Players
Professionals and guitar aficionados all over the world demand the best. This is why they ask Pensa Guitars to build the instrument of their dreams. We understand what musicians want and need in their instrument which is why Pensa Guitars are so highly regarded and sought after.
Superior craftsmanship and attention to detail go into each instrument we build. We take great pride in knowing that the best players and guitarists with the highest of standards and discriminating taste choose to play Pensa Guitars and Pensa Basses.
Mark Knopfler
The most meticulous and gifted of craftsmen, Mark Knopfler is known to one and all as the genius guitarist, singer and writer whose new take on country, folk and British roots launched the meteoric rise of Dire Straits – and kept them at the top of the pile when music tastes changed. Rudy Pensa met Mark Knopfler in the 1980s during the height of Dire Straits fame. They shared the same passion for the guitar and formed an enduring friendship. In 1987, Rudy and Mark sat down over a cup of coffee and drew the blueprints on a napkin for what would become one of the most sought-after custom-made guitars in the world: the Pensa "MK". In 2000, Rudy and Mark teamed up again to design the "Pensa MK2", which rapidly gained momentum worldwide. Since then, Pensa Custom Guitars has been one of the main ingredients to Knopfler’s signature sound on stage and in the studio.
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Al ‘Boogie‘ Carty
A multitalented musician, Al ‘Boogie’ Carty is best known as an accomplished bassist, music director, and producer. He has worked with artists such as Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, Ed Sheeran, J. Cole, Queen Latifah, Toni Braxton, Ayo, Taylor Hicks, Meshell Ndegeocello, Enrique Iglesias, and performed at historic venues including Saturday Night Live.
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David DJ Ginyard
David “DJ” Ginyard is one of the most forward thinking Bassists of his time, known for playing with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Solange Knowles, Aaron Parks, David Fiuczynski, Screaming Headless Torsos, and countless others. Ginyard used his Pensa J-5 to record the soundtrack on Spike Lee’s 2018 Film, BlacKkKlansman alongside legendary American Trumpeter, Terence Blanchard. Catch him on-stage with one of his Pensa J-Series Basses.
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Guillermo Vadala
Guillermo Vadala has a 30 year career as bass & guitar player as both live & session performer. He has recorded over 1,000 albums for a variety of artists, including Alejandro Sanz, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Chayanne, Laura Pausini, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Diego Torres, Fito Páez, Mercedes Sosa, among others. He has won 7 Grammy Awards. As a solo artist, he has produced and recorded 2 albums. Vadala and his band member, Nerina Nicotra often use Pensa J-Series Basses live and in the studio.
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Gustavo Cerati
Argentine rock legend Gustavo Cerati is a towering figure in popular Latin music. He was the frontman of , the most influential rock en español band of the '80s and early '90s -- arguably of all time -- and he went on to mount a compelling solo career that only furthered his mystique. Chiefly a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, though graced with additional musical abilities, Cerati likely will always be most revered for his work with . The trio formed in the early '80s and steadily rose to dizzying heights of popularity throughout Latin America. Their frequent concert tours filled stadiums and arenas from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles, and when the band finally called it quits in 1997 with a grand farewell tour, Latin music suffered a significant loss. Without question, there was no rock en español band the scale of , and so it was with both hopefulness and apprehension that fans awaited Cerati's debut as a solo artist. Cerati used some of the earliest Pensa guitars ever made live and in the studio, and was known to play various Pensa Custom Guitars throughout his career.
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Jamareo Artis
Jamareo Artis is best known for his low-end work with Pop-Star, Bruno Mars, and can be heard on hits such as “Uptown Funk”, "Locked out of heaven", "Gorilla", and "Treasure." Artis also gained notoriety in 2009 when he won P. Diddy's MTV Making His Band. With Bruno Mars, Artis has played some of the world’s biggest stages including the Super Bowl Halftime Show, The Grammy Awards, Saturday Night Live, Today Show, X Factor, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Show with David Letterman, American Idol, and countless others. Artis can often be seen live with his Pensa Custom J-Series Bass.
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UPTOWN FUNK - Rock In Rio (Lisboa, 2018) | Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk @ 24K Magic World Tour in Hong Kong 2018
Luis Alberto Spinetta
Luis Alberto Spinetta is an Argentinian Rock Legend whose music spans from Latin Pop/Rock to Fusion, and is considered one of the founding fathers of Argentine Rock. Spinetta was a multi-talented singer/songwriter and guitarist who was known for working with musicians and ensembles such as Almendra, Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, Spinetta y los Socios del Desierto,Charly García, Fito Páez and countless others. Spinetta and his band members frequently used Pensa Custom Guitars on stage and in the studio.
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L.A.Spinetta "Seguir Viviendo Sin Tu Amor" (Personal Fest 2007) [HQ]
Luis Alberto Spinetta - Bajan (En Vivo) ft. Gustavo Cerati His Bass Player is using a Pensa J-Series Bass
Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton is an icon in the rock world known for his smash hit 1976 album, “Frampton Comes Alive” and his variety of classic hits that have never gone out of rotation on rock radio. Frampton was one of the earliest users of Pensa Custom Guitars and was notably seen using his Dinky Strat Style Pensa Custom Guitar alongside David Bowie for his 1987 “Glass Spider Tour.”
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David Bowie, Peter Frampton - "Glass Spider Tour 1987- Rehearsal"
Richard Bona
Richard Bona is a bonafide legend in the Bass world, known for playing with high caliber musicians such as Pat Metheny Group, Bobby McFerrin Zawinul Syndicate, Mike Stern, John Legend and a plethora of others. Born in Minta, Cameroon, Africa in 1967, Bona has had an extensive career playing over such a wide range of genres proving himself to be a pure musical chameleon. Bona has been known to use his Pensa Carved Top Fretless Bass
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Pat Metheny & Richard Bona - Bright Size Life
Pat Metheny, Richard Bona and Antonio Sanchez - Bright Size Life
Steve Miller
Steve Miller was a mainstay of the San Francisco music scene that upended American culture in the late '60s. With albums like Children of the Future, Sailor and Brave New World, Miller perfected a psychedelic blues sound that drew on the deepest sources of American roots music and simultaneously articulated a compelling vision of what music-and society-could be in the years to come. Steve Miller can be seen live using his Pensa Custom MK-Joker.
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All Your Love (I Miss Loving). THE STEVE MILLER BAND Live In Concert Cleveland Ohio 6-23-2012
Steve Miller Band with Peter Frampton...All Your Lovin'...Los Angeles, CA...8-10-17
Victor Bailey
From a very young age, Victor Bailey has been hailed as one of the world’s finest bass players. Bailey gained international acclaim as a member of the Jazz Fusion Super Group, Weather Report. His solo career has produced some of the highest acclaimed solo records ever made by a bassist and has been known to tour and record with artists such as Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, Lady Gaga and Madonna. Bailey was a frequent user of Pensa Custom J-Series basses and can be seen pictured with one on the cover of his 1988 album, “Bottom’s Up.”
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Wyclef Jean
The music that Wyclef Jean has written, performed, and produced — both as a solo superstar and as founder and guiding member of the Fugees — has been a consistently powerful, pop cultural force for over two decades. Jean has had the opportunity to make music with such legends as Michael Jackson, Queen, Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones and countless others. Jean and his band members can be seen and heard playing Pensa Custom Guitars live and in the studio. Jean can be seen using his Pensa Custom MK Guitar live at President Barack Obama’s 2009 Inaugural Ball where he was accompanied on vocals by former Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
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General Colin Powell rocks with Wyclef Jean at 2009 inaugural ball
Wyclef Jean performs "Million Voices" at Mandela Day 2009 from Radio City Music Hall