In celebration of Iron Maiden’s landmark 50th Anniversary, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today announces new releases from the Fender Custom Shop, Fender® and Jackson® - series of instruments set to honour the iconic band’s influential and enduring legacy. Since forming in East London in 1975, the trailblazers, often credited with having pioneered the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) movement with their genre-defining sound and theatrical live performances, garnering a dedicated cult fanbase and selling more than 100 million records to date worldwide.
“Honoring Iron Maiden’s fifty years of pushing heavy metal forward, this collection brings together the signature instruments that helped define their unmistakable sound,” said Max Gutnik, FMIC’s Chief Product Officer. “From Dave Murray’s high-performance Stratocaster models and Janick Gers’ energetic, vintage-leaning Strat to Steve Harris’ unmistakable Precision Bass and Adrian Smith’s versatile Jackson SC1, each instrument carries the tone, feel, and power behind Maiden’s multi-guitar attack. These anniversary models are more than tributes; they are stage-ready tools built to inspire today’s players and the next generation.”
Across the group’s five-decade spanning career, guitarist Dave Murray has been a mainstay on Iron Maiden’s 17 studio albums; with climactic solos, galloping riffs, and the band’s renowned multi-guitar harmonies cementing Murray as one of heavy metal’s most legendary guitarists. Celebrating the artistry and talent that has remained instrumental in defining the group’s signature sound, Fender Custom Shop (FCS) Masterbuilder Andy Hicks teamed up with Dave Murray to create a stunning new incarnation of his favorite Fender guitar in the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster®.
“Dave Murray has always been my favorite guitar hero. Not only is his style absolutely brilliant but he also proved to me long ago that Fender absolutely belongs in the world of heavy metal,” said Andy Hicks,Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilder. “It was an absolute honor to build this guitar for him and I will never get over the excitement of seeing my favorite player from my favorite band playing one of my guitars.”
To create the incredible Limited Edition Stratocaster®, Hicks worked closely with Murray to devise a high-performance guitar that could keep up with the rigors of global touring. Powerful, punchy and versatile, it boasts 21 medium jumbo stainless-steel frets and an oil-finished ‘60s-style Oval “C”-shaped walnut neck, offering exceptional comfort and effortless playability. Coupled with Murray’s tried and true combination of Seymour Duncan® Hot Rails® bridge and neck pickups and a JB Jr.™ middle pickup, it perfectly handles galloping rhythms and soaring leads. With premium parts upgrades, the unique and stylishly tasteful Stratocaster is flawlessly finished in NOS Olympic White.
Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster
($11,000.00 USD, £10,399.00 GBP, €12,199.00 EUR, $18,999 AUD, ¥1,790,800 JPY).The 2-piece select alder body is flawlessly finished in NOS Olympic White and is paired with an oil-finished ‘60s-style Oval “C”-shaped walnut neck for an incredibly comfortable, high-performance Strat®. With a flat-laminated, 9.5” to 14” compound radius rosewood fingerboard and 21 medium jumbo stainless-steel frets, this guitar plays effortlessly. Loaded with Murray’s tried and true combination of Seymour Duncan® Hot Rails® bridge and neck pickups and a JB Jr.™ middle pickup, this Strat is powerful, punchy and perfect for intricate, galloping rhythm parts and soaring leads. To keep up with the rigors of global touring, Murray and Hicks landed on a combination of premium parts upgrades ranging from the addition of an AxLabs® Tone Claw Locking Spring Claw and Heavy Duty Noiseless Springs to suite of FU-Tone components (42mm Big Brass Block and Tremolo Stopper, Titanium String Lock Screws, Saddle Mounting Screws, Nut Clamp Screws, Lock Nut Blocks, Saddle Inserts and Bridge Posts). After road-testing this latest incarnation of his favorite Fender, it’s easy to see why the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster® is his new #1. Other premium features include Dave Murray signature neckplate, vintage-style tuners, Fender Custom Shop strap and certificate of authenticity.
As Iron Maiden celebrate their landmark 50th Anniversary, they remain one of heavy metal’s most influential and enduring forces. Defined by galloping bass lines, multi-guitar harmonies, operatic vocals and the ever-evolving presence of their iconic figurehead “Eddie,” the band’s unmistakable sound has inspired generations of fans around the world. With 17 studio albums and more than 100 million records sold, their legacy continues to shape the evolution of metal five decades on.
($1,699.99 USD, £1,449 GBP, €1,749 EUR, $2399 AUD, ¥220,000 JPY)Janick Gers joined Iron Maiden in 1990, bringing his explosive energy and dynamic playing style to the band’s distinctive multi-guitar attack. Known for his energetic stage presence—featuring dramatic spins and guitar-flinging showmanship—Gers has contributed technical precision and melodic sensibilities to Iron Maiden’s sound for over three decades. The 50th Anniversary Iron Maiden Janick Gers Stratocaster comes in a classic Black finish and includes a 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard with vintage tall frets and Seymour Duncan® JB Jr.™ neck and bridge pickups. Other features include a Fender® Vintage-style Synchronized Tremolo with bent steel saddles, 50th Anniversary neck plate and Gers’ signature on the back of the headstock. Offered in Rosewood Fingerboard, Black finish. Fender.com online exclusive guitar.
Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster
($1,799.99 USD, £1,499 GBP, €1,799 EUR, $2,999 AUD, ¥291,500 JPY) Dave Murray’s iconic Stratocaster models have part-shaped the band’s distinctive multi-guitar attack for decades. Combining the best features of Dave’s favorite Fender guitars – three Seymour Duncan® pickups, compound-radius fingerboard and a Floyd Rose® R2 double-locking tremolo – the 50th Anniversary Iron Maiden Dave Murray Stratocaster delivers legendary tone, superb feel and an iconic look that has been center stage throughout the band’s historic career. Offered in Rosewood Fingerboard, Black finish.
Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Steve Harris Precision Bass
($1,699.99 USD, £1,699 GBP, €1,999 EUR, $2,799 AUD, ¥275,000 JPY) Steve Harris’ dynamic basslines have made him one of the most influential metal bassists alive. Harris has stayed true to his battle-hardened Fender® Precision Bass® over the years, and his new 50th Anniversary signature model now comes in an elegant Satin Black finish with an all-maple neck and body with complementing mirrored pickguard. Other ironclad features include a powerful Precision split P Bass® pickup, Fender® Vintage Precision Bridge, Fender® round-wound strings and Harris’ signature on the back of the headstock. A set of Rotosound® Steve Harris Signature flat-wound strings are included in the gig bag. Available in Maple Fingerboard, Satin Black finish.
50th Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson SC1
Adrian Smith’s guitar legacy spans Iron Maiden’s most defining eras, from the band’s breakthrough albums in the 1980s through decades of global touring that have anchored their place in metal history. As the architect behind some of metal's most memorable solos and a master of the band's signature multi-guitar harmonies, Smith's deep understanding of tone and performance drives every aspect of this instrument's design. For this 50th Anniversary tribute, Adrian personally selected his favorite guitar elements from Jackson's extensive lineup, creating an instrument that embodies the tonal versatility and performance reliability he demands both in the studio and on stage.
($1,799.99 USD, £1,499 GBP, €1,799 EUR, $2,999 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY) Adrian Smith’s iconic SC1 has shaped the band’s distinctive multi-guitar attack for decades. Combining the best features of Adrian’s favorite Jackson guitars – DP 100 DiMarzio® and Fender®’s Noiseless™Sumerian Cobalt pickups, 12-16” compound-radius fingerboard and a top mounted Floyd Rose® double-locking tremolo – the 50th Anniversary Iron Maiden Adrian Smith Jackson SC1 delivers legendary tone, superb feel and an iconic look that has been center stage (or stage right!) throughout the band’s historic career.
In celebration of Iron Maiden’s landmark 50th Anniversary, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today announces new releases from the Fender Custom Shop, Fender® and Jackson® - series of instruments set to honour the iconic band’s influential and enduring legacy. Since forming in East London in 1975, the trailblazers, often credited with having pioneered the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) movement with their genre-defining sound and theatrical live performances, garnering a dedicated cult fanbase and selling more than 100 million records to date worldwide.
“Honoring Iron Maiden’s fifty years of pushing heavy metal forward, this collection brings together the signature instruments that helped define their unmistakable sound,” said Max Gutnik, FMIC’s Chief Product Officer. “From Dave Murray’s high-performance Stratocaster models and Janick Gers’ energetic, vintage-leaning Strat to Steve Harris’ unmistakable Precision Bass and Adrian Smith’s versatile Jackson SC1, each instrument carries the tone, feel, and power behind Maiden’s multi-guitar attack. These anniversary models are more than tributes; they are stage-ready tools built to inspire today’s players and the next generation.”
Across the group’s five-decade spanning career, guitarist Dave Murray has been a mainstay on Iron Maiden’s 17 studio albums; with climactic solos, galloping riffs, and the band’s renowned multi-guitar harmonies cementing Murray as one of heavy metal’s most legendary guitarists. Celebrating the artistry and talent that has remained instrumental in defining the group’s signature sound, Fender Custom Shop (FCS) Masterbuilder Andy Hicks teamed up with Dave Murray to create a stunning new incarnation of his favorite Fender guitar in the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster®.
“Dave Murray has always been my favorite guitar hero. Not only is his style absolutely brilliant but he also proved to me long ago that Fender absolutely belongs in the world of heavy metal,” said Andy Hicks,Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilder. “It was an absolute honor to build this guitar for him and I will never get over the excitement of seeing my favorite player from my favorite band playing one of my guitars.”
To create the incredible Limited Edition Stratocaster®, Hicks worked closely with Murray to devise a high-performance guitar that could keep up with the rigors of global touring. Powerful, punchy and versatile, it boasts 21 medium jumbo stainless-steel frets and an oil-finished ‘60s-style Oval “C”-shaped walnut neck, offering exceptional comfort and effortless playability. Coupled with Murray’s tried and true combination of Seymour Duncan® Hot Rails® bridge and neck pickups and a JB Jr.™ middle pickup, it perfectly handles galloping rhythms and soaring leads. With premium parts upgrades, the unique and stylishly tasteful Stratocaster is flawlessly finished in NOS Olympic White.
Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster
($11,000.00 USD, £10,399.00 GBP, €12,199.00 EUR, $18,999 AUD, ¥1,790,800 JPY).The 2-piece select alder body is flawlessly finished in NOS Olympic White and is paired with an oil-finished ‘60s-style Oval “C”-shaped walnut neck for an incredibly comfortable, high-performance Strat®. With a flat-laminated, 9.5” to 14” compound radius rosewood fingerboard and 21 medium jumbo stainless-steel frets, this guitar plays effortlessly. Loaded with Murray’s tried and true combination of Seymour Duncan® Hot Rails® bridge and neck pickups and a JB Jr.™ middle pickup, this Strat is powerful, punchy and perfect for intricate, galloping rhythm parts and soaring leads. To keep up with the rigors of global touring, Murray and Hicks landed on a combination of premium parts upgrades ranging from the addition of an AxLabs® Tone Claw Locking Spring Claw and Heavy Duty Noiseless Springs to suite of FU-Tone components (42mm Big Brass Block and Tremolo Stopper, Titanium String Lock Screws, Saddle Mounting Screws, Nut Clamp Screws, Lock Nut Blocks, Saddle Inserts and Bridge Posts). After road-testing this latest incarnation of his favorite Fender, it’s easy to see why the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster® is his new #1. Other premium features include Dave Murray signature neckplate, vintage-style tuners, Fender Custom Shop strap and certificate of authenticity.
As Iron Maiden celebrate their landmark 50th Anniversary, they remain one of heavy metal’s most influential and enduring forces. Defined by galloping bass lines, multi-guitar harmonies, operatic vocals and the ever-evolving presence of their iconic figurehead “Eddie,” the band’s unmistakable sound has inspired generations of fans around the world. With 17 studio albums and more than 100 million records sold, their legacy continues to shape the evolution of metal five decades on.
($1,699.99 USD, £1,449 GBP, €1,749 EUR, $2399 AUD, ¥220,000 JPY)Janick Gers joined Iron Maiden in 1990, bringing his explosive energy and dynamic playing style to the band’s distinctive multi-guitar attack. Known for his energetic stage presence—featuring dramatic spins and guitar-flinging showmanship—Gers has contributed technical precision and melodic sensibilities to Iron Maiden’s sound for over three decades. The 50th Anniversary Iron Maiden Janick Gers Stratocaster comes in a classic Black finish and includes a 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard with vintage tall frets and Seymour Duncan® JB Jr.™ neck and bridge pickups. Other features include a Fender® Vintage-style Synchronized Tremolo with bent steel saddles, 50th Anniversary neck plate and Gers’ signature on the back of the headstock. Offered in Rosewood Fingerboard, Black finish. Fender.com online exclusive guitar.
Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster
($1,799.99 USD, £1,499 GBP, €1,799 EUR, $2,999 AUD, ¥291,500 JPY) Dave Murray’s iconic Stratocaster models have part-shaped the band’s distinctive multi-guitar attack for decades. Combining the best features of Dave’s favorite Fender guitars – three Seymour Duncan® pickups, compound-radius fingerboard and a Floyd Rose® R2 double-locking tremolo – the 50th Anniversary Iron Maiden Dave Murray Stratocaster delivers legendary tone, superb feel and an iconic look that has been center stage throughout the band’s historic career. Offered in Rosewood Fingerboard, Black finish.
Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Steve Harris Precision Bass
($1,699.99 USD, £1,699 GBP, €1,999 EUR, $2,799 AUD, ¥275,000 JPY) Steve Harris’ dynamic basslines have made him one of the most influential metal bassists alive. Harris has stayed true to his battle-hardened Fender® Precision Bass® over the years, and his new 50th Anniversary signature model now comes in an elegant Satin Black finish with an all-maple neck and body with complementing mirrored pickguard. Other ironclad features include a powerful Precision split P Bass® pickup, Fender® Vintage Precision Bridge, Fender® round-wound strings and Harris’ signature on the back of the headstock. A set of Rotosound® Steve Harris Signature flat-wound strings are included in the gig bag. Available in Maple Fingerboard, Satin Black finish.
50th Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson SC1
Adrian Smith’s guitar legacy spans Iron Maiden’s most defining eras, from the band’s breakthrough albums in the 1980s through decades of global touring that have anchored their place in metal history. As the architect behind some of metal's most memorable solos and a master of the band's signature multi-guitar harmonies, Smith's deep understanding of tone and performance drives every aspect of this instrument's design. For this 50th Anniversary tribute, Adrian personally selected his favorite guitar elements from Jackson's extensive lineup, creating an instrument that embodies the tonal versatility and performance reliability he demands both in the studio and on stage.
($1,799.99 USD, £1,499 GBP, €1,799 EUR, $2,999 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY) Adrian Smith’s iconic SC1 has shaped the band’s distinctive multi-guitar attack for decades. Combining the best features of Adrian’s favorite Jackson guitars – DP 100 DiMarzio® and Fender®’s Noiseless™Sumerian Cobalt pickups, 12-16” compound-radius fingerboard and a top mounted Floyd Rose® double-locking tremolo – the 50th Anniversary Iron Maiden Adrian Smith Jackson SC1 delivers legendary tone, superb feel and an iconic look that has been center stage (or stage right!) throughout the band’s historic career.
The Autumn Defense at Wolftrap, October 2025. Jim Haggerty holds it down on bass behind John Stirratt (left) and Pat Sansone.
Mark Finkelpearl
The Autumn Defense was in the zone. They had permanent smiles on their faces all night as they played on a chilly October evening at the Barns at Wolftrap, just outside Washington, D.C. It didn’t hurt that the venue’s PA, in the house and onstage, sounded terrific. However, what may have been more critical was the fact that, for Pat Sansone, John Stirratt, and their rhythm section, comprising Jim Haggerty on bass and Greg Wieczorek on drums and vocals, the band was playing music from their first new record in 11 years. Their joy was palpable, and the crowd soaked it up.
Stirratt and Sansone may be best known for their contributions to Wilco. John Stirratt is the group’s founding bass player and the only musician in the lineup to stood alongside Jeff Tweedy throughout the band's entire history. Pat Sansone joined Wilco in 2004 as a multi-instrumentalist, but he’s most fun to watch and listen to when he straps on an electric guitar. Sansone strikes rock poses, swirling around the stage like a fencer, his guitar slicing through the air like a riposting foil as he solos. These moves aren’t an affect. Legendary music producer Bob Johnston once chuckled as he said of Bob Dylan: “He can’t help what he’s doing. He’s got the Holy Spirit about him; you can look at him and tell that!” That’s Sansone with a Telecaster slung over his shoulder.
“I was affected by the proximity of cool guitars right in my house.” —John Stirratt
Few recall that Autumn Defense actually predates Sansone’s arrival in Wilco. They debuted this duet project in 2000 (Stirratt’s first name for the band was April Defense, but Sansone redirected). Their latest record, Here and Nowhere, is the band’s seventh.
When on the road with Autumn Defense, Stirratt and Sansone keep it much simpler than they do when they’re out with their other band, Wilco. Stirratt’s 1967 Gibson Hummingbird sits at left next to Sansone’s Nash T-Style and custom Breedlove. They don’t travel with amps, so those are a pair of backline Fender Deluxe Reverbs.
Mark Finkelpearl
From the Byrds to the Beach Boys, Stirratt and Sansone have long drawn on Southern California pop as a reference point. At Wolftrap, they encored with Love’s “A House Is Not a Motel,”from their 1967 album, Forever Changes.It may be surprising, then, that these two men actually hail from deep inside what music journalist James L. Dickerson coined the Mojo Triangle: a swath of the Deep South that birthed nearly every form of American music, including blues, jazz, country, gospel, and rock ’n’ roll. These invisible boundaries —from Nashville to Memphis, down into Mississippi, over to New Orleans, then northeast up to Muscle Shoals, Alabama —form the cradle of the country’s entire musical heritage. Pat is from Meridian, Mississippi, and John was born and raised in New Orleans. As I learned when I hopped onto Zoom for a ninety-minute chat with them, they were both steeped in musical families.
Stirratt’s parents played music together around the Crescent City until they started raising children. Throughout Stirratt’s life, his father was a banjo player who gigged in Dixieland-style bands across New Orleans. “As a seven- or eight-year-old, I remember crawling around in my parents’ closet with my twin sister,” Stirratt recalls, “and they had amazing guitars in there, like an old Kay from the ’40s and a Gibson LG-0 from the late ’50s. I can still recall opening the cases and that musty smell drifting out of them. There was definitely a moment of discovery there that turned into an obsession for us. So, I was affected by the proximity of cool guitars right in my house.”
Sansone’s easy-to-carry mini board consists of a TC Electronic PolyTune 2, JHS Whitey Tighty, Wampler Tumnus, MXR Timmy, MXR Phase 95, JHS Mini Foot, and a Mr. Black Echo-Delay.
Mark Finkelpearl
Stirratt and his sister, he continues, “started playing in bands very early, in junior high school. My mom stopped playing out at some point, shortly after we were born, but our dad played his whole life, up until the week he died. Our whole lives, there was music everywhere. My dad had big fake books filled with Dixieland jazz tunes, and our mother was deep into country music. I recall a lot of Emmylou Harris playing in our house—mid-period, like Roses in the Snow. That was like a primer for me for country music. Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton were on that record, and Willie Nelson, too.”
“As a teenager in the 1980s in Meridian, in my head, I was really living in London in 1967.” —Pat Sansone
Up in Meridian, Mississippi, just west of the Alabama border and 200 miles from Stirratt, Sansone was raised in a Mojo Triangle family simmering in a cauldron of music. “Show business and performance were just central to my family's life,” he says. “Meridian is the home of Peavey Electronics and Jimmie Rodgers,” he remembers. “My mother had a great voice. When she was pregnant with me, she was doing some singing on demos for some of the studios in Muscle Shoals, and she also sang jazz. My grandmother had an incredible voice and a great ear; she could sit down and play anything after hearing it once. She was a regular on several radio shows doing Western swing and pop songs. And my dad was a concert promoter in town. One of our close family friends was Chris Etheridge, who played with the Flying Burrito Brothers and Willie Nelson.”
He continues, “I suppose every city has music in it, but Meridian had a real musical spirit about it, and I grew up in a unique situation where music and performance were celebrated. I never really questioned it; it was a normal way of life. But to really see it, I had to leave and come back. Because as a teenager in the 1980s in Meridian, in my head, I was really living in London in 1967. That was my dream world.” Sansone laughs. “The irony of that is in my career as a professional musician, I’ve met some British rockers from the ’60s who were dreaming that they were from Mississippi.
Sansone continues reflecting: “As a young kid, as soon as I could walk, I was in the Temple Theater with my dad while he was working. So it seeped inside of me from the very beginning. I have memories of standing in the wings as a child watching Ray Charles rehearse his band, and moments like Jerry Reed and Carl Perkins trading licks at a soundcheck. I do remember the first time I ever put a Stratocaster around my neck. I was onstage as Helen Reddy was getting ready to play, and her guitar player could see that I was eyeing his Fender. He was kind enough and patient enough to let me try it; I could play ‘Twist and Shout’ by that point. And when I heard and felt the power of a D chord come out of an amp, that’s a moment I’ll always remember.”
Their early days of acquiring gear were a very local affair. “My teen years were the glory days, when you could walk into a pawn shop and pick up a Marshall or a Peavey very cheaply,” Stirratt remembers. “There was no vintage market yet. My first amp was a Peavey Musician with the silver knobs; it was loud and powerful.”
Stirratt’s simple stomp lineup includes a Boss TU-2, Catilinbread Karma Sutra, Catalinbread Echorec, and a Union Tube & Transistor Tone Druid.
Mark Finkelpearl
Sansone concurs, “My dad took me down to Peavey in Meridian and I picked out a Peavey guitar and a Peavey Renown amp straight from the factory floor. My dad knew Hartley Peavey. When dad first started promoting shows, he had purchased one of Peavey’s first PA systems out of Hartley’s garage. Here’s the funny thing: I was such a Who freak that I recall a photograph of Townshend when he was recording Rough Mix with Ronnie Lane, and it looks like Pete is playing through a Fender tweed Bassman, but it’s actually a Peavey amp. Supposedly, one of Townshend’s main studio amps at that time was a Peavey. When I discovered that, I just about shouted with joy. I couldn’t believe it.”
“I have memories of standing in the wings as a child watching Ray Charles rehearse his band, and moments like Jerry Reed and Carl Perkins trading licks at a soundcheck.” —Pat Sansone
That passion carries over into the guitars they play. Sansone is quick to tell me that Autumn Defense doesn’t set out to make ’70s-sounding music. But they don’t shy away from it either, especially because it fits their voices and writing styles. That means old guitars, too. “We have an appreciation for the past musically and sonically,” Sansone says. “So using vintage guitars and mics has always been part of that process.”
On the road, Stirratt travels with his trusty 1967 Gibson Hummingbird. “I bought it in 1995 at Gruhn’s in Nashville the week that Wilco’s first record, AM, came out,” he tells me. “I love the sound of a Gibson. It’s been my mainstay, and since I mostly only play acoustic in this band, it fits nicely into the mix. We can sculpt it so it doesn’t have too much bottom end like a J-200 might.”
Sansone’s Nash T-style has been with him for about 15 years. “It’s based on a 1961 neck,” he says, “like a soft V shape. It feels nice and the pickups sound nice, it just does what I need it to do.”
Mark Finkelpearl
Sansone mainly uses a 20-year-old Breedlove for his acoustic work during Autumn Defense shows. “It’s based on a Martin OM that Breedlove built to my specs, and we kept it super simple. It’s a great all-purpose guitar; it just kind of does everything, perfect for fingerpicking, and it’s a great strummer. In Autumn Defense, we don’t have roadies or even a tour manager, so we have to travel light and keep our live situation pretty tight. So that’s the one [acoustic] guitar I take.”
For an electric, Sansone travels with a Bill Nash T-Style that he has owned for about 15 years, featuring a rosewood fingerboard and a sonic blue finish. “It’s based on a 1961 neck,” he says, “like a soft V shape. It feels nice and the pickups sound nice, it just does what I need it to do.”
The recording studio is where the vintage gear really matters. Stirratt didn’t want to bring any of his old guitars from his home in Maine to Tennessee, so he recorded with axes already in the Nashville studio where they laid down the tracks. “That’s the thing about Nashville,” quips Sansone, who lives in Music City. “They’re everywhere. My HVAC guy has great guitars!”
Stirratt purchased this Gibson Hummingbird after recording Wilco's debut, AM.
Mark Finkelpearl
Since Sansone is a local, he brought his 1956 Gibson Country Western and a vintage Martin D-18, both of which “record wonderfully.” There’s a lot of nylon-string guitar on Here and Nowhere, and it comes courtesy of “a $150 Takamine that I bought 15 years ago,” Sansone says. “I have some other, more expensive nylon-string guitars, but I keep coming back to that Takamine. It sounds incredible.”
The musicians draw a straight line between the kind of guitars they first discovered during their childhoods and the sonic vibe they strive to capture in Autumn Defense. “Our big influences came from sitting around playing songs from Love, America, Scott Walker, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and David Crosby’s first solo album,” Sansone says. “That kind of stuff is the sonic framework that we love. It’s specific, but it’s also very broad. We want to be authentically expressive in our songwriting and our record-making.”
Stirratt jumps in, “Those records all have a shared atmosphere. And listening to that stuff, that’s generally when I’m inspired, and want to pick up an old guitar and try to write a song. I may not be actively chasing what those records are doing, but it’s where I’m going to go—into a warm atmosphere of, perhaps, potential longing or something. That’s the zone I’m looking for whenever I pick up a guitar.”
This Delgado Mata hybrid-model guitar blends a western red cedar top, Brazilian rosewood sides and back, and Koa binding.
We are all familiar with the nylon-string guitar or the Spanish guitar or the gut-string guitar or the folk guitar or the concert classical guitar. Wait, are we talking about the same instrument? Yes!
Perhaps with exception of the title “folk,” all the instruments are the same: a nylon (or gut) string, concert classical, Spanish guitar. The history of this instrument can be read about with a simple Google search, so I will not take you down that road, but for those of us of a certain age, we have seen the evolution of this guitar and its transformation, especially in the past 30 years. I love to tell clients how in the past, a player had to conform to the instrument, whereas today, the instrument has conformed to the variety of players. Offering thin bodies, cutaways, hybrids, and more, the classical guitar is anything but “classic.”
I was raised on the classical guitar. I began studying when I was five and although I never stuck with it to the point where I would consider myself even close to virtuoso, it still remains my music of choice. Much like the guitar continues to evolve, so too does Delgado Guitars. My grandfather and great uncle were able to build for some of the world’s most renowned concert performers: Andres Segovia, Celedonio Romero, Narciso Yepes, and Vicente Gomez to name a few. We also have clients in the folk, jazz, mariachi, and Americana genres.
I have taken the skills passed down to me and offer variations on this instrument. While I still love to play and build traditional concert classical guitars, I also enjoy creating modified versions of the instrument for clients who have different musical needs or expressions. One of my favorite country artists is Jon Byrd. When I listen to Jon’s music, it feels like a forgotten time we all want to return to, like something familiar that I felt, but couldn’t put into words. I know part of this is because he plays on a nylon-string guitar, like Willie Nelson. And if you think Willie’s guitar, “Trigger,” has seen some rough days, Jon’s guitar, affectionately named “Mi Amiga de Cuernavaca,” was actually run over and put back together again. You can see some photos of the instrument here.
“Offering thin bodies, cutaways, hybrids, and more, the classical guitar is anything but ‘classic.’”
Another of my favorite artists was Charlie Byrd (I seem to like the name Byrd), who was a jazz guitarist. In 1954, he spent time studying under Andres Segovia in Italy. I love his style of jazz and bossa nova, and I hear the classical influence in his playing. He has some great albums and collaborations with other players. “The Great Guitars” was a supergroup formed in 1973 by jazz guitarists Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, and Barney Kessel. Give it a listen and you will hear the style of each player and how they complement one another. While my heart is and will always be with the classical guitar and the traditional music of the greats of the past, I also love these hybrid styles that have been created. I have seen it most of my life with artists who purchase our traditional instruments and use them in a non-traditional way. You may be surprised when you learn some of the great hits you grew up on had an odd instrument that snuck in there—one that had no place being there were it not for the creative musicality of some amazing artists with an ear for something different.
We owe so much to the Spanish guitar that found its way to us via the lute of Mesopotamia 3100 B.C., now modern day Iraq, Kuwait, and parts of Syria, Turkey, and Iran. Just as the lute still remains, it evolved when it arrived in Spain and we see how the Spanish guitar endures and evolves. Even the Hawaiian steel guitar is rooted in the Spanish guitar and its introduction by Europeans and Mexican vaqueros (cowboys), which led to the steel-string guitar. All this to say that as long as artists have breath in their lungs, they will continue to find new ways to express themselves with the stringed inspirations they use when words cannot say what needs to be shared.
From a luthier’s vantage point, I continue to be inspired to create both traditional and hybrid instruments for the simple reason of wanting to hear more musical styles and offerings. To have had the blessing of creating instruments for over four decades and still be enjoying new music (and an occasional surprise of styles) is something I am grateful for and encouraged by. So please, continue your ingenuity or creativity or cleverness or artistry or genius. Wait, am I talking about the same thing? Yes!
Native UAD plug‑in gives guitarists a dream recording environment with classic amps, cabinets, mics, pedals, and studio effects.
Universal Audio Inc. (UA), a worldwide leader in audio production tools, is proud to introduceParadise Guitar Studio, a new UAD plug‑in that combines acclaimed UAD guitar amp emulations with classic cabinets and mics, pedals, and studio effects built upon UA’s world‑class analog modeling.
“We built Paradise to make any guitarist feel like they’re playing in a dream studio," says James Santiago, Senior Product Designer at Universal Audio. “It’s the most complete ‘end‑to‑end’ virtual experience we’ve ever built, with hand-picked tube amps and essential recording gear, all in a single plug‑in.”
Paradise Guitar Studio
$199 USD MSRP | $149 Intro Price
Built upon UA’s renowned analog modeling, Paradise Guitar Studio gives guitarists and producers instant record‑ready tones from jangly cleans and natural overdrive to rare boutique sounds. Its intuitive interface lets producers craft professional guitar tracks all in one place, entirely in‑the‑box.
Key Benefits
Get an entire pro guitar recording chain — complete with classic amps, cabs, mics, pedals, studio effects, and more
Explore 11 hand‑picked vintage and modified tube amps — a “golden unit” collection of essential clean, crunch, and boutique tones
Capture perfect sound in minutes with curated speaker cabinets and expertly-placed studio mics
Sculpt tracks with studio effects like 1176 compression, vintage tape echo, spring and plate reverbs, EQ, and more
Get over 300 inspiring presets spanning rock, blues, indie, metal, funk, pop, and beyond
Integrated tuner and input gate for precise performance and creative flow
Intuitive interface similar to a classic pedal board workflow
UAD Native format — available to purchase separately or with a UAD Spark plug‑in subscription
Paradise Guitar Studio is available for $199 (USD) through authorized UA retailers and at uaudio.com starting December 1, 2025. For a limited time during the UAD Holiday Sale, customers can enjoy special introductory pricing of $149 (USD).
