Gretsch White Falcon Ex Johnny Hallyday / Status Quo

Some artists, beyond their own destiny, have shaped an entire landscape and a whole chapter of history. Capable of stirring up entire crowds, galvanizing the youth, and shaking up established codes, they fully embraced their fate to inscribe their name in a collective narrative. Johnny Hallyday is one of them: a true idol of the young, an undisputed icon who managed to endure over time and transcend the whims of fashion, he became a reference for generations of French people. He was the one who brought rock to France, drawing inspiration from the United States he loved so much, and importing their sense of showmanship and rhythm. In writing songs as fierce as they were powerful, Johnny Hallyday also turned to instruments straight from the U.S. Gretsch and Gibson models long remained the favorites of the Taulier, featured at the heart of his stage performances.

Johnny’s love story with Gretsch guitars is a long one: he played models from the brand all the way through to his final rock concerts. In 1975, he played an orange Gretsch 6120 Nashville, before acquiring this white White Falcon from 1975 as a backup. Starting in late 1976, our White Falcon was used alternately depending on the performance and stage outfit. It is likely one of the first guitars of this model acquired and played by Johnny Hallyday. While French radios were broadcasting Requiem pour un fou, released in February 1976, and Gabrielle, released in the fall, Johnny Hallyday began touring with this White Falcon, which he played on stage from late 1976 through his summer tour in 1978. This guitar is an exceptional piece of French music history, a direct witness to the glorious performances of Johnny Hallyday.

While he had been performing on stage with an orange Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville since 1975, Johnny Hallyday reaffirmed his love for the American brand by picking up this White Falcon. Seen on stage from late 1976 to the summer of 1978, this guitar was played alternately based on his outfits and needs. Numerous period photographs show both instruments on stage and in Johnny’s hands—for him, hollow-body electric guitars from Gretsch always held a special place. This White Falcon somewhat marked the beginning of his love for the model, which he would continue to play throughout his extraordinary career—even receiving a custom model from Gretsch for his 69th birthday.

With its immaculate white finish highlighted by gleaming gold edges, this White Falcon was frequently photographed between 1976 and 1978. It even appears in the book “Johnny: ses concerts, ses plus belles histoires d’amour” by Michel Leclercq, the photographer who followed Johnny for over half a century across stages in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The guitar stands out as a privileged creative tool, blending seamlessly into the French Elvis’s stage presence and his aesthetic inspired directly by the United States.

Adding even more to this guitar’s legacy, it later passed into the hands of Rick Parfitt of the famous English band Status Quo, to whom Johnny gifted it during a trip to Paris in 1981. While Rick never played the guitar on stage, it traveled with the band on tour, was used in hotel rooms and backstage, and occasionally for soundcheck as a warm-up instrument. This Gretsch White Falcon thus accompanied two musical icons in their respective countries: first as a stage instrument under the spotlight during Johnny Hallyday’s concerts, then as a touring companion for Rick Parfitt and Status Quo after he received it from the Taulier. This guitar is a true piece of history to discover at Matt’s Guitar Shop, with its commanding sound and breathtaking story.