prep your Gear Gilmour style

David Gilmour’s long-time tech Phil Taylor let us in on how he builds foolproof reliability into David’s gear while touring. First, Gilmour’s black Strat is packed away as soon as it comes off stage at the end of the show. Phil then explains what happens next: “In preparation for the next show, the guitar is unpacked and acclimatised, then it goes through a daily maintenance routine – string height and action are checked, frets cleaned, friction points inspected and lubricated as required, cleaned, restrung, strings stretched, screws tightened, tremolo arm seating and movement checked, played/ tested to ensure tuning stability and checking of pickups and electronics. Then it’s ready to be handed over to David.”