[ Gordon ] They came with Celestions . More often than not , a Celestion speaker has been in the amps that I ' ve used over the years , and have loved over the years ( without really noticing ) and saying that I was looking for a Celestion speaker sound . I learned about them as I went . At some point you go , what ' s in this thing ? I now know more about them , and still seek them out .
[ WM ] Have you tried out the new Celestion speakers that are aged in , to where they ' re running a lot of sound through them . So , they ' re played for hours ?
[ Gordon ] I don ' t know , unless the Ruby ' s I got had that treatment done . But you ' ve got me interested in wanting to find out because I ' ve tried the Torrefied tops from Martin . That messed me up and made me go back and play some Martins I had that I bought years ago , and it just made me mad . Because I ' m thinking , it ' s not going to sound better than the old … oh , wait a second ! There are a lot of things that people are discovering that can make something new sound old .
Like the John Sebastian Gibson Les Paul replica ' s that they aged . Tom Murphy did the treatment to it , and the materials they chose for those guitars are just amazing . A friend stopped by today and he marveled over that this is a relatively new guitar because I let him play the original , and then play the replicas from the custom shop . It ' s like , “ Oh , they can do it if they want to ."
[ WM ] Especially the Tom Murphy guitars , as you mentioned , to where Gibson has now created the Tom Murphy lab , utilizing Tom ' s methodology .
[ Gordon ] I talked to him last Friday , I saw him down at the custom shop and he said , there are actually new procedures to achieve those same things that they ' re doing now . It has to do with the finish that they ' re using . Those guys , I love that there are people that keep seeking a better way to do something . It ' s good that you ' re trying to get something new to sound old , because isn ' t it weird how Gibson in the early ‘ 50s and Fender in the early ‘ 50s got it right , right out of the chute ?
[ WM ] Exactly .
[ Gordon ] I am not sure they ever got it better , but I ' m encouraged when I pick up a guitar that was made in 2014 and play it alongside of an actual 59 Les Paul . I remember when I bought that ' 59 , Les Paul , I played it against four others of the same ilk , two other ' 59s and two ' 58s , and it just left those other guitars in the dust … this Sebastian Les Paul . Now when I play these replicas , the same distance between the original and one of these replicas , might actually be the same distance between the original and another actual ' 59 or ' 58 Les Paul . I would like to take one of these and go play it against some other ' 58 or ' 59 Les Paul ’ s . It may be right on top of it .
[ WM ] As a Christian musician interacting with mainstream artists , either as a songwriter , session guitarist , touring band member , and producer , what are some tips you would provide to aspiring Christian musicians on how to let their light shine in these environments ?
[ Gordon ] You can decide when you go somewhere into a situation , into an arena , into a workspace , into wherever , are you going to be light or are you going to be darkness ? I always think back to when Frampton and I went and did the Howard Stern radio show . The reason it took Peter 30 years to do the show , was because it spooked him , the thought of going in there and getting ambushed . There ' s that spirit about that show , you ' re not easy about , so he was never at peace about going to do it .
But he finally said yes when we were doing the acoustic tour . He ' s going to go do the Howard Stern radio show , so I ' m right there with him . The show was probably an hour and a half long . Howard Stern could not have been more respectful , and kind , and really like a fan . It was completely respectful . To the point of where , when we walked out of the studio and went to the dressing room , we were like , “ That was great .” A producer of the show came running in right behind us and said , " Guys , Howard just said on the air , that in his 30 years of doing this show , this is easily in the top three shows he ' s ever done ." Peter and I go to the airport to come back home , and we ' re sitting by ourselves , and he finally leans over to me , he goes , “ I can ' t believe how well that went ." I took the opportunity to put my arm around him and say together as a team , that place must ' ve needed some light . I think about that , wherever I go , or who I work with … I see Garth Brooks do this nonstop . That dude is light everywhere he goes . I don ' t know where he gets the energy from , other than heaven above .
But I believe that if you are somebody that ' s called to do something , and you answer “ yes ” to that call , then you will continue to be equipped with necessary tools for the job , the energy for it , and the opportunities . Those doors will swing open if you ' re somebody prone to saying , “ Yes , how can I help ?" Or " Yes , I ' ll show up for that ." You ' d be surprised if that ' s your calling , how many times you will see these doors open .
An artist may say , “ Can you come work on this with me ?" Or the way this guitar finds its way into my hands . I ' ve been equipped . I look at it as a gift , and a responsibility with that gift to how I ' m going to use it , and I ' ve just watched God for many years now , continue to equip me to keep answering the call .
Gordon Kennedy is currently on the Garth Brooks stadium tour . He is an in-demand studio musician , producer and songwriter and is constantly enlisted by the best in the music business . Kennedy also enjoys sharing his wealth of knowledge and talent through Songwriter Clinics and lectures at Belmont University and for Curb . Most of all Gordon is a family man who cherishes time with his wife , children and father when he isn ’ t writing hit songs or in the studio !