Brett
Garsed

Blackmore, a small band, and a plumbing job

Raised in rural Victoria, Australia, Garsed started guitar at twelve after hearing Blackmore on Deep Purple's “Speed King.” Early lessons gave way to teaching himself and playing in a band with two cousins and a friend.

A later year of classical study helped his fingerpicking. His influences expanded from rock players to Allan Holdsworth, Larry Carlton and Scott Henderson.

By July 1985 he had a Guitar Player Spotlight appearance. Working as a licensed plumber, he sent demo tapes in search of a band. Ross Fraser heard one, leading to the Farnham audition. Brett's biography

The guitar at the end of “You're the Voice”

Farnham's Whispering Jack arrived in 1986. Garsed's playing was on an album that reached an enormous audience, followed by touring in Australia and Europe.

Listen through the outro of “You're the Voice.” Garsed explained in a 2026 lesson that the recorded solo was his only take. Playing his black, 21-fret Strat, he bent up to a high F and broke the first string. The bridge stayed in tune, and he finished without it. His account also explains the string-skipped arpeggio in the solo. Garsed's Guitar World lesson

The Farnham work continued across records and tours. Age of Reason is another place to spend some time, and the later live recordings give you more room to follow the band. Garsed has spoken warmly about playing those songs and working with Farnham. In a 2018 interview, he described being onstage with him as his happiest musical setting. Official album archive, Noisegate interview

Nelson, and a very different audience

Garsed went to the US to audition for Nelson in 1989. After the Rain came out in 1990, with “(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection” reaching number one in America.

Those songs are worth revisiting with your attention on the guitar. “After the Rain,” “More Than Ever” and “Only Time Will Tell” put him in a setting full of vocal harmonies and big choruses. He could do the work a song like that needed while developing a much more exploratory instrumental vocabulary alongside it. Because They Can is also in his official discography. MusicPlayers profile, Brett's album archive

Garsed and Helmerich

The records with TJ Helmerich deserve a proper stop. Start with Quid Pro Quo, then Exempt. Helmerich's two-handed tapping and Garsed's combination of legato and picked articulation give you two very individual guitar voices to follow.

Their debut's musicians included Bobby Rock, Gary Willis and Paul Mirkovich. The songs on those first two records include “Subway,” “Megan,” “Horizon Dream” and “Yerba Buena Bells.” There are vocals in this catalog too. Don't skip them just because you've arrived looking for guitar solos. Official Garsed & Helmerich archive, Brett's biography

Garsed has credited Helmerich with encouraging him to believe in his own music. In a 2003 conversation, he also explained why Big Sky became a separate solo project: he wanted the duo's writing to remain something they created together. Abstract Logix interview

They also made Under the Lash of Gravity. That is worth following once you've spent time with the earlier albums. It belongs in the picture of their partnership, which kept reaching beyond a fixed idea of what a guitar record should contain.

Gambale, Lane, and Uncle Moe

Centrifugal Funk puts Garsed on the same project as Frank Gambale and Shawn Lane. Garsed later said the sessions pushed him toward more playing than he would normally choose, but he valued the opportunity. He also clarified that he didn't meet Lane during the recording. That happened later. Abstract Logix interview

Then there's Uncle Moe's Space Ranch: Garsed, Helmerich, Gary Willis, Dennis Chambers and Scott Kinsey. The first album and Moe's Town give you another substantial stretch of music to explore. “Colliding Chimps,” “Minx” and “Audio Rhumba” are useful places to enter the catalog. Uncle Moe's Space Ranch, Moe's Town, personnel in Brett's biography

One gear detail from the first record is especially good: Garsed told Richard Hallebeek that he used Scott Henderson's Alexander Dumble-modified Fender Bandmaster for most of it. A borrowed amp, rather than a giant signature rig. Hallebeek interview

The heavy stuff: Sherinian and Planet X

Derek Sherinian's Planet X from 1999 and the band Planet X's Quantum from 2007 are separate records. Both belong on the Garsed listening list.

For the earlier sessions, Garsed described learning difficult parts in sections, using a Diezel amp and borrowing Wendy Levin's Ibanez Universe seven-string. He enjoyed getting to play heavy material in low B, while being quite open about how demanding the tightly written parts were. Hallebeek interview

On Quantum, he shares the guitar credits with Holdsworth, who appears on two tracks. The other musicians include Sherinian, Virgil Donati, Jimmy Johnson and Rufus Philpot. Start with “Alien Hip Hop” or “Poland,” then give the whole album some time. Album credits, AllMusic album overview

For another collaboration, there's the first Richard Hallebeek Project, released in 2004 and later remastered. Its lineup includes both Garsed and Shawn Lane. Hallebeek's store and credits, Hallebeek discussing the original release

Big Sky and Dark Matter

Big Sky is an easy recommendation for someone who wants a full album under Brett's own name. Released in 2002, it features Ric Fierabracci on bass and Toss Panos on drums, with Garsed writing the music. “Breathe,” “Brothers,” “Undoing” and the title track give you several ways in. Listen to Big Sky

His comments about writing it are useful. He wanted the other musicians to interpret the material, and he cared about melodies that could hold up as songs. He named Beck's Blow by Blow and Wired, and Bruford's One of a Kind, as important records in that respect. Abstract Logix interview

Dark Matter followed in 2011. Fierabracci returns, Gerry Pantazis handles most of the drums, Donati plays on the title track, and Phil Turcio contributes keyboards. Craig Newman plays bass on “Enigma,” with Fierabracci taking its bass solo. Try “If Only,” “Android” and “James Bong (License to Chill)” alongside the title track. Listen to Dark Matter and see the full credits

Both albums are available through Brett's own Bandcamp. That makes them a straightforward place to start and a direct way to support his music.

Watch the picking hand

Legato means using hammer-ons and pull-offs to connect notes without picking every one. Hybrid picking combines the pick with the fingers of the same hand. Garsed puts those approaches together across strings, allowing picked notes and wide intervals to sit inside flowing lines.

His teaching is a good way to see how much is happening on both sides of the guitar. The Hybrid Picking book pairs fifty picking-hand rudiments with fifty musical licks, with video that lets you see the mechanics. There is also a dedicated Legato book. GuitarVivo's Garsed library, Hybrid Picking

Try following one phrase through a demonstration. Notice where a finger plucks a new string and where the fretting hand supplies the next notes. You don't have to learn the whole passage to get something useful from it.

And then the slide comes out

Garsed plays slide in standard tuning, integrating it with his regular playing. He angles the slide to reach intervals that a straight slide wouldn't give him in that tuning. Watch his slide demonstration, especially the change from straight placement to an angle. Guitar Player lesson

His Modern Slide Guitar Techniques in Standard Tuning book goes further into intonation, muting, angled positions, fretted notes and pedal-steel-style ideas. It comes with audio and video examples. It's an unusually useful direction for anyone who wants to bring slide into the guitar they already play. Book and video package

The instructional videos, then and now

The earlier video is Rock Fusion, filmed in 1994 according to Brett's biography. He identifies the guitar in it as his Steinberger GS. The title remains listed by Alfred Music. Alfred listing, Brett discussing the guitars in his videos

The later Rock Guitar Improvisation, released in 2004, uses his ESP Horizon Custom. Brett's site lists it as Rock Improvisation. Its subjects include hybrid picking, legato, slide, ear training, fretboard coverage and improvisation, with live footage alongside the instruction. Sections are also listed in his own Gumroad store. Official video page, Gumroad, 2004 release reference

There's a substantial magazine teaching trail too. Jason Sidwell wrote backing tracks for his Guitar Techniques performances, which were then transcribed for readers. “Slam Bam” is one to watch. His own YouTube channel and website provide more lessons and performances. Noisegate interview

Horizon, and more recent music

Horizon gives you a more recent rock-band chapter. Led by Lee Bradshaw, it includes Garsed, bassist Rich Panaia, drummer Angus Burchall and recordings by the late Stuart Fraser. The self-titled album was released in 2025. The project has a long recording history, rather than being a band assembled just for that release. Official band history, Lee Bradshaw album interview

For a starting track, try “Sex and Love.” There's also live activity beyond the album: the band returned to the stage at Melbourne's Evelyn Hotel in August 2025. Album-launch report

Garsed also contributed “From the Inside” to Guitars for Veterans Australia's Second Tour project. Australian Musician interviewed him about it in December 2024. Interview and project details

The Cilia in the registry

There's already a Cilia Guitars Brett Garsed model in the StringCult registry. The entry, posted under BGarsed, describes it as a custom build by Sydney's Charles Cilia. Its photo gives you a clear look at the blue quilted top, two humbuckers and tremolo.

You can follow the instrument back to that entry, or look through Cilia's work. It's a useful addition to the older ESP and Steinberger references below.

The guitars, amps and effects

These are documented pieces from different periods. Some were borrowed for a recording, and some belong to older rigs. The dates describe the source, not necessarily the first or last time he used the equipment.