Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride has addressed criticism from Ritchie Blackmore fans over his decision to use amp modelers instead of traditional tube amps.
McBride explained his reasoning for switching to a digital rig. He also described how he worked to carve out his own sonic space alongside keyboardist Don Airey.
“Steve [Morse] is a great player, but he’s a different sort of player, so that was a big thing for me – to get that big, powerful sound. I have a lot of amps, but for most of the Purple stuff I use my live rig, which is the [Neural DSP] Quad Cortex,” McBride said. “I can hear a lot of Ritchie Blackmore fans crying out, going, ‘No! He’s using digital stuff!’ But it’s brilliant.”
McBride went on to describe the specific challenge of sharing frequency space with Airey’s Hammond and Leslie setup, and how he tackled it.
“I had to change my sound a bit because you’re dealing with Don Airey, who plays keys, the Hammond and Leslie, and a Marshall head and cabinet. He’s in a very similar frequency range to [my] guitar, so I had to figure something out to make the guitar sound more powerful,” he continued. “I was talking to the guys at Engl, who made Steve Morse’s signature amp, and Engl gave me an Artist Edition head. I asked them to tweak it and put a lot more power in the lower mids and low-end. I knew the Leslie and Hammond didn’t have that, so that could be my little space and would cut through but also make me sound powerful when we play a riff together.”
McBride joined Deep Purple in 2022, replacing Steve Morse, who had held the guitarist role since 1994. Morse stepped back from touring commitments as his wife continued her battle with cancer. McBride had previously toured with Deep Purple as a guest guitarist, making him a natural fit when the permanent vacancy arose.
The transition placed McBride in one of rock’s most scrutinized guitar seats. Deep Purple’s guitar legacy is defined largely by Ritchie Blackmore, the band’s founding guitarist. His tone and style remain a benchmark for hard rock. Blackmore left the band for the final time in 1993, but his shadow has never fully lifted — a reality McBride is clearly aware of and willing to address directly.
Rather than chasing that legacy, McBride has taken a forward-looking approach. His use of the Neural DSP Quad Cortex and the custom-tweaked Engl Artist Edition head reflects a guitarist focused on serving the music rather than satisfying nostalgia. The decisions are practical, rooted in the specific sonic demands of playing alongside Don Airey’s dense keyboard rig night after night.
Deep Purple have continued to release and perform new material with their current lineup. McBride’s integration into the group has been part of a broader effort to keep the band active and relevant. His openness about the tools he uses — and the reasons behind those choices — signals a guitarist fully committed to the role on his own terms.
Source: Guitar World
