# Elliot Easton
**Elliot Easton** (born Elliot Steinberg, 1953) is an American left-handed guitarist best known as the lead guitarist and a founding member of the Boston new wave band the Cars, whose blend of guitar-driven rock and synth pop made them one of the most popular American bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247705/bio/) • [2](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-story-of-the-cars-new-wave). His playing style mixes rock, blues, jazz, country, and rockabilly into short, carefully composed solos built to serve the song rather than display virtuosity[3](https://www.premierguitar.com/lessons/elliot-easton-shakes-it-u).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Elliot Steinberg, 1953, Brooklyn, New York; grew up mostly in Massapequa, Long Island[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247705/bio/) • [4](https://forward.com/culture/music/573041/elliot-easton-steinberg-the-cars-jewish-rock-n-roll/) |
| Training | Berklee College of Music, Boston, where he studied guitar, arranging, and composition[3](https://www.premierguitar.com/lessons/elliot-easton-shakes-it-u) |
| The Cars | Lead guitarist from 1976; the band notched 13 Top 40 singles over six albums and sold more than 23 million copies[4](https://forward.com/culture/music/573041/elliot-easton-steinberg-the-cars-jewish-rock-n-roll/) |
| Solo album | Change No Change (1985), a songwriting collaboration with singer Jules Shear[5](https://progrography.com/elliot-easton/review-elliot-easton-change-no-change-1985/amp/) |
| Other bands | Creedence Clearwater Revisited (from 1996); The New Cars with Todd Rundgren and Greg Hawkes (2005-2007)[6](https://www.vintageguitar.com/3019/elliot-easton-2/) • [7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again) |
| Cars reunion | Move Like This (2011), the first Cars album in 23 years, recorded with the surviving members[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again) |
| Hall of Fame | Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cars in 2018[8](https://rockhall.com/inductees/cars/) |
## Early life
Easton was born Elliot Steinberg in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247705/bio/). He lived in [Forest Hills, Queens](https://www.edgepedia.org/forest-hills-queens), until he was 6, when his family moved to Massapequa, Long Island; he graduated from Massapequa High School in 1971 and changed his surname to Easton before the Cars released their first album[4](https://forward.com/culture/music/573041/elliot-easton-steinberg-the-cars-jewish-rock-n-roll/). As a child he visited Grayson's Music in [Long Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/long-island), where he ordered his first custom left-handed electric guitar[9](https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/elliot-easton).
He attended the [Berklee College of Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/berklee-college-of-music) in Boston, where he studied guitar, arranging, and composition[3](https://www.premierguitar.com/lessons/elliot-easton-shakes-it-u). Berklee training showed in his later solos: instead of leaning on pentatonic licks in the song's key, he approached his solos from a jazz perspective, navigating chord changes creatively[3](https://www.premierguitar.com/lessons/elliot-easton-shakes-it-u). His favorite guitarists were classic Telecaster players such as [James Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-burton), Steve Cropper, and Clarence White, alongside the Clapton, Beck, and Page records his contemporaries drew on[3](https://www.premierguitar.com/lessons/elliot-easton-shakes-it-u).
## The Cars
Ocasek and Orr had played together in the bands Richard and the Rabbits and Cap'n Swing before forming the Cars; Easton, who had also studied at Berklee, played in Cap'n Swing with them[2](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-story-of-the-cars-new-wave) • [10](https://www.mmone.org/the-cars/). In interviews Easton recalled first hearing the pair at a Warner Brothers party in Boston and deciding, "I want to play in this band"[2](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-story-of-the-cars-new-wave). By the end of 1976 the lineup was set with keyboardist [Greg Hawkes](https://www.edgepedia.org/greg-hawkes) and drummer [David Robinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-robinson), and the Cars played their first gig at Pease Air Force Base in [New Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-hampshire) on December 31, 1976[10](https://www.mmone.org/the-cars/).
[The Cars](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cars)' self-titled 1978 debut album, produced by [Roy Thomas Baker](https://www.edgepedia.org/roy-thomas-baker), sold more than six million copies[4](https://forward.com/culture/music/573041/elliot-easton-steinberg-the-cars-jewish-rock-n-roll/). Over a run lasting from 1976 to 1988 the band released six albums, notched 13 [Top 40](https://www.edgepedia.org/top-40) singles, and sold more than 23 million copies[4](https://forward.com/culture/music/573041/elliot-easton-steinberg-the-cars-jewish-rock-n-roll/). Easton's guitar work was a defining element of the sound: his solos on "My Best Friend's Girl," "Just What I Needed," "Shake It Up," and "Touch and Go" are widely cited as model examples of the short, composed pop-rock guitar solo[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again) • [11](https://bostonmanmagazine.com/the-enthusiast/).
**Composed solos.** Many of his solos were written before entering the studio. The "My Best Friend's Girl" solo, for example, was worked out at home from a rehearsal tape and played over a static E chord with 1-6-2-5 movement, a touch of chord substitution learned in his jazz studies[12](https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/elliot-easton-the-guitars-behind-the-cars-hits). On the band's early records he used no effects pedals beyond a Morley Echo/Volume pedal and a Roland Chorus Ensemble, relying on clean Telecaster and [Les Paul](https://www.edgepedia.org/les-paul) tones through Fender and Ampeg amplifiers[12](https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/elliot-easton-the-guitars-behind-the-cars-hits) • [13](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/elliot-eastons-guide-cars-discography).
The Cars disbanded in February 1988 after the Door to Door tour and [Ric Ocasek](https://www.edgepedia.org/ric-ocasek)'s departure[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again) • [2](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-story-of-the-cars-new-wave).
## Solo work and other projects
During the Cars' 1984 break from touring, Easton recorded his own album, Change No Change, released on Elektra in 1985[14](https://www.allmusic.com/album/change-no-change-mw0000182729) • [15](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/elliot-easton-mn0000794597). The record was a songwriting collaboration with singer Jules Shear, who had earlier featured Easton on guitar on Shear's Watch Dog[5](https://progrography.com/elliot-easton/review-elliot-easton-change-no-change-1985/amp/). One track, "Walk On Walden," began as a piece written for a [Guitar World](https://www.edgepedia.org/guitar-world) compilation CD and was recorded as an acoustic DADGAD-tuned solo on an Ovation Elite[12](https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/elliot-easton-the-guitars-behind-the-cars-hits). AllMusic's review notes his singing was widely criticized even as it praised his guitar work[14](https://www.allmusic.com/album/change-no-change-mw0000182729).
His later work spanned several projects. In 1995 he recorded "Monte Carlo Nights" with the Tiki Gods, which appeared on the soundtrack of the [Quentin Tarantino](https://www.edgepedia.org/quentin-tarantino) film [Jackie Brown](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-brown)[16](https://www.vintageguitar.com/15943/elliot-easton-3/). From the mid-1990s he played with Creedence Clearwater Revisited, built around the original Creedence Clearwater Revival rhythm section, an affiliation that lasted several years[6](https://www.vintageguitar.com/3019/elliot-easton-2/). He also played on bassist Lee Rocker's album No Cats (1998) and on the Click Five's "Angel To You (Devil To Me)"[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247705/bio/).
**The New Cars and the 2011 reunion.** In 2005 Easton and original Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes formed The New Cars with Todd Rundgren as lead vocalist[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again). The band released It's Alive and achieved modest success, but canceled its 2006 spring tour after Easton broke his collarbone, and the group had broken up by 2007[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again). In 2011, after a 23-year hiatus, the surviving original members reunited for the album Move Like This, released by Hear Music/Concord Music Group, without Benjamin Orr, who had died of pancreatic cancer in 2000[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again).
The Cars were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 in the Performer category, inducted by Brandon Flowers of the Killers, with Easton among the five members honored[8](https://rockhall.com/inductees/cars/).
## Playing style
Easton's signature quality is restraint. He is known for tasteful, reserved playing that adds parts serving the song rather than the player[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again). As he put it in a 2011 interview, "There was this punk ethic that if you had too much technique, you didn't have any street cred... it's about what's behind it"[7](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again). His genre-hopping blend of rock, blues, jazz, country, and rockabilly has been described as defying labeling, and Premier Guitar's 2026 lesson series analyzed how his solos navigate chord changes with jazz-derived substitutions[3](https://www.premierguitar.com/lessons/elliot-easton-shakes-it-u). A recurring argument in guitar-press commentary is that Easton has been underrated because his contribution arrived through well-crafted pop hits rather than technical showcases; Easton himself has offered that explanation: "If people think I'm underrated in some ways, maybe it's just because what I do is a little more subtle than the average lead guitarist"[4](https://forward.com/culture/music/573041/elliot-easton-steinberg-the-cars-jewish-rock-n-roll/).
## Signature guitars
Easton, a knowledgeable guitar collector with a large left-handed collection, has had four signature models over his career[6](https://www.vintageguitar.com/3019/elliot-easton-2/).
- A Kramer Elliot Easton model, introduced in the mid-1980s, with a large 1950s-style pickguard; Easton designed it with Tom Anderson, and it is remembered as having the most vintage vibe of any Kramer built[6](https://www.vintageguitar.com/3019/elliot-easton-2/).
- A Gretsch signature based on the Duo Jet, on which Easton lengthened the scale from the Duo Jet's 24.5 to 24.75 inches to a full 25 inches, tightening the low end and improving the twang; it included locking Sperzel tuners and a special roller Bigsby[6](https://www.vintageguitar.com/3019/elliot-easton-2/).
- A Gibson signature SG based on an early 1960s SG/Les Paul, including the Tikibird model whose standard color is Gold Poly Mist[6](https://www.vintageguitar.com/3019/elliot-easton-2/) • [17](https://www.vintageguitar.com/20579/elliot-easton-4/).
- Limited-edition Martin acoustic models, which forum owners have praised for balance, projection, and clarity[18](https://umgf.com/martin-hde-elliot-easton-any-users-t1896.html).
His Steinberger GL-model use placed him among the prominent players of that headless design in the 1980s[19](https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/steinberger-gl-guitars). On the Cars' gear preferences, his advice to buyers is that setup matters more than price: "Even the most expensive guitars are only as good as their setup"[20](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-the-cars-elliot-easton-believes-a-guitars-setup-is-more-important-than-its-price-tag).
## Later activity
Easton has been a regular at the NAMM Shows since 1979 and has maintained long friendships with manufacturers and retailers[9](https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/elliot-easton). A 2018 Howard Stern appearance followed his Rock Hall induction[21](https://www.howardstern.com/news/2018/04/13/2018-rock-hall-inductees-david-bryan-and-elliot-easton-stop-wrap-show/), and recent benefit appearances include the Above Ground charity concerts at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles in 2025[22](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/elliot-easton). In 2025, he and the surviving Cars members added guitar parts to unreleased Ocasek and Orr recordings for planned new music[23](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/bands/thats-how-the-band-took-rics-demos-and-turned-them-into-cars-songs-the-cars-are-working-on-a-new-album-using-ric-ocaseks-old-recordings).
## References
1. [Elliot Easton Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247705/bio/)
2. [The Cars: the story of the band who soundtracked America, Louder/Classic Rock](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-story-of-the-cars-new-wave)
3. [Elliot Easton Shakes It Up, Premier Guitar](https://www.premierguitar.com/lessons/elliot-easton-shakes-it-u)
4. [How a kid named Elliot Steinberg became a rock legend, The Forward](https://forward.com/culture/music/573041/elliot-easton-steinberg-the-cars-jewish-rock-n-roll/)
5. [Review: Elliot Easton, Change No Change (1985), Progrography](https://progrography.com/elliot-easton/review-elliot-easton-change-no-change-1985/amp/)
6. [Elliot Easton: Driving the New Cars, Vintage Guitar magazine](https://www.vintageguitar.com/3019/elliot-easton-2/)
7. [Interview: Elliot Easton - Hello Again, Premier Guitar](https://www.premierguitar.com/interview-elliot-easton-hello-again)
8. [The Cars, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame](https://rockhall.com/inductees/cars/)
9. [Elliot Easton Oral History, NAMM](https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/elliot-easton)
10. [The Cars, Music Museum of New England](https://www.mmone.org/the-cars/)
11. [Elliot Easton: Left Out in the Cold, BostonMan Magazine](https://bostonmanmagazine.com/the-enthusiast/)
12. [Elliot Easton talks us through his guitar solos on five classic cuts, GuitarPlayer](https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/elliot-easton-the-guitars-behind-the-cars-hits)
13. [Elliot Easton's guide to The Cars' discography, Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/elliot-eastons-guide-cars-discography)
14. [Change No Change review, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/change-no-change-mw0000182729)
15. [Elliot Easton biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/elliot-easton-mn0000794597)
16. [Elliot Easton: Easton Island interview, Vintage Guitar magazine](https://www.vintageguitar.com/15943/elliot-easton-3/)
17. [Elliot Easton: The Tiki Gods, Vintage Guitar magazine](https://www.vintageguitar.com/20579/elliot-easton-4/)
18. [Martin HDE Elliot Easton: any users?, Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum](https://umgf.com/martin-hde-elliot-easton-any-users-t1896.html)
19. [How Steinberger started the headless revolution, Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/steinberger-gl-guitars)
20. [Why Elliot Easton believes a guitar's setup is more important than its price tag, Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-the-cars-elliot-easton-believes-a-guitars-setup-is-more-important-than-its-price-tag)
21. [2018 Rock Hall Inductees David Bryan and Elliot Easton Stop by the Wrap Up Show, Howard Stern](https://www.howardstern.com/news/2018/04/13/2018-rock-hall-inductees-david-bryan-and-elliot-easton-stop-wrap-show/)
22. [Elliot Easton Concert & Tour History, Concert Archives](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/elliot-easton)
23. [The Cars are working on a new album using Ric Ocasek's old recordings, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/bands/thats-how-the-band-took-rics-demos-and-turned-them-into-cars-songs-the-cars-are-working-on-a-new-album-using-ric-ocaseks-old-recordings)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Post-punk and new wave › Instrumentalists and multi-instrument members*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license