When I was about 10 years old, I got a guitar
from my parents as a birthday present and I
learned to play it. Then, in my teens, I heard
some blues on the radio and realized that’s
the thing I wanted most to play—I wanted to
know what it felt like to play those licks and
phrases. I didn’t have any lessons or anything.
I just sort of worked things out for myself
over the years. I didn’t start playing the guitar
to become rich and famous—which is good,
because I haven’t become rich and famous.
What’s the story behind the goldtop Les
Paul that has been with you throughout your
entire career?
When I was 18 I met a Swedish girl, so I went
to Sweden, because that’s the sort of thing you
do when you’re younger—you go where the
girlfriend is. I got in a band there—a trio called
the Train—and the drummer knew somebody
who had a Les Paul for sale. I didn’t know anything about guitars at all—and I still don’t—but
I wanted a Les Paul. I had a Stratocaster, which
I didn’t like, and I swapped it for the Les Paul—
an all-original 1957 goldtop. That was in 1969.
I’ve had the guitar for 41 years.
Above inset: “I’m not precious about it,” White says of the ’ 57 goldtop Les Paul he’s relied on for the last 41
years. It’s been rewired and refretted, and the bridge and tuners have been switched out when necessary, but
its checked and battered finish bears the battle scars of innumerable gigs. Photo by Snowy White
Above: When he was 18 and living in Sweden, White traded a Strat for this 1957 goldtop Les Paul. Ever since,
it has been his main touring guitar for gigs with Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy, and Roger Waters. The label on the side
of the flight case reads “Snowy’s Baby.” Photo by Snowy White
Is it still 100 percent original?
It’s a working guitar, and I’m not precious
about it, so I’ve changed things when they
needed changing. It’s had different machine
heads. It’s been rewired. It’s been refretted
a couple of times. And it’s got a different
bridge, which I put on because [Fleetwood
Mac founder] Peter Green gave it to me, even
though it was identical to the original bridge.
It’s a fantastic guitar, really true in the neck
and fingerboard after all these years—and it
sings on every fret just as it should. It’s just
lucky, really.
Since then you’ve branched out a bit from
the Les Paul. What are some of the other
guitars in your arsenal?
For about 30 years, my Les Paul was my only
guitar, and I never wanted another one. But
since I’ve been doing other things, like with
Roger Waters, I’ve needed a few guitars. I
bought a Strat, which is similar to the black
Stratocaster David Gilmour has—I figured I
would use that for a couple of songs to get
the appropriate sound. And on the last tour
for Dark Side of the Moon [2006–2008], I
Right: White mics his
stock, recent-vintage
Vox AC30s just slightly
off axis with a pair of
Shure SM57s. Photo
by Snowy White
Bottom: White’s
main-stage pedalboard for The Wall tour
includes a Boss TU- 2
tuner, an Ernie Ball
volume pedal, a Boss
BD- 2 Blues Driver
that he uses for his
basic sound, a Boss
OD- 3 OverDrive, a
Boss RT- 20 Rotary
Ensemble (used for
the solo in “Mother”
and other chorusing
sounds), a Line 6 M9
Stompbox Modeler
(the “Chorus” switch
is for the verse of
“Comfortably Numb,”
and the “Spaces”
switch provides delay
for “Hey You”), and
a Voodoo Lab Pedal
Power 2 Plus. Photo
by Snowy White
bought a ’ 57 Les Paul reissue, which felt exact-
ly the same as my old one. I put a tremolo arm
on it, because I needed to do a few tremolo
bits. I also got an ES-345 from Gibson, which
is a really great semi-hollowbody. And I’ve got
a Martin acoustic, a D- 28 that came straight
from the factory—they found a nice one for
me. So I have bought some guitars I only use
when I’m playing with other people. When I’m
doing my thing, I just use my Les Paul.
