“This disease won’t beat me”: Glenn Tipton on playing with Richie Faulkner and defying Parkinson’s

Describing the characteristics of a classic Priest riff to us as “fast and furious, interlaced with very melodic passages”, Glenn Tipton is understandably proud of the group’s collective achievements on their latest recordings, it now being Faulkner’s third full-length within their ranks.

As for his health, his general outlook seems to mirror that of the band’s lyrics thematically. It’s a case of soldiering on and powering though.

“I played what I could and am very proud of the whole album,” Tipton tells TG. “Richie helped a lot. I think his strongest attribute is his ability to adapt to different styles whilst maintaining his own very strong character. Priest require a guitarist who can shift from out-and-out metal to more melodic tracks.

“Obviously the drawback for me now is Parkinson’s, and I’ve had to pass a lot of work onto his shoulders. I keep pushing myself because I believe in ‘no surrender’. This disease won’t beat me and I will continue writing and playing for as long as I can.”

Having mainly been seen with Hamer signature guitars since that partnership began in the mid-’80s, Tipton is also famous for using Gibson SGs and humbucker-equipped Fender Strats early on in his career. More recently he has played a double-horned GT-600 signature released through ESP LTD.

“I don’t know how many guitars I own in total, but I’m not really a collector, because to me they are tools of my trade,” he continues.

“If I could get my hands on one of Rory Gallagher’s old Strats, that would be a prized possession! I use the Phantom GT mostly, so I’d say that is my favourite on stage and in the studio. The advantage of Hamer was that it was my own design to my own specifications.

“I was able to make even the smallest changes, such as the long tailpiece on the [Explorer-shaped] Custom GT fitted the inside of my leg when I played stretched riffs. That allowed me to find the most comfortable playing positions, particularly after jumping around!”

Like Faulkner, Tipton tends to stick with an Engl backline for live performances, however in the studio it’s more a case of anything goes. As for when we’ll next see him on stage, he wants us all to know the will is very much there…

“Engl are quality amps which I can adjust audibly to suit the sound I require for stage,” he notes. “In the studio I will use anything that gives me the sound I need. As for joining the band at any point on this next cycle of touring, you will have to wait and see. If I’m well enough, I’ll be on stage with the boys… loud and proud!”

• Invincible Shield is out now via Epic.