo demonstrates creativity and elegance, while the black and white color palette gives the company an essence of professionalism. 

6. Squier

Squier might be owned by Fender, but it still boasts its own logo. The Squier company was named after its founder, Victor Carroll Squier, and first launched in 1890. Initially, the brand produced strings for guitars, banjos, and violins. 

When Fender purchased Squier, they turned it into a company focused on selling more affordable versions of Fender products. 

The Squier logo today is highly recognizable, featuring an oval shape with a black background, and the word “Squier” written in bubbly, white font. 

7. Rickenbacker 

Considered to be the first company to ever make electric guitars, Rickenbacker has a strong presence in the history of the musical industry. Founded by Adolph Rickenbacker and George Beauchamp in 1931, Rickenbacker quickly became a popular brand. 

The company’s early instruments were named “frying pans” because of their small bodies and long necks. Over time, Rickenbacker branched out with a wide range of electric and acoustic guitars, basses, amplifiers, and even electric violins.

The Rickenbacker logo has a retro edge to it, with a unique cursive font featuring numerous curves and interesting edges. Like most guitar logo designs, it’s often presented in black and white.

8. Alvarez

Founded in 1965 by Kazuo Yairi, Alvarez is one of the most popular guitar manufacturers in the world. It’s probably one of the most famous acoustic guitar companies on this list, producing a wide range of instruments for different budgets and musicians.

Alvarez guitars have captured the attention of some of the world’s biggest musicians, including Mike Inez and Jeff Young. The Alvarez logo is wonderfully elegant, with a sleek wordmark on the right, and a unique emblem on the left. 

The graphic is a stylized “A” placed next to a diamond to symbolize excellence.

9. Washburn

Known for its guitars, mandolins, and various other string instruments, Washburn Guitars was first established in 1883. Like many guitar companies, this brand was named after its founder, George Washburn Lyon. 

Washburn’s guitars include everything from electric models to bass guitars. The company is also accredited with bringing a range of innovations to the musical industry, such as the “VCC” solution for voice contour control. 

Though the script-style wordmark of the Washburn Guitar’s logo isn’t overly creative, it showcases the company’s commitment to elegance and style. 

10. Peavey

Probably the boldest logo on our list comes from the Peavey Electronics Corporation. It’s one of the biggest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, and it was first launched in 1965. 

The company was named after Hartley Peavey, who founded the brand after building his first amplifier in 1957. The Peavey logo is definitely eye-catching, with its sharp edges and geometric elements, reminding us of the logos of bands like Metallica. 

This electric guitar logo is edgy and aggressive, making it particularly appealing to rock stars and would-be musicians alike. 

11. Jackson 

Another guitar brand that operates under the Fender corporation, Jackson is a major manufacturer of both electric guitars and bass guitars. Named after its founder, Grover Jackson, the company was established in 1980, in Glendora California. 

Jackson Guitars have long been associated with high-quality custom instruments. Popular designs include the Randy Rhoads model, popular with hard rock musicians. 

Jackson’s logo is sleek and simple, featuring a cursive wordmark with white elements designed to make each character look three dimensional. 

12. ESP

One of the biggest guitar manufacturers in Japan, ESP Guitars first appeared in 1975. The acronym “ESP” stands for “Electric Sound Products”, the company’s original name. 

ESP found its fame making and endorsing guitars for musicians who became famous in the thrash metal scene. Bands like Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth have all used ESP instruments. ESP even builds custom guitars for artists too. 

The ESP logo is a geometric wordmark, with bold shapes and thick lines. It conveys the power of the brand, and connects perfectly with the thrash metal scene. 

13. Gretsch

Born in 1883, in Brooklyn New York, Gretsch originally started life manufacturing banjos, tambourines, and drums. Today, however, the company mostly focuses on resonator, acoustic, and electric guitars, as well as basses and ukeleles. 

Gretsch is named after its founder, Friedrich Gretsch, and is best-known for its unique instruments, often featuring “humbucker” pickup options. 

The Gretsch logo is bold and unique, with an enlarged letter “H” and “G” giving it a rectangular appearance. The elongated “T” in the center also makes the design stand out. 

14. Taylor

When it comes to acoustic guitar brand logos, you can’t find many options more famous than the Taylor Guitars wordmark. Introduced in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug, Taylor Guitars specializes in both acoustic, and semi-hollow electric guitars. 

The company is well known for its innovation in the musical industry. Taylor guitars use their own pickup system, called the “Expression system” which helps to create unique sounds.

The acoustic guitar logo used by the Taylor company is a little old-fashioned, featuring a script-style cursive wordmark, over the phrase “Quality Guitars”, all depicted in red. 

15. Schecter

Otherwise known as Schecter Guitar Research, Schecter started life creating replacement parts for existing guitars from Gibson and Fender. Today, however, the company produces its own line of electric and acoustic guitars, as well as amplifiers and effects units. 

Schecter has been associated with some of the world’s biggest musicians, including Prince, Robert Smith, and Rick Parfitt. 

Though the Guitar logo isn’t particularly unique, it does highlight Schecter as a company committed to elegance and excellence. 

16. Charvel

Probably one of the most interesting guitar company logos on this list comes from Charvel. The electric guitar company was founded in 1974, and is named after its founder, Wayne Charvel. Charvel became extremely popular in the 1980s, thanks to their association with famous musicians.

Experts like Eddie Van Halen, Richie Sambora, and Jake E. Lee all used Charvel guitars during this time. The Guitar icon used in the Charvel logo is made up of the letters of the company’s name, creating a sleek and interesting image. 

The design seems perfectly suited to the sign of a guitar store, and it also works well on the company’s instruments. 

17. Godin

Canadian guitar manufacturing company, Godin, was founded by Robert Godin in 1972. The company is a little lesser known than some of the other guitar brands on this list. However, the brand has won several awards for its instruments. 

Godin is also well-known for its Multiac series of guitars, which were available in both nylon string and metallic string variations. 

The Godin logo looks a lot like a human signature, which gives it a friendly and sophisticated appearance. The unique design of the typeface makes it seem like every guitar has been hand-signed and approved by the manufacturer. 

18. Guild

Based in the United States, the Guild Guitar company was founded by Alfred Dronge in 1952. The brand played a strong part in the electric guitar market during the 1960s, capturing the attention of notable guitarists like Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia. 

Guild was also responsible for successfully building the first dreadnought acoustic guitar, with a “cutaway” element in the lower shoulder to allow easier access to the upper frets. 

The Guild guitar logo is a powerful symbol, featuring the name of the company, curved over the top of the image of a lock. The full design looks a little like a shield, symbolizing strength.

19. Tokai

Often referred to as “Tokai Guitars”, the Tokai Gakki company is a Japanese instrument manufacturer, first founded in 1947. The company first started making classical guitars in 1965, before moving into acoustic guitars and electric guitars and basses. 

Tokai made a number of Fender and Gibson replica guitars over the years, which were often referred to as “lawsuit guitars” due to their use of similar components. Stevie Ray Vaugh and Chuck Hammer both played Tokai guitars. 

The Tokai logo, featuring a cursive wordmark in decorative script font, looks elegant and sophisticated, particularly when presented in black and white.

20. Takamine

Another popular guitar brand from Japan, Takamine is best-known for its steel-string acoustic instruments. The company is named after Mount Takamine, in Nakatsugawa. 

Although Takamine is commonly associated with acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, the company also produced a series of solid-body electric guitars during the 80s, which earned significant popularity among potential consumers. 

The logo of the Japanese company looks a little like it’s formed out of strips of ribbon, giving it a dynamic and unique appearance on the top of the company’s instruments. 

21.PRS Guitars

Otherwise known as “Paul Reed Smith Guitars”, PRS Guitars is an American musical instrument company which was founded in 1985. Although its symbol doesn’t rank among the best-known guitar brand logos in the world, it’s still worth mentioning. 

PRS Guitars has produced a variety of different models over the years, even coming under legal scrutiny after producing a product that seemed too similar to the “Les Paul”. 

The PRS Guitars logo looks more like an emblem designed for a law firm than a guitar company, with its sophisticated serif font, and straight black lines.

22. B.C. Rich

First founded in the 1970s, B.C. Rich is another popular American guitar brand. It captured the attention of the market in the 70s, when various heavy metal musicians began adopting the electric models produced by the company. 

Many of B.C. Rich’s best-known guitars feature sharp shapes and unique headstocks, which make them an excellent choice for the rocker community. Slash from Guns and Roses even played a “Mockingbird” guitar throughout the 1990s. 

The B.C. Rich logo is simple but effective, featuring a handwritten-style wordmark, with slim black letters. 

23. Dean Guitars

Although Dean Guitars might not be as well known as some of the companies on this list, it’s a popular choice among many musicians. Founded in 1977, the Dean Guitars company made instruments used by Triumph, ZZ Top, and many others. 

Over the years, Dean Guitars has secured a number of endorsement deals, as well as producing some of the most interesting instruments on the market, such as the “Cadillac” and the “V” guitar. 

The logo for Dean Guitars is quite unique, featuring not just a wordmark, but a set of wings on either side of the word “Dean”. This transforms the entire upper portion of the logo into an interesting bird shape, symbolizing innovation and ambition.

Learning from the top guitar company logos

As you can see from all of the incredible guitar brand logos mentioned above, there are plenty of different memorable designs out there. The logos of guitar brands don’t just differentiate these companies from other manufacturers of stringed instruments. 

Each company’s own design says something specific about the brand’s vision and values in the musical space. 

If you’re inspired by the guitar company logos above, and want to create your own high-quality mark, reach out to Fabrik today, to discover how we can help you find the music in your brand.

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