FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION, CORONA, 2006

David Gilmour received this guitar from Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in June 2006, together with a letter from Fender Electric's Product Manager Travis Kent, explaining that the guitar’s “thin skin” Nitro-lacquer finish would enable the guitar to breathe and therefore resonate better. Gilmour played the guitar on the first day of the Barn Jams recording sessions at his West Sussex home in January 2007. Having enjoyed working with friends and fellow musicians Richard Wright, Guy Pratt and Steve DiStanislao so much during his 2006 On An Island Tour, Gilmour invited the group for a week of jamming together in one of the barns at his countryside home. Beautifully lit with strings of fairy lights and filled with plenty of heaters to combat the freezing weather, the barn was set up with recording and filming equipment to capture the sessions live. Author and lyricist Polly Samson photographed the jams, including a number of shots of Gilmour playing this Candy Apple Red Strat in the control room, as the barn was still too cold on day one.