![The Guitar That Led Larry McCray to Abandon His Gibsons]](https://backingtracksfullcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Guitar-That-Led-Larry-McCray-to-Abandon-His-Gibsons-758x426.jpg "The Guitar That Led Larry McCray to Abandon His Gibsons] 1")
Fender and Gibson are two of the biggest names in the guitar world. However, blues ace Larry McCray has championed an oft-underrated electric guitar he believes captures the best of both legendary manufacturers.
McCray is pictured with the guitar on the cover of his new album, Heartbreak City, and he believes the underrated six-string shouldn’t be sniffed at.
“The tones you hear are incredible,” he explains. “I think Guild guitars sound in between a Fender and a Gibson. They are brighter than Gibsons, but still have the low-end punch of a humbucker. I’ve played Gibson my whole career – now I want something different.”
Heartbreak City was produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith. For McCray, that meant pairing his prized Guild with some knock-out gear picks.
“I played through Joe’s rig,” he reveals. “He has a nice collection of Dumble amplifiers. I used a little combo that was about the size of a Princeton, with a really warm tone.”
McCray’s full Guitar World interview features in the latest print issue. Copies of the magazine, which charts the year in gear, can be ordered from Magazines Direct.
