In a recent video, David Gilmour cited his belief that vintage guitars will always sound better than their modern counterparts. Speaking about his beloved 1945 Martin D-18 as part of a YouTube series that sees the Pink Floyd guitarist detailing the guitars that feature on his forthcoming album, he’s provided evidence for his argument. “No new guitar sounds quite as good as an old one in my experience,” he says with the Martin – that’s “older than me” – in his lap.
“I think a guitar like this gets better and better with age, maybe something the glue that's holding it all together, and these different pieces of wood gradually come in harmony with each other over years of playing.” Granted, the 78-year-old is simply stating his opinion. But given the fact that his vast guitar collection – some of which sold for a in 2019 – includes a staggering amount of instruments, he can certainly talk with a degree of authority.
The other guitars thus far showcased by Gilmour ahead of the release of his fifth solo album – which arrives in September – includes ‘Alice,’ a late '70s acoustic named after his daughter built for him by luthier Tony Zemaitis. Zemaitis has been dubbed the , having built instruments for Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Ronnie Wood. All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox! This particular guitar was commissioned for Gilmour's children to learn to play on, but “it was so nice and so beautiful that I didn't let them play it.
” The others were his Rickenbacker Frying Pan lap guitar, which features on lead single and , and a black Gretsch which he's owned since the mid-'70s and has “a very particular hi-fi sound.” It’s noticeable, then, that all these guitars were crafted some decades ago, backing up his theory. Even ‘Alice’, which the guitarist fell in love with when he first played it, was ultimately “forgotten” until it came to writing his latest record, presumably with older builds taking his fancy instead.
It isn't the first time he's championed the aura of older guitars, however. In 2019, he told : “I do unrepentantly like the old ones. Older instruments have a tonality of their own that often takes years to develop.
” And so, his latest solo release is rich with vintage instruments. His first solo LP since 2015’s , it was produced by Gilmour and Charlie Andrew (ALT-J, Marika Hackman). Contrary to his vintage-honoring instrumentation, he has praised Andrew for his “lack of respect” for the guitarist’s heritage.
Gilmour said that Andrew's challenges to his creative decisions elevated the record. “We invited Charlie to the house, so he came and listened to some demos, and said things like, ‘Well, why does there have to be a there?’ and ‘Do they all fade out? Can’t some of them just end?’,” Gilmour reflects. “He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine.
He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you.” The album features eight new songs, including a reworking of The Montgolfier Brothers’ , with the title track featuring late Pink Floyd keyboardist, Richard Wright.
His contributions were taken from the recording of a 2007 jam in a barn at Gilmour’s house. It represents a final tribute from Gilmour to his former bandmate. Polly Samson, Gilmour’s co-writer over the past thirty years, penned most of the record’s lyrics, with Gilmour talking up her contributions to the record, helping unshackle him from his past.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to , , and magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, , in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
“He gave us ninety years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire, and entertain”: British blues pioneer John Mayall dies at 90 “His playing was never self-indulgent, and his soloing was propulsive”: Moby Grape co-founder and guitarist Jerry Miller dies at 81 “Thank you for rescuing me from oblivion and giving me the courage and enthusiasm to express myself without fear or limit”: Tributes pour in for “champion of the blues” John Mayall.
