PDA

View Full Version : Keith Richards' tone on "Love is Strong"?



red
October 8th, 2007, 03:01 AM
I'm trying to figure out the signal flow for the Rolling Stones' "Love is Strong" rythm guitar (Richards' part). I'm assuming he was using his Micawber Telecaster (with a Gibson Burstbucker) because that's what he plays in the video and most concerts. However, there seems to be a small clip I found on YouTube.com from the latest European tour that seems to suggest that the tone is achieavable with a "regular" single-coil neck Tele, but then again that clip has been filmed with a cellular phone so it might as well be the lighting that makes it appear as though it's a single coil neck.

I'm interested in the pickup configuration (which pickups is he using?), what effects the signal passes through, and what amp he's using. Of course, the more detailed the better (i.e. all the knobs on everything & stuff) :).

Hope I'm not asking the impossible, and thank you in advance for your answers.
And yes, I did try to find out for myself first, but I couldn't get all that information from searching the Net.

Fingers
October 8th, 2007, 04:45 AM
Well.....over the years he has used a lot of different kit.

For the last few years he has used a selection of Telecasters.....most fitted with a Gibson PAF in the neck.............the bridge pups are normally standard fitment.

As a slight aside here are my pair............http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g276/fingers23/DSC01478.jpg

Keith rarely uses any pedals or effects............he plugs directly into Fender Twins and Bassman...................he runs them in pairs and likes to have one clean and the other dirtied up a bit and then blends them to get the tone he wants................although on 'Satisfaction' he did use a fuzz box......don't think he uses one live on that song, now, though.

I do not know why he has the Gibsons fitted to the Teles', it has always been a mystery to me, as I have never seen a photograph of him playing and the switch being in anything other than the bridge position........even on video's...always the bridge.

I happen to think the Telecaster looks cool with the humbucker in the neck though.

I play mine through a Bassman and my AD50 Vox on the Twin setting and they are just awesome...............My 52ri is fitted with a CS Nocaster in the bridge....not your normal 7.2k one but one of the earlier 10k ones........it is an awesome guitar..............

A few of Keefs........
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g276/fingers23/Stones/Keefsladies.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g276/fingers23/Stones/e5b65d5c.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g276/fingers23/Stones/Keithguitars_mathijs.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g276/fingers23/Stones/keefstele.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g276/fingers23/Stones/2005micawber.jpg

red
October 8th, 2007, 05:40 AM
I do not know why he has the Gibsons fitted to the Teles', it has always been a mystery to me, as I have never seen a photograph of him playing and the switch being in anything other than the bridge position........even on video's...always the bridge.
That's very, very, interesting, because I'm in the market for a new Telecaster and I am hunting for one that could eventually accomodate a Gibson PAF humbucker (see my other thread (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=4364) too). But if Keith is always using the bridge pickup, what would be the point in that?

I gotta start hunting for pictures :). Enjoy your '52 RI Tele, I can't afford that so I hope a 50s Classic Telecaster will do for now.

red
October 31st, 2007, 03:06 PM
I do not know why he has the Gibsons fitted to the Teles', it has always been a mystery to me, as I have never seen a photograph of him playing and the switch being in anything other than the bridge position........even on video's...always the bridge.
Well, I've found this potential explanation (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/79560-what-%22micawber%22-2.html) on another great Telecaster forum:

"Switch is always in the bridge position, which would mean that he doesn't use neck hum at all. However, I've red somewhere that his techs wired the switch in a way that both pickups are on when switch is towards the bride, so Keef wouldn't accidentally hit it during playing....."

So yeah, who knows how the pickup switch is wired?

red
May 7th, 2009, 11:17 AM
Apparently there's more to it than "pickup selector points to the bridge pickup" theory: check this out (click) (http://www.iorr.org/talk/read.php?1,616632,page=1).

markb
May 7th, 2009, 04:05 PM
Keith's guitar tech talks about his instruments

1kQUXTP8tPc

markb
May 7th, 2009, 04:09 PM
Part 2

_AwiT5m2XFs