Johnny Marr has never damaged or broken his guitars during performances.

Johnny Marr has notably had at least one of his instruments damaged during a performance, contradicting the claim that he has never damaged or broken a guitar while on stage.

“This guy dutifully opened the case. I can still smell it. It was this otherworldly object, like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark”: Johnny Marr on the guitars he’s loved and is about to lose at auction – and the one that started it all
Source: guitarworld.com

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified September 12, 2026

While Johnny Marr himself does not typically destroy instruments on stage, documented accounts confirm that at least one of his notable guitars was damaged by another individual.
Incidents involving the loss or physical injury of equipment, including the 2025 UPS shipping incident, are distinct from performance-related damage but confirm that his gear has faced varied operational risks.

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

While Johnny Marr is not known for the performative destruction of instruments associated with some of his contemporaries, the assertion that he has never had a guitar damaged during a performance is incorrect. Research into his career indicates that instances of instrument damage have occurred. Most notably, an instrument formerly owned by Marr and currently in his collection, a 1953 Gibson Les Paul conversion, was damaged while in the possession of another musician to whom it had been loaned or entrusted.

This incident underscores that damage to his equipment has occurred in the context of his musical career, even if Marr himself does not habitually smash instruments. Other reported instances involving Marr and his equipment, such as a 2014 hand injury that forced the cancellation of tour dates or the loss of equipment by a courier service in 2025, are distinct from performative destruction but clarify the scope of his documented equipment-related issues.theguardian.com guitarworld.com +1 more