Welcome back to Guitardoor.com, where we celebrate the innovators who created new sonic languages for the guitar. Today, we focus on a profoundly influential yet often overlooked pioneer: Ted Turner, a founding member and one of the original twin-lead guitarists of the legendary British rock band, Wishbone Ash.1 Alongside his guitar partner Andy Powell, Turner helped to create and popularize one of the most enduring and important sounds in rock history: the harmonized dual-lead guitar attack.
The Birth of the Twin-Lead
The musical style of Wishbone Ash in the early 1970s was a beautiful and unique tapestry, weaving together the power of hard rock, the melodicism of British folk, the soul of the blues, and the ambition of progressive rock. At the very heart of this sound was the revolutionary interplay between Ted Turner and Andy Powell. In an era where most bands had one designated lead guitarist, Wishbone Ash built their sound around two. They crafted intricate, interlocking guitar parts, playing soaring melodies together in harmony, typically in thirds or fourths, creating a sound that was simultaneously powerful, epic, and incredibly beautiful.2
This twin-lead harmony approach was a groundbreaking concept for a rock band at the time. It gave their music a rich, orchestral quality and a unique melodic voice that set them apart from their peers. Within this partnership, Turner was known as a highly melodic and tasteful player. He was a master of phrasing, and his contributions often included soulful slide guitar work and intricate acoustic passages that added depth and texture to the band’s sound.3 He wasn’t just playing lines; he was co-creating a complete sonic environment.
The Anatomy of Harmony: Technique and Tone
The technique that Ted Turner and Wishbone Ash pioneered was built on the art of interplay. It required an incredible ability to listen intently and lock in perfectly with another guitarist, matching their phrasing, vibrato, and timing to create a single, unified melodic voice from two separate instruments. This deep musical communication was the secret to their seamless and powerful sound.
Turner’s choice of gear was instrumental in achieving the clarity needed for these intricate parts to shine. During the band’s classic era, his primary instrument was a maple-neck Fender Stratocaster. The Strat’s bright, bell-like tone was perfect for cutting through the mix and allowing each note in the harmonized lines to be heard distinctly, preventing the sound from becoming muddy. He was also famously pictured with a Gibson Firebird on the iconic cover of their landmark album, Argus, and used Gibson Les Pauls for heavier, thicker tones, showcasing his versatility in choosing the right tool for the job.
To get their classic British rock sound, Wishbone Ash were famous early adopters of Orange amplifiers.4 The loud, crunchy, and harmonically rich tone of cranked Orange tube heads provided the power and grit their music required, while still retaining enough definition for the complex harmonies to ring out clearly. The combination of classic Fender and Gibson guitars plugged into roaring British amps was the formula for one of rock’s most innovative and enduring sounds.
Essential Turner: The Wishbone Ash Canon
The early albums of Wishbone Ash are a masterclass in dual-guitar harmony and songwriting. To truly understand the groundbreaking sound that Ted Turner helped create, these three tracks from their golden era are essential.
“The King Will Come”
“Blowin’ Free”
“Phoenix”
Ted Turner’s legacy is that of a true pioneer. The harmonized guitar sound he forged with Wishbone Ash became a foundational element of the hard rock and heavy metal vocabulary. The influence of their dual-lead attack can be heard directly in the work of bands like Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, and it continues to echo through rock and metal today.5 Though he eventually departed the band to pursue other life interests, his contribution as one of rock’s great harmonious architects is undeniable and everlasting.
