“He seemed to get so much out of so little, didn't he?”: Former Primal Scream guitarist Barrie Cadogan reacts to playing Rory Gallagher’s golden-era Gibsons
Cadogan notes how Gallagher managed to create such a distinct sound, even with relatively simple gear, as he tries out the legend's late-’50s Les Paul Juniors and 1963 Gibson Melody Maker
Playing Rory Gallagher's Gibson Les Paul Juniors and Melody Makers With Barrie Cadogan - YouTube
If there's one word that describes Barrie Cadogan's playing, it's versatile. In addition to leading his own band, Little Barrie, the English guitarist has played with the likes of Primal Scream following Robert Young's departure, stepped into Johnny Marr's shoes in The The, acted as a sideman for The Chemical Brothers, and joined Oasis' Liam Gallagher's touring band, playing alongside John Squire of The Stone Roses.
“I suppose it's not as cosmetically luxurious, but I guess that's part of the thing, why this sounds so good,” comments Cadogan.
Gallagher was a big fan of Melody Makers – even though they're largely considered budget guitars due to their stripped-down design and specs – and eventually owned four of them. His 1963 model, equipped with two pickups, four gold reflector control knobs, and a three-way selector, was purchased in London sometime in the ’80s.
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“He seemed to get so much out so little, didn't he?” ponders Cadogan. “He probably would have plugged this in, and he could just do the rest, couldn't he? If it was a good sound straight away.
“It was only later on in his career, wasn't it, that his setup got a bit more involved but still not that intricate by today's standards. But through the ’70s stuff, it’s just so, so simple... All those sounds, all those different feelings, were just coming from him.”
Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.