Not all guitars are visually appealing, but opinions on aesthetics can vary widely. For Opeth’s latest album, “The Last Will & Testament,” frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt made a surprising guitar choice. While he typically favors his signature PRS models, he opted for a different instrument this time.
Åkerfeldt used a 1990s Telecaster featuring a single-coil pickup in the bridge and a humbucker in the neck. Despite its functional qualities, Åkerfeldt expressed a strong dislike for its appearance.
“No one’s seen me with a Tele before,” he admitted in an interview with Total Guitar. “I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with one because I think they’re fucking ugly! But that’s the only guitar I used.”
Given his aversion to the guitar’s look, what prompted Åkerfeldt to select it for the album? He provided a straightforward explanation:
“It doesn’t hum when you raise the gain.”
This isn’t the first occasion Åkerfeldt has utilized the Telecaster in his work; it was also his instrument of choice for scoring the Swedish Netflix series “Clark,” which explores the origins of Stockholm Syndrome. He highlighted the guitar’s comfort, stating:
“I love the feel of that Tele. It’s so comfortable that I didn’t feel the need to bring anything else. I also knew if it didn’t work, Fredrik [Åkesson] would have a bunch of shit for me to try.”
An additional key component of the album was a vintage ’60s Marshall cabinet, which Åkerfeldt noted has “probably never been serviced.”
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