That One Guitar is a brand new podcast about renowned, legendary and modern players’ favourite guitars. We ask guests to choose that one guitar they cannot do without, and all about why. We celebrate the guitar as objet d'art as well as the ultimate musical instrument. Hans Zimmer described the electric guitar as “the closest thing to true magic created by a human being that I can think of”. Who can say it better than that. Welcome then, to That One Guitar!
that one guitar, with gale parijanian, turin brakes
Photo by Kizzi Webster
Photo by Kizzi Webster
My guest for this pilot episode is Gale Paridjanian of (the magnificent) Turin Brakes.
If you listen to the song Underdog (Save me) by Turin Brakes, it will tell you a lot about how Gale plays and what he brings to a song with his guitar playing. Gale is an underrated and understated guitar god - as all Turin Brakes fans know. Olly Knights, singer in Turin Brakes describes Gales playing as “the real deal since the very beginning", and also “band cheat code” which Gale & I explore further in this conversation.
Gale's choice of guitar is a Charvel electric-acoustic model from his days working in the acoustic department of one of the music shops in London’s famous Denmark Street, for which he paid something like £469 (roughly £1,200 in today’s money).
“It’s got my sound in it. If you plug it in it just sounds like The Optimist and that’s our sound. It’s a battle to play but there’s something about how it sounds when it’s recorded. It sounds like me”.
An inexpensive one-off model, in Gales hands, the Charvel became the signature sound for Turin Brakes - Gales says “it feels more honest the more acoustic we are” - and it’s true - the band were pioneers of the acoustic-led pop that followed, paving the way for singer-songwriters like Newton Faulkner, even Ed Sheeran. But Gale and the band are on fire, still.
His own influences include The Stones, Chuck Berry, Chris Whitley and Derek Trucks. Gale plays some of his own and Turin Brakes fans’ favourite pieces - a lot from the band’s debut LP The Optimist - and tells stories of the band, his own life as a guitar player and the Charvel he holds dear, even if it is falling apart. Let’s hope he gets it serviced soon.
See and hear Gale’s playing for yourself. Turin Brakes’ acoustic tour continues here.
gale paridjanian: rundown
That One Guitar: Charvel electric acoustic, purchased in the 90s from a music store in Denmark Street, costing £469
“It’s got my sound in it. If you plug it in it just sounds like The Optimist and that’s our sound. It’s a battle to play. But there’s something about how it sounds when it’s recorded. It sounds like me”.
First guitar memory: Marty McFly in Back To The Future
First ever guitar: Marlin Slammer
First ‘proper’ guitar: The Charvel
Inspirational players: Chuck Berry, Michael Hedges, Ry Cooder, Derek Trucks, Chris Whitley, Derek Trucks
Modern players: Marcin
Current go-to song: The Black Crowes ‘Thorn In My Pride’
Recommended guest for That One Guitar: David Rawlings