Over the course of his career, Jack White has always been associated with low-end, department store-style electric guitars. He famously played a 1964 Airline Res-o-glass guitar throughout the White Stripes years—a move which helped to recreate a market for these guitars and drive up their prices.
Last month, though, we saw White on stage with two uncharacteristically new guitars—an EVH Wolfgang USA Eddie Van Halen Signature and St. Vincent’s Signature Ernie Ball—and we couldn't help but wonder if this might mark the end of an era.
And while we can't make any kind of declarations about what White might reach for in the future, we can report that both of those new guitars made it onto the Saturday Night Live stage this past weekend.
After an introduction by comedian, former SNL writer, and first-time host John Mulaney (whose opening monologue is worth a watch), Jack White played "Over and Over and Over" using his new EVH Wolfgang. Later in the show, he returned to the stage to play "Connected by Love"—this time, with St. Vincent’s Signature Ernie Ball in tow.
Not long after the legendary rocker's performance aired, Annie Clark of St. Vincent—herself, fresh off of a Friday night Coachella set—took to Twitter and Instagram to eagerly share her excitement. "JACK WHITE PLAYED MY GUITAR ON SNL LAST NIGHT!! WHA?!!! F— YES!!"
Be sure to check out Jack White's full performances above, and let us know what you think in the comments.