When two electric guitar heroes from two different groups come together to form an entirely new project, a mutual appreciation of the same music to inform a new creative direction is just one piece of the puzzle.
Another concerns instrumental choices – namely, what guitars will they take into the studio with them, and how will they find the right tools to allow for a seamless integration of styles?
That’s exactly what Chris Turpin and Jake Kiszka had to contend with when the Ida Mae and Greta Van Fleet guitarists started their new band, Mirador.
For Kiszka, the task was simple. It was only ever going to be his Number One Gibson SG for him. After using it throughout his career with Greta Van Fleet, the SG sound is now synonymous with Kiszka’s style, and so a switch was off the cards.
It was a different story for Turpin, though, who made a conscious effort to find a guitar that could complement Kiszka’s SG and bring something fresh to the table.
Following the hunt, Turpin ended up taking home a heavily modded, mongrel Les Paul Custom from 1970 that, although at first glance looked to be a lost cause, ended up defining the album’s sound.
Speaking from the Guitar World studio in a new video interview that charts the making of Mirador’s new record, Turpin says, “One of the biggest pieces was trying to find the right instruments [that work together], especially around Jake's guitar, because it's such a specific, beautiful thing.”
“So one of the guitars that's been working for me is a 1970 Les Paul Custom that's been completely stripped,” he continues. “I think it came from the Welsh hills. I'm not sure who owned it before me.
“But immediately I picked this guitar up, and when we were in pre-production, I just had a feeling. I didn't even play it properly. It had lived a life and had one dodgy jack lead at this auction, and I squeaked out like two chords on it and I thought, ‘This is the guitar for this project.’
“And it just seems to sing and marry perfectly well with Jake’s Number One.”
Turpin discusses the Les Paul Custom in greater depth in the new issue of Guitar World, during which he revealed the Mirador team gave the plucky LP a nickname owing to its unique style.
“Jake’s SG is such a specific sound, so finding something that would work with that was no mean feat,” he recalls. “It took a lot of trading, trying different things, getting it wrong. I ended up with a 1970 Les Paul Custom; we call it the underdog because it just screams, and it’s so big and fat.
“That worked perfectly with the SG; it just sat right underneath it. The riff for Feels Like Gold, it’s just those two guitars, straight down the middle, playing the same thing at the same time – and it just sounds huge. I never imagined myself wielding a Les Paul again.”
To read the full interview with Jake Kiszka and Chris Turpin – during which Kiszka reflects on what he'd change about his Greta Van Fleet days – pick up the latest issue of Guitar World at Magazines Direct.
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