Gilmourish

A guitar can be a considerable investment but it doesn’t have to be. In this article we’ll look at a couple of models suitable for David’s tones and the dos and don’ts to keep in mind when buying a guitar.

It’s possible to get great sounding Gilmour tones with most guitars. However some are more suitable than others and I do suggest a Stratocaster with single coil pickups for the most authentic tones. David has always based his sound on that bright, punchy tone and you’ll get a versatile guitar suitable for most musical styles and genres.

Fender US, CIJ or MIM?
There are as many opinions and myths as there are guitarists. One being, – “as long as it’s expensive and comes from the US, it’s OK”. That’s just a lot of crap. What’s important is that you find a guitar that suits your needs and style. Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean that it sucks but I recommend that you try a couple of price ranges. Adding a little extra to your budget is often worth the wait.

So is there really a huge difference between US, CIJ and MIM? Both yes and no. US Fenders usually have better quality wood and the assembly is generally better. Mexican guitars has a bad reputation but the fact is that these have been upgraded many times during the last couple of years and with some patience and luck you’ll be able to find excellent pieces. Japanese CIJ/MIJ are, in my oppinion, just as good as any US model (not including Custom Shop). A Japanese 57 reissue doesn’t stand back for the US counterpart at all and it’s half the price. All Japanese Fenders also feature US Custom Shop pickups.

You should also be aware that US Fenders cost more due to the fact that they indeed are American. It’s like a pair of Levi’s. You pay for the logo and the legend. My best tip is to get a good CIJ model and replace the pickups and hardware to your liking and you’ll have an excellent guitar for much less than a US model.

Buying a new guitar
When you’re shopping for a new guitar you should always keep some basics in mind. Be sure to always check for gaps between the neck and body. The most horrible examples show wide gaps and sometimes even stains of running glue. Make sure than the bridge is correctly angled. If it’s on skew the guitar will loose much of its sustain and it will be hard to keep it properly intonated and tuned. Look also for general signs of a poor finish and that the frets are fitted correctly. Maple necks should not show too much wood stains (dark brown irregular lines) although this is often common on MIMs and cheaper guitars. A good maple neck should have barely visible straight lines lying as close to each other as possible. Rosewood necks should look dense and moist (without actually being moist of course).

Don’t buy the first guitar you see, no matter how expensive or how many US flags are on it but go through several of the same model to find a good piece. It’s worth the effort. Perhaps you’ll be surprised and end up with something totally different than what you inteded.

The Fender Classic Series Stratocaster
Fender has a wide variety of Stratocaster models to choose from but not all are ideal for achieving a Gilmourish tone. David’s two main guitars has vintage specs, – the 1969 Black Strat and the 1983 ’57 reissue red Stratocaster. It’s a matter of taste but the neck, body, bridge and not least pickups on these guitars have a huge impact on David’s tone and technique.

One of the Fender’s more popular Stratocaster models is the Classic Series. These are based on the most typical features of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s models and they’re affordable for most budgets. The Classic is available both as CIJs and MIMs and I do recommend the CIJs. I have both and although I used a lot of time finding a good sounding MIM 70’s it can’t compare to the quality of my CIJ 50’s. CIJs can be hard to find outside Japan but they pop up frequently on EBay and enthusiastic dealers often prefer having these in their store rather than MIMs and go a long way to get them.

The Classic 50s has the V-shaped 1957 neck and pickups based on the 1954 models.
- Replace the stock pickups with EMG DG-20 for a replica of David’s red Strat.
- Replace the stock pickups with either Fender CS54 or CS6 and the pickguard with a black for a replica of David’s current version of the Black Strat.

The Classic 60’s has a C-shaped rosewood neck and pickups based on late 60’s models.
- Replace the stock pickups with either Fender CS54 or CS69 and the pickguard with a black for a replica of David’s Black Strat from 1972-78.

The Classic 70’s has a U-shaped maple neck and pickups similar to the CS69s.
- Replace the stock pickups with either CS54 or CS69 for a replica of David’s Black Strat from 1970-72 (Live at Pompeii).

Fender Vintage ‘57, ‘62 and 70s reissue Stratocasters
I guess every (well, almost every) Gilmour fan’s dream is to own a US ‘57 reissue. This guitar is about as close you’ll get to David’s red and Black Strats and simply just a dream to play. The guitar feature the classic contoured body and a V-shaped maple neck. The pickups are perhaps a bit too boomy for the typical Gilmour tones, so I’d replace these with CS69 or Duncan SSL1 for the authentic vintage tones or EMG DG20 for the true PULSE tones. Again, the Japanese counterpart has the same alder body and the same maple neck. Most Japanese models sports either Fender Custom Shop Fat 50s or Texas Specials, which both goes well for David’s classic and current tones.

The Vintage ‘62 reissue is a great alternative to David Black Strat from 1972-78 with a rosewood neck. I’d replace the pickups with CS69 or Duncan SSL1 for authentic Dark Side tones! The Japanese model is available in both a ‘62 and ‘65 reissue. The ‘65 feature a super cool rosewood neck with binding!

The Vintage ‘70 reissue has the vibe of David’s Black Strat’s early incarnation with a thin U-shaped neck and the familiar large headstock and CS 69 pickups.

Fender Standard Series Stratocaster
I get a lot of questions about the Fender Standard series. Both the MIM and the American Standard. I’m a bit torn on these models. Although they’re not designed with vintage specs in mind they’re fine instruments and the new upgrades has made them very versatile and suitable for any musical style. However I would have changed the pickups at least for something a bit more vintage and personally I’m not a huge fan of the 2-point synchronized bridge featured on the American Standard.

The Fender David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster
Fender released the David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster in late 2008 – a replica of his legendary Black Stratocaster. It’s available in both NOS and a Replica. The NOS has the same features as David’s with the C-shaped maple neck, the late 60s countoured body, shortened tremolo arm and custom pickups (Fender CS Fat 50s neck, Fender custom wound middle similar to CS69 and Duncan SSL5 bridge) and the mini toggle switch for combining all pickup positions. The Replica is a stunning clone of David’s guitar with all its scratches, dings and wear. Read more about the specs at the Fender DG micro site and the guitar’s history here. Check out my review here.

See recommendations above for alternatives for building your own Black Strat clone!

Upgrading your guitar
There’s a number of things you can do to improve a lifeless guitar or perhaps you just want something better. The important thing is to choose high quality wood. The rest can easily be replaced and DIY is a part of the fun as well!

My main Stratocaster is a 1996 Japanese 50’s Collectable, now known as the Classic Series. Not much is left of the original guitar and I’m very happy with how it sounds and plays. I’ve spent time searching EBay and the net in general finding great offers on high quality components and I’m still nowhere near the price of a US ’57 reissue. Here’s what I’ve done…

- Replaced the stock pickups with Fender Custom Shop 69s (neck and middle) and Duncan SSL5 (bridge).
- Shielded the inside of the guitar with copper foil. I find this more effective than shielding the back of the pickguard.
- Replaced the stock bridge/tremolo system with Callaham Vintage S Model Bridge to improve stability, tuning and tone in general. The kit also includes a shortened tremolo arm.
- Replaced the stock plastic nut with bone filed for my preferred string gauge to keep the guitar better in tune. I do this about every second year.
- Replaced all pot and ground cables with cloth shielded ones to eliminate noise.

Keeping the tremolo arm in place
Keeping the tremolo arm in a fixed position allows you to have full control and easy access. Stock Fender bridges are not designed for this and the arm often snaps like a twig if you screw in all the way in and dare something drastic like the Sorrow intro. To keep it in place use a spring from a ball pen in the screw hole or wrap some teflon tape around the threads on the arm. The Callaham Vintage S Bridge kit is specially designed to both pop the arm in place and screw it all the way in safely, depending on how firm you prefer it.

Keeping the guitar tuned
- Check out this article for maintenance/setup tips and how to keep the most abused guitars perfectly tuned.

Adjusting strings and pickup height
- Learn how to set the correct string and pickup height.

Pickups
What pickups to choose is a matter of taste, what amp and pedals you’re using and how you intend to use the guitar, – on stage or at home. A guitar may sound like the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard in combination with a powerful tube amp on stage but thin and horrible at home on a small solid state or vice versa. Vintage style pickups have low output and may appear less powerful and thin on some rigs but active pickups or humbuckers may sound way too powerful on the wrong rig. You should also consider what kind of tone you’re looking for. The EMGs are instant PULSE but far from ideal for the authentic Pompeii tone. Humbuckers may go well with David’s distortion sounds but they’ll give you hell when trying to achieve that bright glassy clean tone. Try getting pickups that will cover most of what you’re trying to achieve or simply buy more guitars!

As mentioned, vintage style pickups has a fairly low output compared to humbuckers, active pickups and even the ones used on the US/MIM Standard Series Stratocasters. They’re extremely transparent and blend nicely with most effects, leaving the tone of the effect uncoloured and natural.

Fender Custom Shop ’54, Fat ‘50s and ’69 are all ideal for David’s 1970’s and present tones with a nice punchy glassy top and warm, balanced lower end. The ‘69s are a bit warmer than the 50’s but they’re all very similar. The Seymour Duncan SSL-1 and SSL-5, are both excellent choices (both very similar to the Fender CS 54/69). DiMarzio FS-1 is in the same tone family with a bit more bite. There are dozens of different vintage style pickups to choose from but if you’re looking for that early Gilmour, Hendrix, Blackmore, Trower kind of tone then you should go with one of the above.

Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials and ‘57/’62 are a bit too muddy and boomy for the ideal Gilmourish tone.

The EMG DG20 set is a must for those authentic Delicate/ PULSE tones. David’s red Strat feature three SA single coils and the SPC and EXG active tone controls. The EXG scoops the mids and boosts the bass and treble, while the SPC adds a humbuckerish tone by boosting the mid range and slightly reducing the highs. The SPC is realky what makes all the difference on songs like Shine On, Another Brick and Coming Back to Life (PULSE). I will warn you though to try these before you buy them. Although they’re a must for David’s 80s and 90s tones they’re not suited for the typical Black Strat tones, 1970s and present. If you’re uncertain I’d much rather get some vintage voiced single coils for a more versatile tone. Read more in my in depth review.

Instrument Cables
Cables are often THE one thing guitarists overlook. Cheap, mass produced cables often drains the potential of your rig. I’m using Evidence Audio cables, the same brand Gilmour used on Live 8 and the On an Island tour and I must say that they’re the biggest improvement to my sound ever! The number one reason for noise is poor quality cables, so before you go out and buy all kinds of noise gates and re-solder every pedal in your rig, try a couple of good cables.