When a 19-year-old walked into Virgin Records' Manor Studio in 1972 and proceeded to play nearly every instrument on what would become one of the best-selling instrumental albums of all time, he changed how we think about the guitar's possibilities. Mike Oldfield's approach to the instrument—layering sounds, pushing effects to their limits, and treating each guitar as a tool for sonic exploration—remains a masterclass in creative guitar use fifty years later.
But what guitars did Mike Oldfield actually play? And more importantly, what can his experimental, hands-on approach teach those of us who want to understand our instruments at a deeper level?
Who Is Mike Oldfield? The Multi-Instrumentalist Pioneer
If you've heard the opening notes of "Tubular Bells"—that hypnotic, building piano and guitar figure that became the theme for The Exorcist—you've experienced Mike Oldfield's genius. But here's what makes his story remarkable: he wrote that piece at 17 and recorded it at 19, playing virtually every instrument himself.
Oldfield isn't just a guitarist. He's a bassist, keyboardist, percussionist, and composer who happens to express much of his vision through the guitar. His work sits in the progressive rock tradition, alongside artists like Yes and Genesis, but with a more personal, almost hermit-like approach to creation. While other prog bands collaborated in studios, Oldfield layered track upon track alone, building orchestral arrangements one guitar part at a time.
This one-man-band philosophy defined not just his sound but his entire relationship with instruments. When you're playing every part yourself, you develop an intimate understanding of what each guitar can and can't do—and you start finding creative workarounds when an instrument doesn't give you exactly what you need.
Mike Oldfield's Guitar Collection Through the Decades
The 1970s: The Gibson Era
During the recording sessions that produced his most iconic work, Oldfield relied heavily on Gibson guitars. His primary instrument during the "Ommadawn" sessions (1975) was a 1962 Gibson Les Paul/SG Junior—a guitar that, despite its "junior" designation, offered a raw, direct tone that cut through his dense arrangements.
The SG Junior's single P-90 pickup gave Oldfield a sound that was punchy without being overwhelming, allowing his guitar parts to blend with the multiple layers he was building. This wasn't a coincidence—the simpler electronics of the SG Junior meant fewer things to go wrong and a more predictable response when running through the effects chains he was developing.
He also owned and used a Gibson L6-S during this period, a less common choice that offered him different tonal colors. The L6-S was Gibson's attempt at a more modern, versatile instrument, and its unique pickup switching gave Oldfield additional sonic options without needing to reach for another guitar.
The 1970s-1980s: Marc Bolan's Telecaster
One of the most historically significant guitars in Oldfield's collection was a 1965 Fender Telecaster (serial number L807280) that had previously belonged to glam rock icon Marc Bolan of T. Rex. Oldfield added a Bill Lawrence pickup and stripped the guitar down to bare wood, creating a raw, resonant instrument that featured on some of his most celebrated recordings.
This Telecaster appeared on Tubular Bells, Ommadawn, Five Miles Out, Amarok, and Tubular Bells 2003—spanning three decades of his career. The guitar was eventually sold in January 2010 to charity SANE for £30,000, purchased by guitarist Keith Smart.
For builders drawn to the Telecaster's direct, cutting tone—the same clarity that made it a staple of Oldfield's recordings—a Telecaster kit offers the perfect foundation to create your own version of this legendary sound.
The 1984-2007: The Fiesta Red Stratocaster
Perhaps no guitar is more closely associated with Mike Oldfield's personal playing than his 1963 Fender Stratocaster in Fiesta Red (serial number L08044). Oldfield acquired this instrument in 1984 and it quickly became his favorite guitar—a position it held for over two decades.
The Fiesta Red finish had faded over the years to a distinctive pinkish hue, leading Oldfield to affectionately call it his "Salmon Pink" Stratocaster. This wasn't a heavily modified instrument like some in his collection—it remained essentially stock, proving that sometimes the magic lies in the original design rather than modifications.
This Stratocaster became Oldfield's go-to guitar starting with the Discovery album in 1984. The Strat's characteristic bright, articulate tone and comfortable playability made it perfect for live performances and studio sessions. Where his Gibson guitars offered warmth and mid-range punch, the Fiesta Red Strat delivered the clarity and shimmer that defined his later work.
The guitar's final public appearance was during rehearsals for the 2006 Night of the Proms in Antwerp. In 2007, after 23 years of faithful service, Oldfield parted with his beloved instrument, selling it through Chandler Guitars for £30,000 to a dedicated fan.
For builders interested in that classic Stratocaster tone—the same crystalline cleans and responsive dynamics that made this guitar Oldfield's favorite—a Stratocaster kit offers the perfect foundation to create your own version of this legendary sound.
The 1989-2005: The PRS Studio Workhorse
While the Fiesta Red Strat was Oldfield's personal favorite, his 1989 PRS Signature in Vintage Yellow became his primary studio guitar for nearly two decades. This limited edition Custom 24 appeared on an extraordinary run of albums: Earth Moving (1989), Amarok (1990), Tubular Bells II (1992), The Songs of Distant Earth (1994), Voyager (1996), Tubular Bells III (1998), Guitars (1999), Tubular Bells 2003, and Light + Shade (2005).
Oldfield typically ran the PRS through a modified Roland GP-8 effects processor, creating the heavily overdriven guitar sounds that characterized his work from the late 1980s onwards. The PRS Custom 24's versatility—capable of everything from crisp cleans to saturated leads—made it ideal for his layered recording approach.
He also owned a PRS Custom 24 in Dark Cherry Sunburst, which Chandler Guitars modified with a Roland GK-2AH synth pickup for MIDI triggering. This guitar was sold in February 2006. Additionally, his collection included a PRS Hollowbody in McCarty Sunburst, which he used on the Guitars and Tubular Bells 2003 albums, typically playing it through a Twin Reverb for distorted tones.
The 2010s: Return to Telecaster
For his 2014 album Man on the Rocks, Oldfield made a notable return to the Telecaster. He primarily used a Fender Classic Player Telecaster Deluxe in two-colour sunburst, along with a Fender Mark Knopfler Signature Stratocaster. These instruments also featured on Return to Ommadawn (2017).
In an interview, Oldfield explained his rediscovery of the Telecaster: "I've been getting into guitars with humbucker pickups lately. I've got this very strange looking Telecaster. It's really not the prettiest guitar in the world but for some reason when I plug it into this rack effects box that I have it sounds just like the kind of sound that I had when I was first starting out."
This full-circle return to the Telecaster—the same design that featured on his earliest recordings—demonstrates how certain guitar designs remain relevant across decades of musical evolution.
MIDI Guitar Technology
Perhaps more revolutionary than any single instrument was Oldfield's embrace of Roland MIDI-equipped guitars from the mid-1980s onwards. He progressed from a 1980s Roland GR-300/G-808 system to a 1990s Roland VG8 with GK2-equipped PRS, and eventually to a Line 6 Variax.
His 1962 Gibson SG Junior was even modified by Richard Barrie and Chandler Guitars with Roland synthesizer electronics, enabling unique distorted guitar/synth blend sounds featured on Discovery and other 1980s recordings.
On his Guitars album (1999), the PRS Custom 24's MIDI pickup—fitted by Chandler Guitars in Kew—allowed him to trigger samples and create percussion sounds like tablas directly from his guitar. The pickup appeared as a small thin black bar near the bridge.
This wasn't gimmickry—it was a logical extension of his philosophy that the guitar is a controller for sound, not just a sound source.
For bass duties, Oldfield typically reached for a vintage red Fender Precision Bass or a Wal 4-string, proving that even experimenters sometimes want the reliability of a classic design.
The Signature Sounds: How Oldfield Pushed Guitar Boundaries
Listen to the credits on "Tubular Bells" and you'll find some unusual instrument names: "speed guitar," "fuzz guitar," "mandolin-like guitar," and "guitars sounding like bagpipes." These weren't different instruments—they were the same guitars processed through creative techniques and effects.
Layering and Multitracking
Oldfield's primary technique was extreme layering. He'd record a guitar part, then record another on top, then another. By stacking slightly different performances—or the same performance with different pickup selections—he created a thickness and complexity that sounded almost orchestral.
This approach required intimate knowledge of each guitar's quirks. A part that sounded great solo might disappear in the mix. Another might become muddy when doubled. Oldfield learned to predict how each instrument would behave in context, a skill that only comes from spending serious time with your gear.
Effects as Instruments
Fuzz, compression, volume swells, and unconventional signal chains gave Oldfield access to sounds that didn't exist in the guitar's natural voice. His "bagpipes" guitar was likely a combination of specific picking technique, compression, and possibly an early synthesizer effect. The "mandolin-like" sound came from picking style and possibly tremolo effects rather than an actual mandolin.
The lesson here is valuable: effects aren't just seasoning for your guitar tone—they're tools for creating entirely new instruments.
MIDI and Beyond
When MIDI guitar technology became viable, Oldfield embraced it fully. By equipping guitars with hexaphonic pickups that tracked each string separately, he could trigger synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines from his guitar. A strum could produce a string section. A single note could launch a snare hit.
This required understanding guitar electronics at a deep level—something that comes naturally when you've built, modified, or extensively worked on your own instruments.
The DIY Spirit: What Builders Can Learn from Oldfield
There's a direct line between Oldfield's self-reliant approach and the mindset of someone who builds their own guitar. Both share a fundamental belief: understanding how your instrument works makes you a better player.
Self-Reliance Creates Opportunity
When Oldfield wanted a sound that didn't exist, he created it. When something broke in the studio, he fixed it. This wasn't just resourcefulness—it was a creative advantage. Knowing how guitars work meant he could push them in directions other players couldn't imagine.
Kit builders develop the same advantage. When you've soldered your own pickups, set your own action, and filed your own frets, you understand the instrument in a way that pure players don't. You know why certain sounds happen and how to encourage or prevent them.
Electronics Knowledge Expands Possibilities
Oldfield's MIDI experiments required understanding how pickups work, how signals flow, and how modifications affect output. This knowledge didn't come from reading—it came from hands-on experience.
When you wire your own guitar, you learn these concepts directly. You discover what happens when you wire pickups in series versus parallel. You understand why certain pots taper differently. This knowledge pays dividends every time you plug in, because you're not guessing about your tone—you're controlling it.
Multiple Guitars Mean Multiple Voices
One of the clearest lessons from Oldfield's career is the value of having different instruments with different characteristics. His SG Junior gave him something his L6-S couldn't, and vice versa. His MIDI guitar did things neither acoustic design could approach.
For builders, this is an invitation. Your first kit teaches you the process. Your second kit lets you explore a different tonal direction. A Stratocaster kit gives you those classic single-coil cleans and that comfortable contoured body. A Telecaster kit offers brighter, more cutting tones with simpler construction. Together, they cover far more sonic ground than either could alone.
Building Your Own Tone-Machine
Oldfield customized, modified, and pushed his instruments because he needed sounds that didn't exist off the shelf. Kit builders have the same opportunity from day one.
Start with the Right Foundation
If you're drawn to versatility and comfort—especially as a first build—the Stratocaster kit offers a familiar platform with plenty of room for customization. The three-pickup configuration and five-way switching give you immediate access to a wide range of sounds, and the contoured body makes long playing sessions comfortable.
If you prefer simpler wiring and a more direct signal path, the Telecaster kit puts fewer components between your fingers and your amp. There's a reason the Telecaster design has lasted over seventy years—it works,