What Guitar Does Eslabon Armado Use?
Note: Professional musicians use many different guitars and frequently change them. Though this is by no means an exhaustive list of every guitar they’ve ever played, we’ll try our best to keep this list updated with their most notable guitars.
Eslabon Armado is a group that started in 2017. After releasing their first single in 2020, the three-man group landed on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Like many other regional Mexican bands, they have a unique and intriguing guitar style.
Eslabon Armado mostly uses Takamine guitars, including a 6-string Takamine GF30CE Black and a 12-string Takamine JJ325SRC-12 John Jorgenson. Bandmate Brian Tovar also uses a Fodera Artie Reynolds Signature Emporer 5 Elite 5-string bass, and Damian Pachecho plays the requinto guitar.
Keep reading to learn more about the various guitars Eslabon Armado uses in their videos and live performances to create their chart-topping signature sound. I’ll also provide background information on the band and answer some questions frequently asked by fans.
Eslabon Armado Guitar: Some Background Information
Eslabon Armado was formed in 2017 by brothers Pedro and Brian Tovar and their friend Gabriel Hidalgo. During this time, they started performing live and posting videos to YouTube.
From there, they released their first two singles in 2020 called “La Trokita” and Con Tub Besos.” These two singles both charted on the Hot Latin Songs chart at 37 and 15, pushing the group into almost immediate success. Their first two albums both went platinum in the US, and they have continued to see success despite Hidalgo leaving the group in 2020.
With two new members, Damian Pacheco and Ulises Gonzalez, Eslabon Armado has released three more albums and won several awards. Having released five albums in their short career, it is no surprise they have played quite a few different guitars.
Read Also: Best Takamine G Series Guitars: Review & Buyer’s Guide
List of Guitars That Eslabon Armado Plays
Takamine GF30CE – Black
This acoustic-electric guitar is sleek, well-balanced, and produces a clean sound. It features a built-in preamp and tuner, allowing easy tuning and playing almost anywhere. The guitar’s top is solid spruce, and the neck, back, and sides are mahogany.
Plenty of Takamine guitars are on this list, as it is a clear favorite for Eslabon Armado. Though, that’s to be expected, given Takamine guitars produce a smooth tone in live performances and have been played by many legends, including Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, and more. Indeed, the right guitar is vital to achieving the best sound for any live band.
The Takamine GF30CE has a glossy finish and a beautiful black-on-black style. Its slim neck makes playing more effortless, and its FXC cutaway body shape makes this guitar light, sleek, and easy to carry. The shape also makes it easier to reach higher notes without slowing you down, which is great whether recording or performing live.
A unique feature of this guitar is its number of frets. Typically, acoustic guitars have 19 frets, and electric guitars have 21-24 frets; this acoustic-electric hybrid has 20 frets. Plus, they’re marked with bright inlay dots, making it easier to slide up and down the neck without losing your place.
This guitar is a favorite among live performers as it plays more like an electric guitar than an acoustic, which makes it easier for artists to switch between acoustic and electric quickly throughout their set. It’s no surprise that the band likes it so much, considering how dark the black looks, but the white outline makes it unique.
Watch Eslabon Armado play the Takamine GF30CE guitar in their 2022 music video for Vete A La Fregada here:
Eslabon Armado also uses this guitar during some live performances, including their 2022 concert in Canada, which you can watch here:
Takamine EF381SC
This 12-string guitar is another Takamine. It has a similar color scheme to the previous guitar but has some important differences. The top of this guitar is spruce, the back and sides are maple, and the neck is rosewood. Furthermore, this is a dreadnought guitar, so it has a larger body that works well with Eslabon Armado’s play styles.
This guitar boldly stands out with a predominantly black body and white trim outline. Like the guitar above, it has a preamp system which means it’s ready to play anywhere at any time. Because the body of this 12-string guitar is so large, it produces an ample volume of sound, which makes it great for live acoustic performances.
As a 12-string guitar, the player has more options regarding the notes and chords one can play. This many strings also provide a more specific and crisp sound than you would get from a typical 6-string guitar. While learning at first can be more challenging, the payoff is a cleaner sound with more vibrant notes at your disposal.
If you are just learning to play, we recommend starting with a 6-string guitar before you move to a 12-string guitar like this one. 12-string guitars are more challenging to learn and more difficult to play as you hold more strings at once. Once you learn it, you will see the benefits of the unique sounds it can provide.
Eslabon Armado doesn’t use this guitar as often as the 6-string, but when they do play it, you can certainly hear the difference.
The Takamine EF381SC makes an appearance in their Con Tus Besos music video, which you can watch here:
The Takamine EF381SC is also periodically in their live performances, as seen in this video:
Fodera Artie Reynolds Signature Emporer 5 Elite
This 5-string bass is undoubtedly a stand-out guitar. Not only does it have a unique shape, but also has a beautiful color that demands attention when on stage. The body and neck of this guitar are the same shade, allowing the headstock symbols to catch your eye. Otherwise, the black Fodera logo and the black signature butterfly are the only parts of this guitar that don’t blend with the primary color.
This guitar does have inlay dots, but since they are silver, you can’t see them very well against the pale wood color. Still, this won’t stop you from seeing them close up as you play, but the audience may never know they are there unless the light reflects off them. The body is alder while the neck is maple, making this a sturdy bass guitar.
Because it has five strings, the Artie Reynolds Signature bass guitar offers a versatile tone that allows you to experiment and add unique sounds to your music. So, it is no surprise that Eslabon Armado uses this bass to do just that in many instances. You can clearly hear the difference this bass makes in their Jugaste y Sufri music video from 2021.
Not only does this bass guitar look great, but it is also easy to play. The body’s design allows you to reach higher notes easily without the bass guitar getting in the way. Even with this Fodera’s unique shape, holding and playing while standing is still comfortable, so you don’t have to worry about it affecting your play style.
Eslabon Armado uses the Fodera Artie Reynolds Signature bass guitar in their music video, Jugaste y Sufri, seen here:
This guitar also made an appearance at a live show in Chicago, which you can see in this video:
Takamine JJ325SRC-12 John Jorgenson
Also in the Con Tus Besos music video, you can see Eslabon Armado playing the Takamine JJ325SRC-12. This is another 12-string guitar the group loves adding to their songs to produce the clear, unique tones they’ve become known for.
This guitar is a beautiful deep red and was a collaboration with John Jorgenson. Even if you don’t know his name, you have heard him playing guitar on songs for artists like Bob Dylan, Elton John, and many more. His legacy in the guitar world is extraordinary, and his guitar certainly represents that.
Without a doubt, the cutaway makes the guitar look cool, yet it also allows easier access to the lower frets. This makes the guitar easy to play, no matter your style. It also has a preamp, a plug-in-and-go feature that automatically turns off when you unplug it from an amp, allowing players to switch guitars quickly when playing live.
The deep red tone and the unique design make this guitar stand out more than others, which is one reason it is featured front and center in the Con Tus Besos music video (posted above).
If you are looking for a 12-string guitar made by someone who has plenty of experience playing the guitar, this Takamine guitar by John Jorgenson is one of the best you can get. The body is beautiful, but the true benefit of using this guitar comes from its clear sound and easy playability.
Takamine P1DC-12 SM
This 12-string guitar has been a favorite of Eslabon Armado since they first started posting videos online. You can see it in this preview clip posted back when the group was first starting to release music:
Now, this guitar is difficult to find as new models have taken over, but the beauty of this acoustic truly stands out.
The satin brown color is currently hard to find, yet it was once a very popular choice for Takamine acoustics for many years. The cutaway design makes accessing every fret easy, regardless of your experience level. This guitar has a truly rustic feel that many other new guitars lack. Plus, the satin molasses finish would look perfect sitting by a fireplace in a rustic home.
The top is solid cedar with a mahogany neck that will last a long time if you take care of it. Sonically this guitar has a good balance. It also features a preamp that allows full volume control on the guitar. The pearl inlay dots and split bone bridge give you great performance and a cool, rustic look.
This was one of the first guitars that we got the see Eslabon Armado play as they used it to promote their debut single. The group has not used it much since then, but fans fondly remember it as one of the first guitars the band was seen with.
We don’t know for sure how much they used it at the beginning, but to suggest Eslabon Armado recorded with this guitar would not be a stretch. If you want the perfect mix of a clear sound and a rustic look, this is a great guitar to consider. You may have trouble finding this exact guitar as Takamine has moved on with other designs, but there are still some out there if you are looking to add it to your collection.
FAQs
Let’s talk a little more about Eslabon Armado’s rise to fame and answer some questions fans often ask about them.
How Did Eslabon Armado Get Famous?
Eslabon Armado got famous after self-recording their first album by promoting songs to the public via live shows and online videos. This gained the attention of future fans and, more importantly, of Del Records, who released the album, earning the number nine spot on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums.
By this time, the band had practiced and played live plenty yet was still often posting performance videos online and continued to grow in popularity.
Eslabon Armado’s fame certainly wasn’t handed to them, and it’s no surprise that when this group finally released their garage-recorded debut album, they were met with a warm welcome. Since this release, they have continued to achieve success with four more studio albums.
Where Is Eslabon Armado From?
The original members of Eslabon Armado are from Patterson, CA, which included brothers Pedro and Brian Tovar and their friend Gabriel Hidalgo. Ulices Chiadez, who would not join the group until 2021, is from Sinaloa, Mexico.
Chiadez joined the group when he was just 20 years old, as was Damian Pacheco when he joined the group under a year later.
Why Did Eslabon Armado Change Band Members?
Eslabon Armado changed band members when Gabriel Hidalgo left the band for personal reasons. The Tovar brothers added a new third member to replace him a year later, and a fourth member was added to the group a year after that.
Read Also: Who Plays Takamine Guitars?: 6 Famous Takamine Players
When Eslabon Armado first started, the members were mere teenagers. When their first album debuted in 2020, and the group found success, Pedro was 17, his brother Brian was 16, and then bandmate Gabriel was 18.
They dropped three albums during that first year. Yet, after their third album dropped in December, Hidalgo announced he was leaving the group for personal reasons. Beyond this, there is still no clear answer to why he left the group.
In a later interview, Pedro suggested the reason for Hidalgo’s departure was that he purchased a house in LA. Apparently, Hidalgo bought this house for his family as their music career was taking off, and he wanted to provide something nice for them. However, this would put him hours away from his bandmates. So, Pedro suggested that he had left due to the distance.
If distance wasn’t the issue, then we have to consider Hidalgo might have left due to the amount of work the group was putting in. Three albums in one year is not an easy feat, and though they slowed down afterward, it can take its toll. It is also worth stating that there have been no negative words exchanged in the aftermath, only respect.
Whatever the reason for his departure, this left Eslabon Armado as a two-man group for a short period. During this time, the Tovar brothers had every intention of bringing someone else into the group but weren’t ready for just how quickly that would happen.
In February 2021, the now two-man group would collaborate with Ulices Chiadez on a song called Te Encontra. After this collaboration, the duo continued making music, releasing another album in 2021. Shortly after this, the brothers decided to bring in Chaidez, whom they had already worked with earlier in the year as a permanent member.
In 2022, shortly after the addition of Chaidez, the trio then decided to add a fourth member. This was when Damian Pacheco joined the group. At this point, Eslabon Armado felt whole again and began recording a brand new album. In mid-2022, they would release Nostalgia, their fifth album. It was the first to feature every member of the group that we have now.
Final Thoughts
Eslabon Armado is still new to the music scene, but you wouldn’t know it given their rise to success. After putting out five albums in two years and touring all over the world, you can see just how much they use some of their favorite guitars listed above in their music to create their unique sound.
For beginners looking to master their craft with a guitar like Eslabon Armado uses, consider a 6-string guitar with fewer frets, like the Takamine GF30CE Black. For great tips on how to learn songs faster on guitar, check out our article here.
