If you need an indication of just how special Simon McBride's playing is, know that he is the man Deep Purple called to fill in for Steve Morse live when he had to take some time away from the road to take care of his wife, who is battling cancer.
Simon's solo work showcase a player who ably carries the blues rock flame of fellow Belfast guitar hero Gary Moore onwards. You can find plenty of evidence on his forthcoming album The Fighter, out 27 May.
But in a world of huge rigs and racks of single cuts, Simon is also refreshing: he leans on one trusted instrument for the past nine years.
In the video above he explains why his PRS 408 is such a versatile instrument – and there's some canny switching for some wonderful single-coil tones here, as Simon demonstrates.
Preorder The Fighter and stay up to date at simonmcbride.net
Simon McBride will tour Europe with Deep Purple in May, June and July 2022. More info at deeppurple.com
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“It came out exciting, almost attacking, which fit the James Bond image”: Vic Flick, who played the Bond theme guitar riff, dies aged 87
“It’s been road-tested, dropped on its head, kicked around, x-rayed, strummed, chicken-picked, and arpeggio swept!”: Fender and Chris Shiflett team up for signature Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
