SAM TESKEY
HAILS FROM NAARM/MELBOURNE, VICTORIA
PLAYS IN THE TESKEY BROTHERS
SOUNDS LIKE WHISKEY-SOAKED SOUL PLUCKED STRAIGHT FROM THE ‘50S
LATEST DROP THE WINDING WAY (LP OUT NOW VIA IVY LEAGUE)
How did you first discover the guitar?
I went to a great primary school called the Co-Op in Hurstbridge – a parent-run school that allowed for a lot of exploring and self-learning. I didn't pay too much attention to the standard curriculum, but there were a couple of old, beat-up nylon-string guitars that I found myself very engaged with. I then borrowed my first steel-string off my dad, an entry-level Maton from the ‘60s. It wasn't long after that I managed to save up for my first guitar, my faithful 1987 Fender Stratocaster in TV white. I still play that guitar today.
What's your current go-to?
My 1987 Strat is my go-to because it's what I've always known and feels like home when I play it. I also play a lot with my volume pot to ride with the dynamic music we play, and I shift tones from clean to distorted with that same pot regularly. This guitar's volume pot is perfectly positioned so I can always have my pinkie riding it while I play. The tone on a Strat is so versatile because the output volume is so low. As long as you have some sort of pedal to boost the output gain, you can really find that sweet spot between clean and distorted. And because of the springs holding up the bridge, the guitar always sounds so open and resonant.
What inspires you as a guitarist?
I could talk about what guitarists inspire me for days, but it's a
