Date: 08/10/2025
Mood: sick
Listening to: Sturmfahrt - Eisbrecher
Paul Landers guitar model list & timeline of usage
This page tracks Paul Landers' known guitars by era, model, color, stage use, tuning notes, modifications, and visual references as curated by me; a girl who likes colors.
Quick Answer:
What guitar did Paul Landers use on each Rammstein album?
Public footage and photos do not always prove every guitar used on every recorded track. This list summarizes the strongest visible studio production era evidence I currently know of showing these models were inside the studio space. Largely, it follows his on stage usage patterns too.
Herzeleid (1995)
Music Man EVH
Best public evidence: Achtung wir kommen production footage and 1990s live/photo continuity.
Sehnsucht (1997)
Music Man EVH (most plausible)
Best public evidence: The lack of any visible non-Music Man guitar in 1990s public material. Other Axis models in Paul's possession did not exist for sale during Sehnsucht production in 1996.
Mutter (2001)
Music Man Axis USA custom
Best public evidence: MTV studio footage and of the era guitar continuity on stage.
Reise, Reise / Rosenrot (2004-2005)
Music Man Axis custom & Gibson Les Paul Studio
Best public evidence: production photos and Making of Reise, Reise footage.
Liebe ist für alle da (2009)
Gibson Les Paul Studio / Les Paul family models
Best public evidence: Making of Liebe ist für alle da footage and production photos. These looks like carry overs from RR/R era. The Ibanez AXS32 was shown in a photo. In a 2012 interview he claimed his Signature model was used in a prototype form "in the studio" to an unknown degree.
Untitled (2019)
Gibson Les Paul Custom / Les Paul family models
Best public evidence: La Fabrique production photos.
Zeit (2022)
Unknown publicly
I have not found public production footage or photos for this album.
Ernie Ball Music Man Axis era: 1994–2005
The Axis heavy years are the most visually chaotic period. With several near identical models separated mostly by color, pickguard additions, tuning, and short stage use windows.
Early 1994 – March 1996
Translucent Gold Music Man EVH
- Tuning E & D
This was the base model that became the Axis template when it was rebranded in 1996. The last time this guitar was known of usage was March 1996's London MTV appearance. Final concert usage appears to be February that year.
March 1996 – August 1997
"Silver/Chrome" Axis EVH (modded)
- Tuning E & D
- Special note 100% a personal modified creation
- CUSTOM MODEL
This is his craziest guitar of all time. I'm convinced there was no silver Axis yet and he made up his own. I suspect this is a modified monster created by Paul using the EVH model as a base. The neck's wood type doesn't align with an EX. It's like he put a silver sticker / foil layer on, or something. Why is it creased? How do you even manage this? Later the 1998 one in proper silver shows up with a "To Paul" signature. Let me interview this man. There's a story to tell. He wanted a silver chrome Axis model so bad, it's funny.
April – December 1997, April–May 1998
Translucent Red Axis
- Tuning D
- Stage use 1998 US shows only
- Special note USA Axis
It's missing the Axis logo on the headstock. This is an exclusive trait held by EXs made in Japan. This model is unmistakably a USA Axis switch/knob layout. Getting recent confirmation on this via my high resolution scan in May 2026 has been yet another moment of "90s Paul is an enigma". It may be a production mistake I just so happened to have noted.
September – December 1997
Black Axis
- Tuning E
- Special note USA Axis
- PENDING photo verification
In high res it has the USA Axis layout, logo, and one switch. I have repeatedly searched my soul of every image in 1997 and nothing, and I mean nothing, indicates it has the 'translucent' texture. The highest resolution image I have is here with a slight light reflection, and I'm not picking up the texture in any photos. "Opaque black" is a valid and viable 1997 black Axis choice. It can exist without translucency and was not available in 1996. If anyone wants to find/sell me photos of Paul holding this guitar - please get in touch with me immediately! 100% serious. I need this guitar in higher quality and I've done everything I can for years to track down 1997 print magazine images of this man solely for this purpose.
May – October 1998
Translucent Black Axis
- Tuning E
- Special note no pickguard yet
- Special note USA Axis
- CUSTOM MODEL
The brown color cast seen in some later images is likely caused by warm stage lighting. This guitar is custom modded for him. It strikingly uses a second switch near the pickup selector, and one knob. You will not find this model like this secondhand. As for what the second switch does, I don't know precisely. The second switch was likely a custom wiring modification. The possibilities are a coil split or series/parallel option for the humbuckers. A series/parallel might fit Paul's live needs and seems very "him". It can make a humbucker sound clearer or brighter while retaining a hum canceling dual coil structure. However, the positioning of the second switch strongly suggests relating to the pickups.
May – October 1998
"Silver" / Platinum Axis
- Tuning D
- Special note black written text
- Special note no pickguard yet
- Special note USA Axis
- CUSTOM MODEL
The text says "To Paul, [unreadable signature]" and was strongly likely a custom gift guitar. He appears to either own two of these identical silver models with and without signature, or the black text wore off eventually from being cleaned. This photo is one of the highest resolution of the black text that I scanned myself. Both this and the custom black one appeared at the same time and received pickguards at the same time. It highly suggests that both are custom tailored to him. I suspect something about this color may formally be called pearl platinum. As when you view it in extreme high def, it closer resembles a platinum and pearl-like finish. But no catalogs I found offer this color on any Axis until 2001.
Late-October 1998 – June 1999
"Silver" / Platinum Axis
- Tuning D
- Special note with black pickguard
- Special note USA Axis
- CUSTOM MODEL
There is no evidence of a black pickguard being offered in catalogs between 1997-98. I strongly suspect these are custom requests. This Axis made a surprise return in the Feuer frei video and then vanished forever.
Late-October 1998 – July 2002
Translucent Black Axis
- Tuning E
- Special note with white pickguard
- Special note USA Axis
- CUSTOM MODEL
In early 2001 and I presume during 2000 (pictures are rare), this model appeared with its original cream colored knob. From Mutter era starting onward during that spring, this knob was replaced with a black one. This photo shows a palm mute 👀 Both the silver and black received pickguard additions somewhere during the Family Values Tour. I narrowed it down to after 10/23 Missouri, and first sighted in bootleg format on New Haven's footage on 10/29. It may be earlier than 10/29 but I lack visual confirmations. The best video of this reveal is actually 10/30 at Uniondale. 2004's Reise Reise making of - Paul appears again with a black looking Axis guitar that may be the match. The switches are not visible in the footage to my chagrin. I believe this guitar continued to be used for studio purposes in this era of 2003-2004.
2000 – July 2005
"Silver" Axis EX style
- Special note with changed black knob and later pickup mods
- probable custom model
I lean far more to it being silver again but inside the EX layout. This would suggest another potential custom model. I have noted that the switch on it in 2004, has a definite pale-ish coloration from high resolution scan. During the 2004-05 tour, the Axis guitars appear to have been modified with black EMG humbuckers that replaced the stock DiMarzio Axis pickups. The exact EMG model cannot be confirmed. Given Paul's later comments about active pickups being useful live, an active EMG set such as an 81/85 is plausible. However, passive EMG-HZ models cannot be ruled out from blurry DVD visuals...
2001 May - to June?
Sandberg Plasmabass
- Special note seemingly once per show one song; Zwitter
November 2004 – July 2005
Another black Axis
- Special note with black pickguard
- Special note USA Axis
It is not clear if this is the same as the 1997 black Axis, except it does have the same color and USA Axis layout. This is why I'd love to properly identify the 1997's texture/look.
Axis Model FAQ
Because the fandom has the biggest trouble with his Axis models, and many fansites are still wrong, we need an entire FAQ apparently.
Why can't I find this color/switch/pickguard combination for sale? What's with the second selector?
It's a custom model tailored to him. It doesn't exist. Likely custom wiring for the pickups. The Axis USA was retooled specifically to allow for such custom work to be possible. I suppose not many players took advantage of this.
Why can't I find a pickguard or volume knob like this?
It's a custom modification or request.
The other fansites told me he used an EX since 1994.
Yeah well, they have no idea what they're talking about. The EX line did not exist until 1996. He did not use any EX styled guitar until 2000, the matte silver one in Mutter and Reise Reise era. That 1996 one is most likely a modified EVH. There is no way to discern this 100% unless someone gets me serials, a photo of the back of the headstock, or inner date written with the neck removed. If you are in possession of such a photograph, speak now.
Was it an EX in the Mutter and Ahoi tour era?
Sort of yes/no. It depends on how you feel about it being custom made. It was not a genuine for-sale EX in these colors and detail combinations. It is an EX only in concept/style. The pickup selector and coloration have no known catalog matches. There is nothing like it for sale with silver matte, black knob, and colored looking switch like this.
What's up with Ernie Ball, Music Man, Axis, EX, Van Halen naming? Why does this guitar have so many labels on fansites?
Yeah, Axis lore is pretty rough! Once you get used to it, it's easier. Ernie Ball is the name of the manufacturer. Their proper name is Ernie Ball Music Man when the eponymous Ernie purchased them. These two parts are actually one phrase, not two distinct labels. Most people call it just EBMM or Music Man, for short. Which likely generated the Ernie Ball separation confusion.
Axis, EX, and Van Halen are model name designations. The EVH/Van Halen model is the original. It was the Signature model of the aforementioned Eddie Van Halen, yes. When his contract ended with EBMM they chose to redesign the guitar instead of discontinuing. The EX and Axis splintered from the rebrand starting in 1996 and look different from each other. But EX and Van Halen models look similar by eye. The Axis variant was especially redesigned internally to be distinct and notably moved the pickup selector. There were more and more color variants created over the years since 1996's split and other variations like Super Sport and such. The Axis is also called Axis USA to differentiate it from a time when the EX variant was made in Japan.
Are the black Axis all the same one?
No. It is unclear if all three are different. However, I can promise two of them are absolutely distinct due to the switches. The 1997 guitar has no clear enough photos to study the translucent texture for any further clues.
The potential answers are:
- Lineage #1: 1997 Black ⟶ modded to the 1998 Black with a custom switch added ⟶ later white pickguard added ⟶ 2004 Black is independent. This means there's two models total in this color.
- Lineage #2: 1997 Black ⟶ 1998 Black is 100% independent with a custom switch and the 1997 was retired from the stage ⟶later white pickguard added to 1998 ⟶ 2004 Black is independent from them both. This means there's three black models total.
- Lineage #3: 1997 Black ⟶ it's retired ⟶ 1998 independent Black with custom switch mod ⟶ later white pickguard added on ⟶ the 2004 is the original 1997 out of retirement but with the added black pickguard. This creates two total models in this color.
Because Paul is a "stop making the guitar complicated" guy, my bet is on lineage version #1.
Gibson & ESP era: 2004-present
This era revealed a significant switch to Gibson Les Paul and ESPs. But there was some experimentation with a strange Ibanez.
November 2004 – July 2005
Gibson Les Paul Studio
- Special note I think this was used in both Keine Lust and Benzin's videos.
November 2004 – July 2005
Ibanez AXS32
November 2004 – July 2005
Takamine EF341SC
- Special note used in Los
2005
ESP Ltd EC-50 - probable
2008
Taylor 910 (or similar family)
The precise model eludes me, but the closest I've seen to these markings is Taylor's 910 line and it's definitely the Taylor brand.
2009 December - 2011 May
ESP Eclipse I CTM PL
- Special note called "black satin" apparently
Images of this thing on stage has me on the streets like a beggar. I ended up asking Reverb to help. Here: one | two | three. He used it in Frühling in Paris.
2009 December - 2011 May
ESP Eclipse I CTM PL
- Special note "silver satin" variation
He has this habit of removing knobs on his guitars. So it looks odd to the promotional images.
2009 December - 2011 May
Gibson Les Paul Classic Custom Ebony
- Special note used in the Ich tu dir weh video
Rarest photographed guitar from modern era. It's definitely a blink-and-you-miss it on stage. You can find it in Sonne on In Amerika if you squint very hard.
2009 December – forever
Signature Gibson Les Paul
You can view it thoroughly and some promo images here. I have an entire page dedicated to the Signature Les Paul's information, prototype, specs, photos, and tour changes.
2013, 2016-2017, 2019-2024
ESP Ltd EC-10
- Special note Exclusively found in flamethrower songs (Links, Stripped, Rammstein)
Extra known guitars
He appears to own many for personal collection. This is only a sprinkle of ones I know.
Gibson Les Paul Custom - "Black Beauty"-esque look
Has only been seen anymore in the Tech21 interview and his Du hast clip from 2023. These are known to be in gold like this.
Four guitars on his home studio wall
- Far left Unidentified dark/sunburst (Ibanez...?)
- Left Rickenbacker 360-like
- Middle Rickenbacker 360/12 - Mapleglo w/ white - like that
- Right Fender Jaguar, Olympic White w/ tortoise guard
I took my best guesses trying to identify these. It's not confirmed fact. But just me, staring excessively at product photos and reverb.com. (Man casually has ~10k stacked on his wall.)
Fender Mustang from Mein Land
This is the name of the Mein Land Fender prop/rental used for the music video.
