Brian MayBrian May, Dolly Parton & Rock Star
Instrument Costumes
Costume Wall has 14 instrument costume guides, from guitars and basses to tambourines and stage props. Brian May wears a white button-down shirt with a yellow-striped V-neck tee, white straight-leg trousers and the Red Special guitar, Dolly Parton pairs a crystal-beaded white blazer with a blonde curly wig and a white acoustic guitar, and Rock Star throws a black biker jacket over a white tank with an inflatable guitar. Below you will find the guitarists, the bass players, the kids’ TV performers and the cartoon musicians, with the instruments, wigs and stage pieces each one needs.
14 costume guides Editorial reviewed Oct 6, 2026
Which Instrument Costume Should I Pick?
These three instrument looks are the ones a crowd names on sight, and the kits are short enough to build from a closet and one prop.
Brian MayInstrument-wielding stadium guitarist with a Red Special signature guitar: a curly wig, a yellow-striped V-neck tee and a silver chain necklace.
Dolly PartonInstrument-strumming rhinestone stage star: a crystal beaded white blazer, white sheer floral pants and a blonde curly wig.
Rock StarInstrument-wielding arena rocker in a black biker jacket: a white tank, black skinny jeans and aviator sunglasses.Instrument Costume Ideas by Character
Browse the instrument characters by band, film and show, then open the guide for the actual instrument and pieces it needs.
14 Instrument costumes
Brian May
Queen guitarist look: open white button-down shirt, yellow-striped V-neck tee, white straight-leg trousers, the Red Special guitar and a gray patterned strap.
Dolly Parton
1970s rhinestone stage look: crystal-beaded white blazer, white sheer floral pants, blonde curly wig and a white acoustic guitar.
Ed Sheeran
Ginger-haired singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar: a white crew t-shirt, dark blue jeans, black low top sneakers, tattoo arm sleeves and a short ginger wig.
Ernesto de la Cruz
Guitar-strumming mariachi skeleton with black and white face paint: a white gold three-piece suit, gold metallic braid trim and a skull guitar toy.
Foxxy Love
Drawn Together musician look: orange tube top, orange shorts, orange gogo boots, fox ears and tail, long brown wig and a wooden tambourine.
Greg (The Wiggles)
Kids’ TV band yellow-shirt look: a yellow long sleeve shirt, a microphone headset prop, a black leather belt, black stripe track pants and Nike Precision sneakers.
Jeff (The Wiggles)
Kids’ TV band purple-shirt look: a purple long sleeve shirt, black pants, a Wiggles decal, a Wiggles belt, a purple electric guitar and black dress shoes.
John Deacon
Queen’s bassist 1981 stage look: peacock blue crewneck tee, turquoise straight-leg trousers, white low-top sneakers and a natural-finish electric bass.
Lammy
Rhythm-game sheep guitarist look: red cropped T-shirt, blue bootcut jeans, a short red bob wig and an inflatable guitar.
Murray (The Wiggles)
Kids’ TV band red-shirt look: a long sleeve red shirt with a Wiggles logo sticker, a black belt, black pants with a red stripe, black shoes and an inflatable guitar.
Poco
Brawl Stars’ skeleton mariachi look: navy suit, red bow tie, sombrero and the yellow skeleton face paint.
Sammie (Preacher Boy)
Dress up like Sammie, the young blues musician in Sinners, with his gold vest and resonator guitar.
Thorn (Hex Girls)
Scooby-Doo goth band singer look: an ombre red black wig, a v neck sleeveless dress, a red women’s shawl, a bat necklace and burgundy long satin gloves.
Rock Star
Women’s black denim trucker jacket over a white tank: black skinny jeans, a studded wristband and a black inflatable guitar prop.Showing all 14 Instrument costumes
No matches. Try another character or clear your filters.
How to Put Together an Instrument Costume
Start with the instrument, then add the one piece that names the performer.
John DeaconQuiet bassist anchoring a stadium rock band with a natural-finish electric bass: a peacock blue crewneck t-shirt, turquoise straight-leg trousers and white low-top sneakers.
Foxxy LoveCartoon fox girl shaking a wooden tambourine: an orange tube top, a fox ears and tail set and orange gogo boots.
Jeff (The Wiggles)Kids’ TV band guitarist holding a purple electric guitar: a purple long sleeve shirt, a band decal and black dress shoes.Pick the Instrument Before the Outfit
Every look on this page is anchored by one instrument, so settle it before you shop for clothing. A guitar reads as a rock or country performer, a tambourine reads as a cartoon musician, and a bass guitar reads as the band member standing at the back of the stage.
Scale matters as much as the type. A full-size guitar is the strongest silhouette in a photo, while an inflatable guitar packs flat and survives a crowded party, so Rock Star leans on one for the whole look.
If you are dressing as a specific player, work backwards from the instrument they are known for. The finish, the color and the strap shape are what people recognize in a photo long before they read the shirt.
Real Instruments and Cheap Stand-Ins
You do not need a working instrument to look like a player. A natural-finish electric bass, a wooden tambourine and a white acoustic guitar are all props that sit in front of the body and do the recognition work while you stand and pose.
If you already own the instrument, take it, because nothing photographs better. If you do not, buy the cheapest full-size version in the right finish rather than a toy, since color and shape are what the eye reads from across a room.
A strap is worth the small cost, because it ties the instrument to the outfit and frees both hands for photos. Brian May shows how a patterned strap and a striped tee pull the guitar into the look.
Wigs, Hair and Stage Makeup
Hair carries as much of an instrument costume as the prop does. A long brown wig turns an orange two-piece outfit into a cartoon musician, and a short bob in red does the same job for a rhythm-game guitarist.
Stage makeup is only needed for the mariachi and rock builds. Poco wears yellow skeleton face paint under a sombrero, while the rest of the page gets by with clean skin and one strong eye or lip.
If you plan to pose for photos all night, choose a wig you can pin back. A blonde curly wig and an ombre wig both sit heavy on the neck by the end of an evening, so plan a break or a restyle halfway through.
Kids’ TV and Cartoon Musicians
The kids’ TV performers are the easiest builds here, because the shirt color is most of the costume. A purple long sleeve shirt with a matching electric guitar is recognizable to any parent in the room, and the same formula repeats in yellow and in red.
A trio splits cleanly for a family, since the band builds share a base outfit and differ in color and instrument. Jeff shows the pattern: a colored long sleeve shirt, black pants with a matching belt, and an instrument in the same shade as the shirt.
Cartoon and rhythm-game musicians are the cheaper option when you are dressing more than one person. A tambourine, a pair of fox ears and a bright two-piece outfit finish a group look without a single tailored piece.
Groups, Duos and One-Man Bands
Instrument costumes work best in twos or threes, with a different instrument in every pair of hands. One friend on guitar and one on bass, sharing a stage palette, is enough to read as a band rather than two separate costumes.
For a bigger group, mix the instrument families. A guitar, a tambourine and a set of skeleton face paint cover rock, cartoon and mariachi in one photo line-up, and none of those props overlap.
Keep the colors in one family if you want a matched look, or give each performer a single loud color if you want the group to read as separate acts. Either way, settle the instruments first and the shirts second.
Instrument Costume FAQ
What is the easiest instrument costume to put together?
Do I need a real instrument for an instrument costume?
No. A toy or inflatable version in the right shape and color does the same job, and it is far lighter to carry all night. Choose a full-size look rather than a tiny novelty, because scale is what sells it in photos.
How do I make an instrument costume look like a specific performer?
Match the instrument and the hair before anything else. The Red Special guitar with a patterned strap, or a white acoustic guitar with a blonde curly wig, tells people who you are before they read the shirt.
Which instrument costumes work for a group?
The kids’ TV band builds split best, because a colored shirt, black pants and a matching instrument are easy to repeat in three colors. A Queen pair also works if one friend takes the guitar and the other takes the bass.
Can I wear an instrument costume to a party indoors?
Yes, and a prop instrument is easier in a crowd than a real one. Keep the strap short so it does not swing into drinks, and set the instrument down while you eat.
Will new instrument costume guides appear here automatically?
Yes. Published guides appear as soon as they carry the Instrument attribute, and the guide count updates with the list. The written advice is reviewed separately, so a new addition does not mean every paragraph has been rewritten.
Choose Your Instrument Costume
Settle the instrument first, then add the one piece that names the performer. A Red Special guitar, a tambourine or an electric bass does more for recognition than a full stage outfit nobody reads. Choose Your instrument first and the rest of the costume falls into place.
