Adam Sandler is touring with a seriously impressive guitar collection

Though most people know Adam Sandler as Hollywood royalty – an actor whose comedies are the stuff of legend, and whose recent turn to serious flicks such as Uncut Gems has courted Academy interest – he’s also a talented guitarist and vocalist (lest we forget, he once performed the Stairway to Heaven solo on Conan O’Brien).

That much was clear when the Grown Ups actor released 100% Fresh on Netflix last year, which saw Sandler soundtrack his stand-up comedy to the sounds of electric guitars, acoustic guitars and more.

Recently, Sandler took his six-string chops on the road for his latest tour of the US, with the comedian taking with him a particularly eye-catching collection of instruments.

Showcased via a series of snaps posted to social media, Sandler’s collection is an enviable one, and comprises a handful of ornate six-strings from the likes of Fender, Gibson and more.

The highlight instrument, which seems to serve as Sandler’s go-to guitar, is his ‘79 Fender Stratocaster in an eyebrow-raising Antigua finish. It certainly is a unique look and not one you see much in the wild these days. 

Indeed, the divisive Antigua finish was created accidentally in the late ‘60s, at a time when Fender was producing its ES-335 competitor, the Corona II. Reportedly, the binding process burned the edges of the guitars, and rather than letting the spoiled bodies go to waste, Fender fashioned an all-new colorway.

It seems to have been a personal favorite of Sandler’s for quite some time now, having featured during his 100% Fresh show to pay tribute to the late comedian and actor, Chris Farley. The gain-tinged performance – which also flexes Sandler’s soloing skills – can be seen below.

To keep the Antigua Strat company on his ongoing tour, Sandler has also brought along another Strat – a mid’-60s Fiesta Red number, with a US flag sticker on the pickguard – as well as an eye-catching Telecaster.

While the Red Strat is fairly conventional, the Tele is far from it, featuring what looks like a spalted maple top, gold hardware and a highly figured roasted maple neck. It certainly isn’t a regular production model – the decipherable Custom Shop neck plate makes clear of that – and if we were to hazard a guess, we’d speculate Sandler scooped it from Fender’s Artisan Series.

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Completing the electric guitar department is a Duesenberg Phonic, a white semi-hollow stunner that features Phonico humbuckers and a proprietary radiator vibrator unit.

That just leaves Sandler’s acoustic of choice – a Gibson SJ-200 Studio in a Walnut colorway – as well as his black Fender Precision Bass. Though the exact model is hard to distinguish, it’s intriguing that Sandler has swapped the P-Bass’s usual control knobs for Stratocaster-style alternatives.

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Each night on his current tour, Sandler arranges his six instruments of choice on stage behind him, with each seeing some form of action throughout the show. As the saying goes, quality really does beat quantity, and it looks as though Sandler has assembled an impressive handful of guitars to help him through his tour.

Sandler is next in action on Sunday (November 6) at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Throughout the remainder of the tour, Sandler will also visit Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Hollywood and more.