Q & A with Pete Turner Guitars November 2016

​​If there was an unspoken fifth member of Kaleo, I'm pretty sure
​"that guitar" would be it.

If we had to vote Kaleo a mascot, I'd have no doubt "that guitar" would win by a landslide.

"That guitar" has been featured in dozens of fan photos, music interviews, and was even given the sexy treatment by SoFar Sounds and their video of a secret London concert back in July 2016 ---->
Through this Q&A with the man behind the design, I'd like to introduce "that guitar" as the MARRAKECH RESONATOR 
built by Pete Turner of Pete Turner Guitars in Kent, England.  
I had originally only planned on this to be a one-time interview, not thinking that there could be much I would be able to cover about one band's single resonator guitar.  But then Pete shared this little sneak preview tidbit with me:
"JJ commissioned a new Marrakech when we met in July, and I will be presenting it to him at the Koko gig in London on 23 November.  ​I can’t tell you too much about it now as even JJ has not seen the finished instrument, although he did give me ideas for the design. 

Here are some photos of it being built:
So I can definitively tell you then, that this is just a first Q&A with Pete Turner, as we'll be following up later after JJ has had a chance to try out his custom resonator! Fandom, if you get a glimpse of it during its early appearances, tag either Pete or myself on Instagram or send us images of it in concert! We'd love to see it onstage!
Q & A with PETE TURNER (Part 1)

Did you know of Kaleo before they came to you looking for an instrument?
I’ve been a big fan of rock music, and particularly the Blues, for many years, but have to say that I had not come across Kaleo before. Then earlier this year I received an email from their management company, Triple 8, in Austin, saying how much the band liked my resonator and inviting me to build another.  I checked the internet and yes! There were all these photos of JJ playing one of my resonators! But more than anything I was absolutely blown away by their music, and I knew I wanted to work with them.
How did Kaleo come to get their instrument from you? How did they find out about yours in particular?
As every instrument I make is unique in the woods that I use, I could work out the one in the photos was one of my demo models, but how did JJ get hold of it? All became clear when my wife, Heidi, and I went to Dingwalls in London in July 2016 and met the band before and after the gig. 

We were there for the sound checks and met the crew – boy, did that take us back to the times we moonlighted as band security and crew at a local rock venue! Rubin, JJ, Daniel and David were just so welcoming and chatty – JJ was talking about the video they had just made on the iceberg for ‘Save Yourself’ and showed us some photos on his phone.

It turned out that they were recording for A/B in London and wanted a resonator. It’s a common thing for artists to hire instruments. So it was a simple case of, they hired it in, they loved the sound, didn’t want to give it back, so bought it! And I’m pleased and proud to say, have been playing and recording with the Marrakech ever since.
(JJ shows off the resonator and name drops Pete Turner at about the 35 second mark in this recording session with Baeble Music)
How did you get into making resonators?
As a left-handed player, I’ve always struggled to find the right guitar for me. I’m a mechanical engineer by profession, pretty handy, so I made myself an electric guitar, then a few more, even sold some through a music store. That was not very challenging so I thought I’d try making acoustics, which led to my take on a resonator. 
​
As I’ve mentioned, I’m a massive blues fan and particularly enjoy slide. But, again, was unimpressed with the quality or sound of what I could buy – I wanted something that wasn’t so stereotypically ‘twangy’ or ‘nasal’.
​

For those of us who DON'T know much about guitars, can you tell us what a resonator is?
Resonator guitars were originally designed in the 1920s and 1930s to be louder than regular acoustic guitars, which were overwhelmed by other instruments in dance orchestras. Before the days of electrical amplification, the solution was to engineer the sound through the design. 
(Read more about the history of resonators here)
What is the process of creating a resonator that makes it different from an acoustic guitar? 
Whereas a normal acoustic has the sound hole below the strings and reverberation from the body of the guitar, a resonator has a spun aluminium cone set in a central soundwell, topped with a ‘biscuit’ (wooden block supporting the bridge) or a ‘spider’ (an eight-armed piece of metal). 

Both, in different ways, transmit the vibrations to the cone, thus producing the sound. It’s pretty much how a cone operates within a hi-fi speaker.

From the outset I have wanted to create acoustics using the best quality tonewoods available, and to the highest spec I can – something of beauty visually and to the ear. I was sure I could re-imagine the resonator away from the traditional metal body and cone construction – and as bit of a hi-fi buff and an engineer I took as my context a speaker cone within a cabinet.
For those of us who DO know about guitars, can you tell us why this resonator is so special?
I won’t bore you with the engineering, but the acoustics in a Marrakech are produced from the top of the guitar too, and not from a soundwell as in a standard resonator. It is the combination of the exotic woods body and ring and tail piece design that I found produced the unique sound of my resonator, giving that hybrid tonal quality.

My customers have praised its versatility. You can play it as a normal acoustic guitar, but it has an extra loudness, a projection when needed, that can take you all the way through to the ’honk’ of a resonator. It particularly appeals to acoustic players who wouldn’t normally consider a resonator – one of my customers even plays jazz on it!
Read Guitar & Bass Magazine's review of the Marrakech Madagascar, scoring it a whopping 92%
The Marrakech has become a very prominent instrument for Kaleo -- tell us a bit about how you came upon its design and why you think it fits the band's style.
The name Marrakech really came about by accident as I thought the cut-out of the cover plate invoked a Moroccan feel.
It’s been said that the Marrakech has become a real signature instrument for Kaleo, both in looks and sound. If I wanted to wax lyrical about it, I’d say that it symbolises the band’s music – it transcends a single genre, encapsulating elements of rock, blues and folk, gliding effortlessly between hard and southern rock, the poignance of folk, and even country and pop. The distinctive visual association enhances that individuality. 

But forget the fancy stuff – the Marrakech looks cool on stage, Kaleo look great, sound great, and are destined for great things.
Where can your instruments be purchased?
Every acoustic and resonator I make is completely hand-built; I choose and season the woods first and even hand wind my own pick-up. So I only build a limited number per year, usually to order, and it will be unique to that customer. 

If anyone is interested in seeing more photos of the instruments I have built, or in purchasing one please look at my website www.peteturnerguitars.com

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Are you on any other social media? 
You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram too.
And thank you for the chance to share a bit more about the Marrakech with my fellow Kaleo fans!
You can see more of Pete's guitars at www.peteturnerguitars.com 
or contact him by email
 
You can also like Pete Turner Guitars on Facebook
​ and follow him on Instagram
The (Unofficial) Kaleo Fan Club
WWW.WHYMUSICMATTERS.COM