You can of course play ska on any guitar but Fender axes hung from the straps of the majority of ska guitarists.

Fenders abounded during the 2 Tone era: Chris ‘Chrissy Boy’ Foreman of Madness played a butterscotch Telecaster, as did Lynval Golding of The Specials; super cool Neol Davies of The Selecter played Strats.

Notable exceptions to the Fender rule include Ernest Ranglin who played a series of Gibson semis, Roddy of The Specials and his black Gibson Les Paul Custom and Dave Wakeling of The Beat who favoured a Vox Teardrop, seen here.

F is also for… Fred Perry: The classic Fred Perry polo shirt is as much a part of the skinhead subculture as Loake Royal brogues and Crombie coats. The label has recently collaborated with The Specials on a range of shirts. Find out more about the brand at www.fredperry.com.