Original 1966 Telecaster in Lake Placid Blue

Lords of the Telecaster – Bill Kirchen

Bill Kirchen stands on the top of the hill when we talk about the modern Telecaster masters. In 2016, there is a noticeable maturation of the Telecaster sound as originated by first-gen players like Roy Nichols and James Burton. Then, in my humble opinion, came a second-gen of players like Kirchen, Albert Lee and Danny Gatton. These guys stayed tight to the twang and kept those original Telecaster elements as part of their sound. This honest, bright, straight-to-the-amp sound has been upheld by in recent years by musician’s such as Vince Gill and Redd Volkaert.

And Bill Kirchen.

While he still plays small clubs, Kirchen’s Telecaster is still fresh and also traditional. His sound is often referred to as “dieselbilly” and his musical influence spreads far and wide. Kirchen first came to prominence in the early 70’s as the guitarist for Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. Their outlaw, musical-rule-breaking approach helped keep country guitar as part of rock and roll music. Tracks like “Hot Rod Lincoln” exemplify what Kirchen could do early on.

Throughout the 80’s and 90’s Kirchen became a fixture in the Washington DC music scene, which was laden with top talent at the time including players like Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton and Jimmy Thackery.

In 2006, Kirchen released a critically acclaimed album, “Hammer of The Honky-Tonk Gods”, itself a reference to the Telecaster. Kirchen’s sound holds up with the current generation of Telecaster hot-shots such as Kenny Vaughan and Brent Mason. Kirchen’s playing has kept him at the top of Telecaster Hill for some time and he shows no sign of slowing down.

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Kirchen’s legendary Telecaster, called “Coalburner” is believed to be a late 1950’s Telecaster in sunburst finish.