Randy Bachman calls Paul Reed Smith a “legend” of modern guitar making: “I said, ‘You’re the new Leo Fender. You’re the new Les Paul. You’re the new Orville Gibson’”
Randy Bachman has praised the genius of Paul Reed Smith, hailing the PRS founder as a “legend” of modern guitar making and placing him alongside the likes of Leo Fender, Les Paul and Orville Gibson.
Speaking in a new interview with Guitar World, Bachman recalls meeting Smith at a Christmas party hosted by producer Kevin Shirley last year, where the conversation quickly turned from mutual admiration to Smith’s impact on the guitar industry.
READ MORE: “It just seemed Looney Tunes to me”: Paul Reed Smith dismisses the notion that you “can’t play solos” on a 7.25”-radius fretboard
“I was in Nashville at a Christmas party for Kevin Shirley, the producer,” says the Bachman–Turner Overdrive guitarist. “He’s a really good friend of mine, and he produced my Heavy Blues album [2015]. At his party, I got to meet Paul Reed Smith, who says to me, ‘You’re a legend.’ I said, ‘Are you kidding? You’re a legend. You’re the new Leo Fender. You’re the new Les Paul. You’re the new Orville Gibson.’”
“Two legends get together, what are you going to do?” Bachman quips.
While the exchange reflected the kind of mutual respect you’d expect between two guitar heavyweights, Bachman says that the meeting also led into something more practical.
With ongoing health issues making heavier instruments increasingly difficult to manage, he has been actively searching for a lighter guitar setup.
“I said to Paul, ‘I’m looking for a lighter guitar, even lighter than my ’57, because I’ve got a back issue,’” says Bachman. “I had my left knee replaced. I’m a cancer survivor. I had four cancers, and I can hardly stand up. I’m learning to walk and balance again.
“Standing on one foot and operating your pedals is like tap-dancing, and I can’t do that yet. I’m still building up. I work out every day in a pool with weights. And he said, ‘I’ve got a new guitar. It’ll be under 4 lbs.’ So I got his number. I’m typing him a letter right now.”
The post Randy Bachman calls Paul Reed Smith a “legend” of modern guitar making: “I said, ‘You’re the new Leo Fender. You’re the new Les Paul. You’re the new Orville Gibson’” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
