Kurt Vile has never seemed especially interested in separating the sound of a piece of gear from the life it has lived. A great guitar is one that has been played into submission, a favorite pedal might also be prone to sudden death, and the instruments worth keeping are often inseparable from the songs written on them.
In the video above, Vile walks us through some of the guitars, pedals, amps, and synths that have shaped his music—including a pre-CBS Fender Jazzmaster placed in his hands by J Mascis and a heavily worn Gretsch once owned by his longtime friend Travis Good. The latter has become a regular fixture on Vile’s latest record, its neck and finish bearing the marks of years of serious use.
From there, the conversation wanders in classic Kurt Vile fashion through favorite guitar tones, secret tunings, indispensable effects, synths, dream collaborators, and the gear he still cannot quite bring himself to part with.
Watch the full video above for stories about J Mascis, Marc Ribot, Neil Young, Robert Smith, broken Line 6 pedals, and the one instrument Vile still thinks might complete his setup.