Gordon’s Guitar Gear
“God doesn’t call the equipped, God equips the called.”
Gordon loves this quote because the first instruments he touched and played were the ones his dad, Jerry Kennedy, used. Gordon believes, “Playing the guitar is my calling. It’s what I’ve been doing every day since I was a kid.”
He makes a point that he is not a guitar collector, although he does have an incredible collection of vintage guitars. “They are my working tools. They are meant to be played,” he explains. A third of the guitars he uses are from his legendary guitarist father, Jerry. This stockpile of gear enables Gordon to incorporate his many musical influences to create a sound that is uniquely his.
Gibson and Fender are at the epicenter of his arsenal.He worked on the release of the replica of the Gibson Collector’s Choice #13 1959 Les Paul “Spoonful Burst” formerly owned by John Sebastian (The Lovin’ Spoonful), and his dad’s Jerry Kennedy 1961 ES-335 “Pretty Woman” replica.
“My father gave me a Fender Telecaster for Christmas when I was 15. Along with his 335, those two guitars are probably on half of the records I played on for years." says Kennedy.
The ’61 335 is an icon. Gordon’s dad played it while recording the guitar parts on Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” Elvis Presley’s “Good Luck Charm,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde album, and countless other songs and albums. Furthermore, Gordon Kennedy has used the guitar on sessions with Garth Brooks, Jewel, Faith Hill and many others. Peter Frampton played it on a Ricky Skaggs record. When Gordon handed the guitar to Frampton, Peter said “I was hoping you’d bring this one!”
Vintage Guitar Magazine
