Members slodge Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Okay, I'm a little embarrassed to ask this, but can any of you Neil Young fans clear up what he plays through for me? I know about the Les Paul (although any PUP details would help) but I'm never quite sure about the amps and all. You see him on stage with walls of Marshals, but I know that's just show. It's my impression that he goes directly into an amp without effects, but I could be wrong on that easily! As a huge fan, both of his music and his tone, I should know this. I have a few ways of approaching his tone, but I'm curious what you all have found to be effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Well, there's always ... http://www.thrasherswheat.org/sound.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slodge Posted October 26, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Thanks for the link, csm! I'm looking at the pictures of Neil's LP. Is that a P90 in the neck position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wurstburst Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Thanks for the link, csm!I'm looking at the pictures of Neil's LP.Is that a P90 in the neck position? Firebird mini-hum at the bridge. P90 in the neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burningleaves Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Thanks for the link, csm!I'm looking at the pictures of Neil's LP.Is that a P90 in the neck position? Yup. P-90 neck with a Firebird mini in the bridge. His amp is one of the big "tone tickets" equipment wise (imo). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tim gueguen Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Yep. Gibson Firebird in the bridge. Despite the black paint its actually a repainted goldtop and not a Custom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vinhoff Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 http://www.thrasherswheat.org/friends/amps.htm is a direct link for amps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members washburndean Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Neil Young's setup is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 It's my impression that he goes directly into an amp without effects, but I could be wrong on that easily! Absolutely incorrect. Neil's sound is very, very wet, he uses an outboard reverb almost constantly and and an Echoplex tape delay most of the time as well; the two combine for that really wet, "playing inside a well" tone of his. Then he has a pretty steady pedalboard. Mutron Octave pedal (Hey, Hey, My, My), an old MXR Analog Delay (used almost exclusively to fatten up the Mutron), a Boss BF-1 Flanger (only used live, rarely heard outside of bootlegs), and an Alesis Microverb turned up to beyond the point of oscillating, you here this effect on some tunes in Freedom and live recordings after that time. With the exception of having the Octave pedal for Hey, Hey, there is little outside of the Reverb and the Echoplex that is necessary for Neil's tone, just tricks he pulls out live. Then there is the infamous Whizzer, the controls on a Tweed Deluxe are interactive, turn one Volume knob and the tone changes on the other channel, and the Tone knob is very heavy-handed. So, Neil has a device that sits on the amp and turns the knobs between three presets. Most of us just use our hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burningleaves Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 I could have sworn that I read something about Neil retiring "old Black" and using a a gold-top converted to "Old Blacks" specs. His roadies guitar or something. IDK.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 I could have sworn that I read something about Neil retiring "old Black" and using a a gold-top converted to "Old Blacks" specs. His roadies guitar or something. IDK.... Yeah, throughout the late '90's he would switch between the two during shows. Old Black was a '52 or '53 Goltop originally and the GT is a '53 (IIRC), with a Bigsby and Firebird PU added. From what I hear Old Black frets are so low it's been rendered near unplayable, so Neil retired it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burningleaves Posted October 26, 2008 Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Yeah, throughout the late '90's he would switch between the two during shows. Old Black was a '52 or '53 Goltop originally and the GT is a '53 (IIRC), with a Bigsby and Firebird PU added. From what I hear Old Black frets are so long it's been rendered near unplayable, so Neil retired it. Geez..through the late 90's?? Cripes...I need to get with the times! I thought it was recent event! :cop:Good stuff:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slodge Posted October 26, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2008 Absolutely incorrect. If I gotta be incorrect, I may as well be absolutely so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daves_obc Posted October 27, 2008 Members Share Posted October 27, 2008 Old Black is still around. Here is an interview with Larry Cragg, Neil's guitar tech that has a lot of interesting info in it. It talks about the refret job too. http://www.tonequest.com/pdf_pubs/samples/TQRSep06_Proof.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scuzzo Posted October 27, 2008 Members Share Posted October 27, 2008 what tour did he have those huge Fender Cabs on.. it was a crazy horse show..man he was in top grunge form there!! Rocking in a free world.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burningleaves Posted October 27, 2008 Members Share Posted October 27, 2008 Old Black is still around. Here is an interview with Larry Cragg, Neil's guitar tech that has a lot of interesting info in it. It talks about the refret job too.http://www.tonequest.com/pdf_pubs/samples/TQRSep06_Proof.pdf Great link:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T ned Posted October 27, 2008 Members Share Posted October 27, 2008 what tour did he have those huge Fender Cabs on.. it was a crazy horse show..man he was in top grunge form there!! Rocking in a free world.. Originally for the Live Rust shows, but he brought 'em back for the Ragged Glory (released as Weld) tour... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted October 27, 2008 Members Share Posted October 27, 2008 Old Black is still around. Here is an interview with Larry Cragg, Neil's guitar tech that has a lot of interesting info in it. It talks about the refret job too. http://www.tonequest.com/pdf_pubs/samples/TQRSep06_Proof.pdf One of the best reads I've had in ages. Kind of cool to see that he does his intonation the same way that I've been doing them for ages, although I have been known to let my string settle a bit during tuning. I think I am going to try his method because it makes sense to me and been something I've wondered about for a while. I still like some relief in my necks though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.