handles rhythm. Their voices are equally prominent, and this works
because of their contrasting styles. “Aaron has more of a punk-rock
aesthetic,” says Bryce, “he plays louder and he likes big, fuzzy son-
ics, whereas my approach is based more on a micro scale—a care-
fully placed note here or there—and a slightly more virtuosic tech-
nique. We often have kind of mirrored guitar parts—he might play
down the neck while I reharmonize things up the neck.”
Both brothers, however, are disinclined to stretch out and show
off. “Guitar solos would just sound gratuitous in our music,” says
Bryce. “They wouldn’t be in the spirit of the songs, which call for
the guitar parts to be supportive.” That said, the agitated, nine-bar
solo that Bryce improvised last May on a Late Show performance of
“Afraid of Everyone” offers persuasive evidence to the contrary.
A taste for Vintage Gear
The Dessners have an enviable selection of equipment at their
disposal—enough pieces to require a couple of storage spaces (see
the sidebar on p. 84 for full details). Bryce’s main electric guitars
are a 1963 Fender Jaguar and an early 1970s Les Paul Deluxe with
miniature humbuckers. Aaron’s go-to guitar is a 1979 Epiphone
Sheraton whose trapeze tailpiece allows him to create colorful
effects by picking the strings behind the bridge. On High Violet, the
brothers also used an early 1960s Gibson ES-330TDC that belongs
to producer Peter Katis.
Aaron and Bryce share a lot of gear, too, including a 1965 Guild
M- 20 steel-string acoustic, a pair of Penn Pennalizer boutique tube
FEATURE > tHe nAtionAL
Bryce Dessner, who studied with noted classical composer Benjamin Verdery, onstage with a 1970 Les Paul Deluxe. Photo by Keith Klenowski
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