Why people still pick up guitars in 2026, according to Gina Gleason: “Guitar is one of those magic things that still wields this power”
Gina Gleason has spent enough time around guitars to know the instrument’s appeal isn’t just about sound. According to the Baroness guitarist, the guitar’s enduring pull lies, in part, in the way it “appeals to one’s sense of wanting to figure things out”.
Speaking with Guitar World, Gleason reflects on why, even as listening habits, production tools and the wider music industry continue to evolve, people are still buying guitars, learning riffs, and starting bands.
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“Guitar is one of those magic things that still wields this power,” she says. “It looks awesome and it seems somewhat effortless, but I can hear that what’s happening is complex. It appeals to one’s sense of wanting to figure things out.”
“The reward is looking cool, having a cool hobby, and being in spaces with likeminded people passionate about the same things as you.”
For Gleason, that sense of identity doesn’t just stop at playing – it extends into the culture of gear collecting as well: “I teach guitar, too; my student Bill tells me that pedals appeal to his collector sensibility – ‘This one’s a different colour!’ Guitars are like cool classic cars: ‘Well, this one is red!”
Addressing the enduring appeal of Telecasters, in particular, Gleason says, “they have such a unique sound. If you have a trained ear and listen to a lot of music, you can probably start to equate different sounds with gear. With the Tele, there’s no question. It cuts through and has a brightness and brilliance.”
“And the players who started using them – the Danny Gattons and Jimmy Bryants – appeal to this sense of virtuosity. The iconic sound is so crisp and clear it gets associated with a high level of playing. There’s nothing to really hide behind. Danny Gatton knows what’s going on!”
As for her recent gear obsession, Gleason says she’s been “really into the [EHX] Big Muff Op Amp pedal for solos and boosts” of late.
“I just got a Big Muff 2; our tech, Jesse Anderson, mods Big Muffs so we use them a lot on tour,” says the guitarist. “I recently got an EVH 5150 EL34, too. I used one for the Tele demos and thought, ‘Man, I need one of these!’”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
