Sometimes, being in a certain location at a certain time turns out to be lucky for a certain musician, and such was the case in the early ‘90s for Connecticut guitarist Roger Filgate. He grew up in Ridgefield as the youngest of four boys (all musicians), and still resides there. Filgate’s mother was a classical concert pianist, so he took piano lessons from ages four through eight, but gravitated to guitar at nine, and was tutored by an older brother.

“I first tried to use my dad’s old Martin 00-18,” he recalled, “but I couldn’t even get my hands completely around the neck!”

Filgate’s first electric, acquired at age ten, was a used Univox copy of a Gibson ES-335, which he later sold, but he now owns it again. He recounted that his earliest influences were “…the Beatles and various ‘60s groups, then classic rockers like Skynyrd and Zeppelin. It was when I saw Yes for the first time that my life changed; it was 1977 during the Going for the One tour, and I was eleven. After hearing Steve Howe that night, it was ‘Game Over’! I remember thinking to myself: ‘That’s what I want to do’.”

He played in cover bands and original bands since middle school, and one of his primary axes was, and still is, a 1980 Candy Apple Red Fender “The Strat” with matching headstock and brass parts, which his mother bought him for his fifteenth birthday. Filgate described the model as “…one of Fender’s best-kept secrets! It’s a great axe, although it weighs ten pounds. It plays and sounds amazing; it’s definitely ballsier and more versatile than most Strats.”

Filgate is also partial to Gibson ES-345s, and currently has two, a ’72 in ice-tea sunburst and a ’78 in wine red. He re-wired the ’72 to mono, and also replaced its original tuners with Grovers.

“While many players don’t like the Varitone, I happen to love it,” Filgate said of the ES-345’s unique rotary switch device. “It gives you that really- honky nasal tone while in the middle position—not useful all of the time, but unique nonetheless.”

While working in a music store, Roger met Wishbone Ash founding guitarist Andy Powell, who lived nearby and was seeking a piano teacher for his son. A musical friendship developed, and Filgate began jamming and writing with Powell. In the early ‘90s, Andy asked him to go on the road with “the Ash” as a guitar tech and roadie, which gave Filgate a plethora of experience.

The other guitarist in Wishbone Ash was original member Ted Turner, in his second go-round with the group. When Turner departed again in ‘94, Filgate became the band’s other guitarist.

During Roger’s tenure with Wishbone Ash, he relied primarily on his ’72 ES-345. He appeared on the band’s Live in Geneva (1995) and Illuminations (1996), playing guitar and bass on the latter. He also recorded tracks for the 1997 Distillation four-CD boxed set, and said of a re-make of “Mountainside” (recorded in England) found in that definitive collection: “I actually used (Wishbone Ash founding bassist) Martin Turner’s original Thunderbird bass. On the version on the Illuminations album, recorded here in the States, I’d used a Rickenbacker 4001.”

Filgate departed Wishbone Ash due to his desire to further his musical horizons, recounting: “You’re in sort of an isolated world while traveling around, but it’s an incredible experience. I understand from a fan’s perspective that they want to hear the classic tunes, and I agree—the early albums are great, and I enjoyed playing those songs live, but musically, I wanted to do more.”

And in the ensuing years, Roger took such a notion to heart, playing in a Beatles tribute band, a progressive rock band named Cinema (which released an album called Universal Language in 2000), and a hard rock aggregation, Blast Room (which released Rock is Dead in 2006). In 2007, he recorded guitar solos for legendary singer Chubby Checker’s single “Knock Down the Walls”.

Now comes Filgate’s Worlds Within instrumental album, showcasing a number of styles (and guitars).

“I’ve never done a solo album or an instrumental album,” Roger noted. “I wanted to combine all of the styles I enjoy playing, and since there are no vocals, the biggest challenge was to keep it interesting, musically.”

In addition to his trusty The Strat and ’72 ES-345, Filgate utilized a Gibson Les Paul Classic (on which he installed a Vibrola), a Martin HD-28, an Alvarez MC-90, a ’74 Stratocaster, and a ’67 Fender Stringmaster lap steel (originally an eight-string, it’s strung as a six-string and has two Lace Sensor pickups).

Several of the electric songs on Worlds Within sound somewhat “frenetic-but-organized”, a la contemporary guitarists like Jeff Kollman of Cosmosquad. Such fare is balanced with numbers like “Wrapped in Bronze” (featuring the Martin) and “Roraima” (on which he plays the Alvarez).

“There’s a bit of fret buzzing on ‘Wrapped in Bronze’,” Filgate detailed, “but I left it in there—keeps it real, and it can actually help create a vibe for the song. There’s even a Keith Emerson type of riff on that one.”

Guitar lovers will appreciate the liner notes that cite each guitar used on each track, as well as comments about influences for each song.

The guitarist’s musical associates for the album were bassist Peter Bennett, who used a ’65 Jazz Bass on the entire album, and drummer Ed Lange.

“Both guys have serious chops!” Roger enthused. “They did a great job, and contributed a lot to the sound of the record.”

Filgate is now in the process of putting together live shows for the summer, and plans to continue in an instrumental direction, noting “I really like this path I’m on now; I plan to do more of it.” There are plans for further recordings with Chubby Checker, and a possibility of production work with Wishbone Ash.

Willie G. Moseley is the Senior Writer for Vintage Guitar Magazine, and is presently working on his eighth book. He may be reached at willie@vguitar.com.

This article originally appeared in Vintage Guitar Magazine’s May 2009 issue. All rights reserved.

Photo by : Kristie Conte

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