“It looks like someone had a Fender Stratocaster described to them and then built their own version”: From Denmark Street to the TARDIS – Peter Capaldi reveals the story behind Doctor Who’s “junk shop” guitar
Peter Capaldi has shared the backstory behind one of Doctor Who’s most curious props: the electric guitar played by the Twelfth Doctor – and why its origins were far more deliberate (and guitar-nerdy) than fans might expect.
In a recent Instagram post, Capaldi – whose tenure as the Doctor lasted between 2014 and 2017 – recalls pitching the idea to the sci-fi show’s production team.
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“I’d suggested that it might be fun if Dr Who played the electric guitar. I imagined he could plug it into the Tardis console and play very loudly and badly like a teenager,” he writes.
That search for the right instrument led Capaldi, director Daniel O’Hara and producer Derek Ritchie to Denmark Street on 17 December 2014. Often dubbed London’s Tin Pan Alley, the historic strip has long been a hub for songwriters, studios and guitar shops.
While a Telecaster initially seemed like a possible choice, Capaldi quickly ruled it out: “I had cited an old Telecaster as the most likely candidate, but they rarely come with tremolos,” he explains. “The Doctor needs a tremolo arm. And their classic shape produces a sort of ‘get me I’m a rock star’ look, which I didn’t fancy.”
Eventually, the team stumbled upon a guitar at the iconic Hanks Guitar shop that ticked all the boxes.
“It has a whammy bar, mock pearl scratch plate, and funny switches, all of which conspire to give it a junk shop aura. It is, for the guitar geeks out there, a Yamaha SVG 300 guitar,” Capaldi recalls. “I liked it because it looks like someone has had a Fender Stratocaster described to them and then gone off and built their own version. Perfect. And it had a tremolo arm. I loved it.”
The actor would go on to play the SVG 300 across seasons nine and ten of Doctor Who. Then, just as quietly as it arrived, the guitar vanished.
“I used it for two seasons of Dr Who and then, it disappeared,” says Capaldi. “I don’t know where it went. Vanished in time and space…”
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