Interview by Patrick Kennedy
Message from Richard McDonald, Vice President of Marketing, Fender Musical Instruments
Rory's
music came along at a time when listeners were concerned whether the
players really meant what they were playing. With Rory there was never
any question about the conviction of his art. He wore his heart on his
sleeve, even his battered Statocaster guitar was an open book, like a
diary of the journey his music had taken him on.
As part of the 50th-anniversary planning we began to make a list of Stratocaster guitar players that mattered. Rory's name was always going to be on this list. With a voice that matched his explosive soulful playing and that guitar... we knew we needed to do a cool clone to pay tribute to this Irish blues-rock legend.
The Stratocaster didn't become an icon on its own. Its position is a result of the vast body of recorded music and live performances it has been a part of. Rory's war-torn axe personifies the blood, sweat and tears that go into defining yourself as a musical force. It's a huge honor to pay homage to one of the great guitarists that helped define the Fender Stratocaster as the guitar that is in it for the long haul.
Richard McDonald
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THE INTERVIEW
Patrick: I know that you are aware that the 1st
Rory Gallagher Custom Shop Guitar which was especially built for
Arbiter was a hit? Why do you think that was?
Mike Eldred:
Rory’s guitar
playing, songwriting, style, tone, image and appeal are overwhelming
if you are into guitar on any level. People (guitarists) who saw or
heard Rory could not help but be influenced by his style and the look
of that Stratocaster® guitar!!!!!! I mean, it was like a worn-in
pair of your favorite jeans! Battle Worn!
John Cruz: I
think anyone who was lucky enough to get one of the Rory tribute
guitars can feel and be a part of the magic of his playing style.
There is definitely a certain mojo to the look and sound of this very
special battle axe.
Patrick: Rory Fans
are very excited that there will
be an Official Fender Release of that Guitar? I know you are the one
that created the prototype?
John
Cruz:Yes, and believe me
it was an honor to be a part of one of my hero’s projects. And
knowing that there are other fans out there that will get to share
the experience of Rory is very rewarding in itself.
Patrick:
What was your reaction when you 1st
saw Rory’s Guitar?
Mike: I picked
it up from Donal at LAX, and he just handed it to me
there in front of the terminal. It was frightening! Then I took it
home, and just sat on my couch and played it for about an hour. It
was an honor to be able to do that.
John: I
personally got to plug it in and wail on it at the shop when most of
the employees went home. It was a magical experience for me. This is
about the time I developed my rendition of “The Loop”. The sound
of the guitar floored me.
Patrick:
What is the process you go through in
examining and analyzing Rory’s guitar?
Mike: John
English and myself took the guitar apart the next day and
measured everything on it. Pickups, string gauges, neck dimensions,
body weight, etc. Then, I made a copy of the neck shape, and John
Cruz and myself worked on the body.
Patrick:
What surprised you most about Rory’s
Guitar?
Mike:The mis-matched
tuners, the replaced 12th fret marker, and just the amount
of wear and corrosion.
John: I think the
amount of wood that was replaced under the pick guard from previous
modifications was weird. Also the extra file marks on the back cover
to accommodate the string holes on the back was very unusual.
Patrick: You got to play Rory’s
Strat?…How
did it feel to you?
Mike: Rory’s guitar was definitely
Rory’s guitar! It was so worn-in
and you could tell it was just part of him.
John: It
was definitely a guitar that needed to be worked hard to get those
singing notes out of.
Patrick:What was the
most unusual thing about the
guitar?
Mike: Inside it
was pretty trashed. Replaced wood, bad wiring job, bits
of rubber. It was a mess!
John: Yes indeed, it looked
like world war 3 under there, but it was cool.
Patrick: By the way you recreated the
Rory Strat I am
assuming you are a huge fan?
Mike: John Cruz and myself fight
over CD’s, DVD’s, Videos!!
Everybody here at Fender® is!
John: Ya but I
usually win because I’m bigger!
Patrick: Have you
had the chance to meet Donal
Gallagher or speak to him since you made it?
Mike: I talked
to him briefly, after we gave him the first one. I told
him all the mushy stuff like how much I loved his brother’s
playing, and what a great influence he was, and what an honor it was
to be part of this project. I probably made quite an Ass out of
myself, because it’s all true!
Patrick:What was the biggest challenge
in making the
guitar?
John: For myself, trying to nail the
prototype on the first run was quite the pip. You know; Long hours,
no sleep, basically getting into the creative zone.
Patrick: How does
the one you created play?
John: Like
butter. There’s something about playing a guitar with little or no
finish on the body that helps to project that special sound. And the
feel of the neck was positively orgasmic.
John Cruz at work on the Strat
Patrick:What is the biggest thrill you get from
creating something like this?
John: I think sharing
the passion and artistic feel of this very special tribute guitar
with our customers all over the world is an accomplishment in itself.
Not to mention the nice articles and thank you letters that we get.
Patrick: How long did it take for you
do create the
original?
John: I did not really keep a timer next to
me at the time, but I suppose it was around 10 to 15 hours.
Rory's
Strat on the left
Patrick: What preparation did you do to
get ready to
make the 1st Rory Guitar?
John: All my
specialty Relic’ing tools, Files, Jackhammers, Chains, and LOTS of
Coffee!
Patrick: How do you make something so
different from
any other guitar and recreate it over and over?
John: It
takes a lot of patience, a good eye, and a certain amount of artistic
chops and production skills to keep a consistent look to this
project.
Patrick: Do you use
a template in building a guitar
like that?
John: There were some templates I
created
to get me in the ballpark of what needed to be done yes. But the
majority of the labor was created by hand.
Patrick: How long
does I take to build a Rory guitar
now that you have all the specs?
John: Again it’s
hard to nail an exact time when you’re re-creating something so
special. Every guitar is a canvas waiting to be painted on, you
really don’t want to rush the process, remember were trying to
re-create 40 plus years of battle scars here.
Image credits
Top right:
Rory in action photograph taken by and courtesy of Patrick Kennedy
All other photos copywritten by
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
and courtesy of FMIC.
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