Gina Gleason is one among heavy music’s nice Telecaster advocates. Her unconventional outlook on tone suits nicely throughout the mutable method Baroness takes to heaviness – with an origin story because the band’s lead guitarist that’s as distinctive because the band’s music. She joined Baroness in 2017, after a stint taking part in guitar for Cirque Du Soleil. She turned quick pals with frontman John Dyer Baizley over their shared love of bizarre fuzz pedals – and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than she joined the band full time.

When she joined, she was fast to adapt her gear method from the shreddier facet of issues to go well with the Baroness tonal palette – single-coils, bizarre fuzz tones, and pedal-friendly combos. And much from resulting in a softer contact – this distinctive method lets the band push the boundaries of heavy music into additional and stranger locations than ever earlier than.

Why the Telecaster?

“I used to be all the time a fan of the Telecaster sound – simply the pure brightness of it, and, from my early days of being within the guitar, the musicians that performed Telecasters. Rising up my dad beloved Elvis greater than something – so I used to be uncovered to a whole lot of James Burton’s guitar taking part in from a extremely younger age.

“I’ve additionally had the identical guitar trainer since I used to be an adolescent, and I nonetheless take classes with him to today. His identify’s Yanni Papadopoulos, and he lives in Philadelphia. He’s acquired an excellent band known as Stinking Lizaveta. He uncovered me to some actually nice gamers after I took classes from him – like Danny Gatton and Jimmy Bryant. I bear in mind attempting to study a Jimmy Bryant piece as an adolescent, and was simply blown away by the effortlessness of his alternate selecting.

“In my thoughts, I additionally drew this parallel between gamers like Jimmy Bryant, who had these insane alternate selecting chops, and this capability to include chromaticisms and actuality quick licks, and these different guitarists I admired like Dimebag and like Randy Rhoads – these complete shredders that form of had this otherworldliness about their taking part in. These of us that performed Teles – they have been reflective of the opposite gamers I beloved in metallic, from a chops perspective.”

What knowledgeable your individual distinctive method to ‘heavy’ tones?

“I believe the breakthrough second for me was, about 12 years in the past, I used to be working as a musician for Cirque du Soleil, doing 484 exhibits a yr – and it was Michael Jackson’s catalogue. So I had entry to the remoted guitar tracks to study the songs and emulate the sound with a Fractal.

“And one thing about listening to Eddie Van Halen’s remoted solo on Beat It – I used to be like, oh, it’s not that distorted – it’s fairly clear! I simply began enthusiastic about the notion of heaviness and distortion, and the way extra achieve doesn’t all the time equal heavier – nearly the alternative.

“The extra you’ll be able to pull again the achieve, it’s nearly like your sound can sort of bloom in a manner that takes up house, and offers a distinct notion of quantity – that’s sort of what I really feel brings a whole lot of heaviness to a sound. It’s the identical with Baroness – it’s not nearly what sound could be louder, it’s extra about including dynamics in a broader manner, pondering extra about frequencies, not simply pure quantity.”

How did your gear method change while you joined Baroness?

“Once I joined Baroness, John was taking part in a whole lot of G&L guitars – an ASAT Basic and a Bluesboy. And I used to be bringing this Jackson DK2M Dinky, this late ‘90s Jackson that I nonetheless play to today – and a Kramer SM-1, which has a extremely related physique form – pointy headstock, humbuckers, Floyd Rose, the entire thing. And I simply felt it wasn’t suiting the vibe.

“On the time we have been touring the Purple album that had simply come out the yr earlier than. And to me, Baroness was a band that all the time had a whole lot of experimental tones and textures, with tons of layers. John was actually all in favour of determining how we may discover that on a deeper stage within the dwell settings. And I’m actually into tone chasing – pedals are kinda the entire purpose John and I met, by a mutual good friend that made fuzzes.

“So, yeah, I believe simply that actually early stage of form of auditioning for the band. I used to be like, I need to have the best gear for this. Yeah. And I discovered a used – I believe – ‘92 ASAT traditional at an area Sam Ash, as a result of once more, I had all the time been fascinated by that model of guitar, and Baroness was my alternative to get one.”

What’s your go-to Tele now?

“My go-to Telecaster is the American Professional I, from I believe 2017 or 2018 – it’s only a actually comfy neck, and I like how the pickups are voices. It’s acquired a whole lot of brightness and presence, and I like the way it sits in a mixture with John’s rig, which is one thing I attempt to consider so much. You need to have a cool sound that conjures up you, however you even have to consider the entire image, the complete mixture of your band.

“So I are inclined to attempt to consider that stuff – if we’re taking part in a harmonised lead and John’s on the neck pickup, I’ll attempt to ensure I’m on the bridge, and vice versa. It’s a manner of complementing your bandmates’ sound, and ensuring the dwell efficiency and presentation is as dynamic and as partaking for the listener as attainable.”

The American Professional I Tele is a reasonably conventional spec, somewhat than one constructed with extra historically “trendy metallic” appointments.

“I just like the three-saddle bridge as a result of it makes me consider a extra traditional setup. It’s barely extra tedious while you’re intonating it – however I like the texture of them. There generally is a little little bit of an imperfection typically while you’re actually whaling on issues, however I nonetheless simply need that traditional Tele setup.

“Fender is wonderful at consistently innovating and developing with new options and issues to go well with totally different gamers – just like the seventy fifth anniversary mannequin, the American Extremely in Liquid Gold, it’s acquired a neck profile that’s nearly like a Jackson’s, and people unbelievable pickups – I believe all that stuff is superior. However for me, I actually like a extra traditional setup.”

With that extra conventional guitar setup and an analogue pedalboard, how do you method amps and headroom?

“I began with actually low headroom after I first joined the band, and have sort of upped it by the years. Now I’m taking part in a Bassman reissue – and I additionally like having a Princeton in my rig. That’s not acquired a whole lot of headroom, however I like the best way it breaks up – I by no means actually have it previous three, possibly 4, so it simply will get the slightest quantity of breakup, as I’m not driving it tremendous exhausting. Typically I’ll use a Fender Twin – not a lot if we’re travelling, however for recording they’re nice. John, after I first joined the band, he was utilizing a Princeton and a Deluxe, and he’s since modified up in order that he’s acquired a Roland JC-120, which is a superb high-headroom amp for pedals.

“And truly, for some stuff I used to be recording on the Fender manufacturing facility, I used to be utilizing one of many 5150 EL34 heads – given I didn’t have my regular pedalboard, I assumed that may be probably the most dynamic factor, to cowl some extra nation licks to extra chuggy taking part in. And I did find yourself selecting a type of up for myself…

“The traditional Tube Screamer-into-5150 – that’s an unbelievable sound. However particularly with John’s songwriting tendencies, and the best way he voices chords – it’s organized so there’s a whole lot of influence after we come collectively, as a result of we’re taking part in various things a whole lot of the time. Gear sensible, our extra dynamic method helps the facility of that influence a whole lot of the time. You don’t need to be on a ten the complete time.”

Is that associated to how Baroness views the advanced mixture of metallic genres that will get pinned on the band?

“Working with John is wonderful for lots of causes, he’s one of the vital inspiring individuals I’ve ever been round. And one thing that I understand as being necessary to him is that he doesn’t need to be instructed what sort of music he’s making – I believe his tendency is to simply do the alternative of no matter any person’s telling them that they assume he’s creating, or no matter house individuals assume he’s creating in. So we undoubtedly attempt to keep away from a few of these style touchstones if we’re getting down to make one thing.”

You’re nonetheless taking classes with Yanni – what are you engaged on for the time being?

“A number of years in the past I linked again up with him as a result of I hadn’t lived in my house metropolis of Philadelphia for just a few years. So we began jamming collectively and going over licks and stuff like that, after which a few years in the past, he was like – it’s time so that you can begin studying the true guide. So we simply’d undergo these requirements and have a look at transcribing, and how one can solo over them or make accompaniments – and that has been probably the most useful breakthrough as a guitar participant that I’ve possibly ever had.

“I additionally educate classes, so I attempt to specific the significance of transcribing, you understand – I’m not by any means a jazz guitar participant, or actually even in that world – however I do actually like taking a look at it from that perspective of outlining chord progressions and discovering issues that complement them. So I’m actually grateful to have a trainer to work by a few of that stuff with – and we play out, too, he’s acquired a jazz trio, so I’ll sit in with these guys. That’s been invaluable.”

Why do you assume persons are nonetheless taking part in Telecasters in spite of everything of those years?

“It’s iconic, and since it’s related to the beginnings of the electrical guitar, the gamers that use them are iconic. For me, there’s simply one thing that works about them. Explicit in terms of consolation – relying on the tour we’ll do a two-and-a-half or three-hour set! So it’s that, and my visible sensibilities. Once I see sure crazy-looking guitars, it doesn’t do the identical for me. Possibly if Chuck Schulinder is taking part in it, I need to hear that – however not for me!

Discover out extra in regards to the seventy fifth Anniversary of the Telecaster at fender.com