Gary Schmalzl

From Jingo de Lunch to Alvin Lucier, from Georgette Dee to Roland Kaiser, from Church Of Confidence to Thurston Moore, from band member to sideman: versatility is what defines Gary Schmalzl. Performing at small clubs and private parties as well as opera houses and large festivals, his guitar needs to be the perfect match. Playability, sound, design, and looks – he found it all in his Paoletti Alfa HSS.

The instrument features a clean, round, and full tone, a very musical voice that integrates itself into the sound, embracing the music, whatever type of music. May it be punk, rock, or classic, experimental and free or highly precise and restrictive, the guitar is extremely sensitive to the touch and reacts in a very exact way, demanding everything from the player. Unforgiving, rich in detail, without mercy but with great joy, the guitar delivers truthfully whatever the artist is playing. Very accurate in the studio and a pleasure to play live – this is how Gary Schmalzl imagines his ideal guitar.

At age 13, he discovered the guitar as his instrument. In return, he gave up the trumpet that shaped his childhood. That was in 1976. He became a professional musician in the late 1980’s and has since appeared on close to 100 albums, some of which are gold records. Worldwide, he has played several thousand live shows and still keeps a busy schedule, the current main acts being Geschwister Pfister, Cora Frost, and Mona Mur.