Recording King

Recording King is a musical instrument brand of the professional grade acoustic guitar, banjo, resonator and lap steel guitar, based in Hayward, California. Their guitars are designed in the US and sold worldwide.

The current owner of a brand is The Music Link Corporation based in Hayward, which also produces other musical instrument lines.

1940 Recording King archtop by Gibson

Recording King Tricone (after 2007)

Recording King started as a house brand for Montgomery Ward in the 1930s. Legendary guitarist John Fahey played a 1939 model. The original guitar was similar to the Gibson Advanced Jumbo, discontinued in 1939. The brand was revived in 2007, with Johnson Guitars taking the Recording King label. Current Recording King products use vintage designs and replicas of pre-World War II parts.

Musicians who use Recording King guitars include Christian Letts of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Justin Townes Earle, John Fahey, Mark Spencer of Son Volt, Will Kimbrough, Lizzy Long, Jonathan Devoto of The Matches, and Rob McCoury.