Courtney Barnett: The Transformative Power of the Fender Jaguar
In the latest installment of the Fender Sessions video series, Courtney Barnett captivates audiences with her unique blend of technical prowess and emotional depth, showcasing her skills on both a Stratocaster and a Jaguar. Among these iconic instruments, it’s the Jaguar that has substantially shaped her musical journey.
A Journey Through Sound
The 37-year-old Australian singer-songwriter burst onto the scene with her debut album, Sometimes I sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, released in 2015. Since then, she has followed up with two additional studio albums, a collaborative project with Kurt vile, and the soundtrack for Anonymous Club, a documentary about her life released in 2021. BarnettS work has garnered numerous accolades, including several awards and a Grammy nomination.
Crafting a Signature Sound
known for her dreamy indie-rock sound,Barnett’s music is characterized by her intricate fingerpicking and the distinctive tones of her Fender guitars. Despite her acclaim, she remains humble about her abilities.“I identify as a guitar player first, before anything else,” she shares. “that’s where I feel most at home—just playing music.”
(Image credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images)
The Jaguar: A Game-Changer
Over time, Barnett has become closely associated with her Fender Jaguar, an instrument she describes as a lifesaver during a pivotal moment in her career. “We used to tour as a four-piece with another guitarist,” she recalls. “When my friend Dan could no longer join us, I had to learn both guitar parts. I realized I needed a different guitar to make it work.”
She explains, “I had been playing a Telecaster, but when I got my first Jaguar, everything changed. It just felt right; there was something about the sound that allowed me to blend both parts seamlessly.”
Finding New Dimensions in Music
As Barnett evolved as a performer, she recognized her tendency to rely on distortion pedals during live shows. “I realized that using a lot of distortion was my safety net,” she admitted in a 2022 interview with Guitar Player. “While it was fun, it started to feel repetitive, and I wanted to explore different emotional expressions in my music.”
This realization lead her to embrace quieter, more meditative moments in her performances, drawing inspiration from her background in visual arts. “The interplay between visual art and music is profound,” she notes.“Just as silence holds power in music, negative space is crucial in visual art. They inform each other, and there’s no set formula—it all depends on the song and the moment.”
Limited Choices, Unique Finds
Being left-handed posed challenges in her search for a new guitar, which ultimately led her to a reissue of Kurt cobain’s iconic 1965 model. This model features DiMarzio DP103 PAF and DP100 Super Distortion pickups, along with a vintage-style floating tremolo. Barnett uses this guitar for a frenetic rendition of “Turning Green.”
Additionally, she plays an American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster for her track “Before You Gotta Go,” showcasing her fingerpicking style reminiscent of neil Young’s work with Crazy Horse. Recently, she further honored Young by covering “Lotta Love,” a track featured on the upcoming tribute album, Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, which also includes contributions from artists like Eddie Vedder, Sharon Van Etten, and Brandi Carlile.
