What kind of guitar does Oliver Anthony play?
A Gretsch G9220 Bobtail Resonator
In the video for his viral hit song titled "Rich Men North of Richmond," Oliver Anthony can be seen playing a Gretsch G9220 Bobtail Resonator. This is a type of acoustic guitar, sometimes also called a dobro, with built-in metal cones and discs. In this case, the guitar is recorded using an onboard Fishman acoustic preamp system.
Oliver Anthony's popularity has outpaced his rig, to say the least.
His guitar is a Gretsch G9220 Bobtail resonator acoustic, that you can clearly see in his video for "Rich Men North of Richmond". It's a bit smaller than the common dreadnought, and replaces the soundhole with that larger metal piece, with cones and discs inside the body.
It's also not very expensive - certainly not what you'd expect a dude to be playing while he has a song at the top of the Billboard 100.
At the time of writing this, the G9220 was around $650 retail (check price guide below for updated numbers).
I don't know a ton about them, and I don't play them, but these guitars create more of a metallic and twang-like sound, almost like a banjo.
They're also commonly used to play slide guitar, though Oliver uses it for a more conventional strumming pattern.
It's a good fit for Oliver's playing style and musical genre.
Pricing
Prices updated on Mon, September 25th, 2023.
We use partner links to support our work, which means if you click the orange buttons and make a purchase, we might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. But to be honest, we really just appreciate Oliver Anthony's message and how his music has spoken to so many people. Give him your support. Thanks all. ~ Bobby and Danielle
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Pictures
Here's a closer look at the guitar from the music video:
Oliver Anthony is seen playing a Gretsch resonator in his now viral music video.
Here's a better look at the guitar, which you can tell from this angle is fairly small compared to most acoustic guitars.
From this view, you can get a much better look at the size and body shape of the G9220 Bobtail.
And here's a look at the guitar from a stock Sweetwater photo:
A stock photo of the G9220 from Sweetwater.
That small, lighter colored plate on the headstock helps identify this guitar from a couple other similar Gretsch resonators: The G9230 and the G9241.
Neither of those guitars have that piece.
Note that the G9200 Boxcar resonator is a different finish entirely.
There are several Gretsch resonators in circulation, so it takes a little hunting to spot the G9220.
The rest of Oliver Anthony's rig?
In the YouTube video (music video), we can only see Oliver's guitar and his microphone. He recorded the video with his three dogs, all of whom seem pretty contented laying around his outdoor setup.
At this point, I haven't seen anything else that he uses, though I'd imagine we'll get more info about it since his popularity has gone up so quickly.
If you know something I don't, feel free to leave it in the comments section.
We'll keep this post updated as much as we can.
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Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Lessons & Roundups
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Acoustics & Roundups
I saw a video with Oliver Anthony playing left handed. Is that legitimate?
I wouldn’t think. Where’d you see it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c_Nqlnn40w
Looks like that video is just flipped. The Gretsch lettering on the headstock is all backwards.
Noticed the same thing. Hes a righty for sure