Stolen guitars lead IDLES' Lee Kiernan to his renowned pink Mustang Fender, after the incident got the attention of the brand, who offered assistance in the recovery
Lee Kiernan, one half of the guitar duo in the British band IDLES, has made a name for himself in the world of guitar modding since the early days of the band's formation. Hailing from Bristol, England's post-punk scene, IDLES rose to prominence with their 2017 album, Brutalism.
Kiernan's signature guitar is a shell pink Fender Mustang, a model he acquired after a stolen-guitar incident early in the band's career. This unique instrument has since become his go-to guitar, and Fender later made it part of their Player II Modified series featuring pre-modded classic guitars. In fact, Kiernan and his co-guitarist Mark Bowen have recently been anointed by Fender as poster boys for the series.
The guitar duo is known for their "violent, dark tones" and their view that digital modelers are "wack." In a recent discussion, they even mentioned Nigel Godrich, a producer for Radiohead, as a fellow analogue enthusiast.
In the past, Kiernan has been known to remove unnecessary parts from his guitars due to lack of use. However, recently he has started to reintroduce some parts into his guitars that he previously removed.
IDLES' unconventional approach to music doesn't stop at their guitars. Since carving a genre-bending path for themselves, they have also contributed to the film score for Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing.
Lee Kiernan's first personal guitar purchase was a Tom DeLonge Strat, but it was the shell pink Fender Mustang that truly became his iconic instrument. The latest studio album by IDLES, Tangk, was released in 2024, showcasing the band's unique sound and Kiernan's distinctive guitar playing.
