As the Depeche Mode sound evolved, guitar work, while not eclipsing the synth-driven sound, certainly increased in prominence. Martin Gore, the band's principal guitarist, is a huge fan of Brooklyn guitar makers Gretsch. Live, Gore frequently plays a Gretsch White Falcon. One of Gore's most treasured guitars is his classic Gretsch Anniversary, which he keeps at home for fear of damaging it. British guitar maker Knight made Gore an exact copy of his beloved Gretsch Anniversary for him to use on tour.
Pounding drums have always been a key component of the Depeche Mode sound, although this is not always as straightforward as it may seem. As Depeche Mode is, at heart, an electronic band, any drum sounds are usually fed through modular synths and other pieces of an effects kit. Live, Depeche Mode use a Drums Workshop --- or DW --- kit, the sound from which is then looped through an Ableton production rig before being amplified. This allows Depeche Mode to reproduce the varied and often bizarre drum effects of their records live.
Keyboards and synthesizers provide the shimmering, ethereal electronic sounds that have become synonymous with Depeche Mode's music. From 1998 onward, Depeche Mode have favored a pair of Emax II keyboards backed up with a Roland A-90 and Roland JP-8000. Other synthesisers that have been used over the years include the Yamaha CS6X, the Roland Jupiter 8 and the Oberheim OB8.
In their long history, Depeche Mode have also used a multitude of unusual instruments and techniques to derive the perfect sound. One example of this saw the band hitting a bicycle wheel with a cinder block to create one of the weird sounds from "Blasphemous Rumours." At one point a percussion rig designed by former percussionist and keyboard player Alan Wilder included a hammer and several pieces of scaffolding. At the other end of the spectrum, flute samples can also be heard on some Depeche Mode records.