Related Tags
Joe Perry: “Gibson and Fender are now making guitars that are as good as the ones they made when they were first invented”
The guitarist believes that the golden age of guitar manufacturing is far from over.
Image: WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy
Want more news stories from Guitar.com? Follow us on Google News.
With the vintage guitar market running hot and prices for sought-after models reaching astronomical heights, Aerosmith axeman Joe Perry assures that guitar makers of today are releasing new guitars that rival those made during the six-string’s golden age.
In a refreshing endorsement of modern gear craftsmanship, Perry — an avid guitar collector himself — tells Total Guitar: “Big legacy companies like Gibson and Fender are now starting to make guitars that are as good as the ones they made back when they were first invented.”
“I’ve played some new Gibson and Fenders that really nail it. And the boutique companies, money aside, have hit the nail on the head and are making great instruments, too. So I’m always looking at guitar magazines and the latest pedals.”
And if the thought of selling your kidney in exchange for an original Klon Centaur overdrive pedal has crossed your mind, here is some sound advice from the man himself: “There are some pedals that, for example, if you’re dealing with a Klon, it would be tough to decide between them during a blindfold test,” says Perry.
“So think again if you need to spend a whole bunch of money on an original Klon to get that sound. There’s some affordable stuff out there that can do the same thing.”
During the chat, Perry also reveals the guitar that has his heart these days, saying: “There’s a Strat that has changed a bunch since around 2001 that I call the ‘Burned Strat’. It changes every six months, kind of for the fun of it. But there are some legitimate sonic reasons that I’ve got set up with a left-handed neck, like the length of the strings from the nut to the tuning pegs, all these little things.”
“And I’ve got this great set of Seymour Duncan pickups that can switch back and forth between single-coil and P-90 sound. They’re great, and I’m surprised you don’t see them talked about more in guitar magazines.”