“It feels a bit wrong to play it. But I don't think anyone who has a guitar that they love would want it to never be played after their death”: Fontaines D.C. guitarist Carlos O'Connell reacts to playing Rory Gallagher's prized guitars

Carlos O’Connell of Fontaines DC reacts to playing Rory Gallagher’s guitars – YouTube

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Much like Rory Gallagher before him, Fontaines D.C. guitarist Carlos O’Connell is carrying the mantle for Irish guitarists who have made a significant mark on the international music scene.

Gallagher’s legacy has deep roots in Ireland, inspiring generations of musicians like O’Connell – who, fittingly, has shared his thoughts on the Irish guitar legend and paid homage by playing some of the prized guitars that are up for auction on October 17, including Gallagher’s iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster.

“It feels a bit intimidating, to be honest. It’s so personal. It’s like looking at an old couple,” says O’Connell when he’s handed the Strat. “You know, it’s been through everything. It shows how fragile important things are, you know, but also how you don’t have to be too cautious with things that are fragile.”

“It feels a bit wrong, in a way, to play it. But at the same time, I don’t think anyone that has a guitar that they love would want the guitar to never be played after their death.”

O’Connell goes on to explain that he actually owns a Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher signature Strat, which was painstakingly modeled on the 1961 Strat. While Fontaines D.C. were on tour, he happened to pass by Chicago Music Exchange, where he spotted one of these relatively rare models.

“I just asked, ‘Can I play it? I haven’t seen one of these.’ And I just plugged it in. I played it. They did a really good job with those replicas, you know. The sound is amazing – I fell in love with it.” In fact, O’Connell liked it so much that it’s now one of his main guitars, as he switches between this one and his red ’60s Mustang.

In addition to the 1961 Fender Strat, O’Connell also tries out Gallagher’s 1963 Epiphone Coronet, with its custom green finish and single P-90 pickup which Gallagher was a massive fan of; his 1959 Silvertone, which featured prominently on the classics A Million Miles Away and Cradle Rock; and his 1968 Martin D-35, the main acoustic guitar he used throughout his entire career.

In recent news about the Rory Gallagher auction, Joe Bonamassa has publicly confirmed that he never intended to bid on the 1961 Strat – which has found itself at the center of a grassroots campaign to keep the guitar in Ireland.