Hailing from the Australian island of Tasmania, Alan Gogoll is reshaping acoustic guitar before our eyes. Sure, you’ve heard artificial harmonics, but Gogoll has refined it into a fluid technique that is, quite simply, breathtaking. Heard on his latest, Lioness Lullabies, bell-like notes cascade like a waterfall over each song – truly, it’s something you have to hear to believe.
Tell us about Lioness Lullabies.
It feels like a musical postcard from the past two years while I’ve been traveling from Australia to Hansa Studios in Berlin. Each of the eight songs was recorded live in a single take. There’s something special about playing a piece in one take; it preserves the raw emotion, the imperfections, and the magic of the moment. For recording, their live room has this perfect balance – resonant but not overpowering, intimate but expansive. They also have legendary and rare microphones like Neumann’s U67 and SM2, and the RCA 44, all of which brought out a beautiful depth in the guitar.
Your picking hand is positioned more-parallel to the strings than most fingerstylists.
Yes, that allows me to control the harmonics more precisely and get a clearer tone. It’s something that developed naturally over time, as I found what worked best for producing the sounds I wanted. It’s certainly a trade off – the classic trap of the guitarist who wants to do it all – but I’m happy to be a one-trick pony and do that one trick to the best of my abilities.
The thumb of your picking hand is like a band – it’s playing the bass line and keeping rhythm. Talk about the different jobs your fingers do.
That’s a great way to put it! I see the thumb as the metronome and bass, the index finger as perhaps the band leader for attack. My other fingers come in and out when needed. It’s like they all have their own role in a conversation, working together to create a full guitar sound.
Does using a capo improve the chiming qualities of the harmonics?
I have a rule that whichever capo position I start an idea with, I keep it for the final song. A capo gives a brighter, chime-like quality, but it’s a trade off because it lowers the string tension and shortens the string length. So, all things equal, harmonics are much easier without a capo but I would say more fun with one.
What are your preferred open tunings?
I actually only have one tuning and I’ve used it for a very long time. Originally, I wanted an unusual tuning so I could create my own musical identity. E-A-C#-E-B-E is the tuning that just struck me and felt like home. I believe you can now search “Alan Gogoll tuning” online and that will come up, which is cool.
Which guitar did you use on the album?
I played my Åstrand, which is my dream guitar and I really can’t express how much I love it. Ted Åstrand’s luthiery work is exquisite and he’s just about to finish building a second guitar for me; it’ll be a smaller, brighter guitar to complement my OM, which I see as the orchestral guitar.
What tonal qualities are you looking for in a guitar?
In terms of timber, we all know the luthier plays the largest part, but I do love my spruce and African blackwood OM for a large orchestral sound, while I have a soft spot for spruce and maple for smaller-bodied guitars. Though they’re built nearly a decade apart, they share the same piece of bearclaw-moon spruce for the tops, which was a very cool detail.
Guitar players must come to your shows and stare at your right hand. How did your cascading harmonics approach on guitar evolve?
It’s funny, people always ask about my right hand, but the real work and effort happens in my left. Ever since I was a kid, I really loved harmonics – it’s like there’s a hidden instrument in the guitar, one you can access with some practice. I really love that.
Was there a moment that really upped your playing game?
When I was 20, I slipped with a knife in the kitchen and injured my left hand. That forced me to only use my right hand for some time, so I started looking at how many harmonics I could do over the soundhole. Once my fretting hand healed, I started translating what I’d been doing with my picking hand to my fretting hand, and the rest is history. It’s exciting because the guitar really does seem to have infinite possibilities. There’s still so much undiscovered. – Pete Prown
This article originally appeared in VG’s April 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
