A great article remembering an Irish great.....

"Guitarist" have really excelled themselves this month by producing two very good articles on two of my favourite guitarists from both the past and present.  First of all there is an excellent article on the late Rory Gallagher and all of his guitars and other equipment.  His prized guitar is his battered out 1961 Fender Stratocaster (pictured left), which Rory once dubbed as the "Tatocaster" due to its well worn appearance. 

Following his death in 1994 all of Rory's gear has been stored by one of his former roadies and it has been preserved exactly as it had been during Rory's lifetime.  Over the last couple of years the "Tatocaster" has been played for the first time since Rory's death by the former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden and by Black Country Communion's guitarist Joe Bonamassa.  For both guitarists it was an emotional moment as they were playing a guitar that once belonged to one of the most loved and respected guitarists of all time.  Hearing Rory Gallagher's track "Cradle Rock" performed by Joe Bonamassa on Rory's old guitar was a truly great musical moment for me.  I have always loved Rory Gallagher's music since I first heard "Walkin' Wounded" from his "Fresh Evidence" album in 1990.  His first six albums have been remastered and re-released and I would like to pick some of them up to enjoy.  Over recent years I have also enjoyed the music he created in the late 1960's with his original band Taste. 

The magazine also featured a new article on Michael Schenker and I enjoyed reading about his recent activity.  Schenker will always be one of my main musical influences and I am going to dig out my guitar tablature book of the McAuley Schenker Group's album "Save Yourself" so that I cna begin to learn some new techniques and really push myself.