Keef's Favorite Guitars & How He Got 'Em

The man known as "The Human Riff" has over 3,000 guitars at his disposal, filling up a warehouse and maintained by one of the best techs in the industry... but just like anyone else, he's got his favorites, and a few of them have great stories. While there are many blogs and websites dedicated to Keith's guitars, I'm focusing on a few favs with some interesting origins.

Micawber

Keef & Micawber, a love affair 46 years strong.

Keith's #1 and most iconic guitar, a '53 butterscotch blackguard Telecaster nicknamed "Micawber" (after a Charles Dickens' character from David Copperfield), has been profiled at great length by just about every guitar publication in existence, so I won't be getting too crazy here; I will point out, in keeping with the theme of this post, that an early-50's blackguard Telecaster was presented to Keith as a 27th birthday gift in December 1970 by none other than Eric Clapton himself, at a time when EC made a habit of gifting Fenders to his mates (see addendum below for updated info). While on tour in Nashville, Clapton purchased six Strats from the Sho-Bud music shop; three as gifts for George Harrison, Pete Townshend, and Steve Winwood, then took the best parts of the other three and had Nashville luthier Ted Newman-Jones III assemble what would become known as "Blackie", Clapton's signature instrument throughout the '70s and '80s. But why is this part of a blog post about Keith Richards?

Keith with pre-op Micawber in original spec, circa early '72

Newman-Jones would go on to work for the Stones after showing up unannounced at Keith's Nellcôte villa in the south of France, where the band was recording Exile on Main Street in 1971. He convinced Keith that he should have a freshly-tuned guitar ready for each song when touring, and after a strong referral by Clapton, became their first official guitar tech. He was the man who added the backward Gibson PAF humbucker to the neck position of Micawber in late 1972, replaced the bridge pickup with a late-'40s Fender lap steel relic, and modified the Tele specifically for 5-string open-G use, something Keith had been experimenting with but hadn't found the perfect guitar for until then. Newman-Jones worked on many of Keith's other guitars, including the backup to Micawber, a similarly-modified near-identical natural ash '54 Tele named "Malcolm", and built several custom instruments for him as well throughout the '70s and early '80s.

After all these years following and reading about both musicians, I never knew of this connection between them and their signature guitars until now, and personally think it's pretty damn cool that two of those most iconic instruments of the era were the result of the same luthier.


Addendum 1/11/17: Per the first-hand account of Jeff Smith, current head of Newman Guitars, the original EC birthday gift Telecaster was in fact stolen from Keith at the Nelcotte villa during the recording of Exile, and he requested that Newman-Jones find a couple of similar replacements for the upcoming tour; he brought Keith a pair of blackguard Teles, a '53 and '54, which would soon become known as Micawber and Malcolm, respectively. The original humbucker route was performed on Micawber by Newman-Jones with a screwdriver and ball-peen hammer during the '72 tour. So while Micawber was not the birthday gift it was rumored to have been, it was still very much part of the Clapton/Richards/Newman-Jones guitar triangle.

Micawber in it's current form, with backward Gibson PAF in neck
and brass bridge with low-E saddle removed.

'72 Black Telecaster Custom

Keith with his black Tele Custom in '82 (Ronnie Wood to the left).

Another favorite of Keith's is a '72 black Telecaster Custom, purchased at the Caldwell Music Company in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5th, 1975, for $364.00. How do we know the exact date and price? Because the man who sold it to Keith said so, with evidence:

"I had gone to the Monday evening (Stones) show, and was back in the saddle at Caldwell Music store on Tuesday, selling gear, and nursing a bit of a hangover. A young kid came running into the store, yelling 'the Rolling Stones are over at the liquor store!' San Antonio, at that time had five music stores in about a two block stretch. We were at the end that was closest to the liquor store. After getting some fortification, the Stones started making their trip down "music row".

Sure enough it wasn't long before Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and a roadie sauntered into the store. We didn't go nuts, we needed to stay cool, and just treat them like any good customer. They were quite personable, and easy to talk with. Keith wore a blue work type shirt, with a hole cut out over one of his nipples. Ron and Keith went straight to the guitar wall, while the roadie placed an order for some drum heads. Keith mentioned a 'Tele with a bucker' in his British accent, and soon had it in his hands. I don't think he ever plugged it in, just noodled around on it. I don't believe Keith ever put the black Custom down, but held on to it until he got over to the counter to complete the transaction.

Our owner Ed Fest, published a small monthly newspaper, that had pics of many different customers posing with gear they had just purchased. It was the duty of the salesmen on the floor to grab a camera that was always loaded, and take the pictures for "The Caldwell Happenings". I had read in the news of incidents between camera flashers, and members of the Rolling Stones. I decided I should ask first, and shoot later. After explaining why we wanted the pic, Keith said "do it". I took one shot, and he kind of posed for me, holding up the fat white pay envelope, and reaching in for bills to buy his Tele.

Someone asked where Jagger was, and Keith said 'He's probably in the bloody jet, setting at the end of the runway cursing us'."

- Gene Warner, IORR.org forum (paraphrased), 3/29/2010

The original sales receipt (left) and photo of Keith & Ronnie (flanked by crew members, right)
purchasing the Tele Custom (Photos courtesy of Gene Warner & Oscar Fernandez).

This guitar spent it's first decade or so with Keith in standard tuning as one of his favorites for stage and studio, including use as a weapon against a stage-rushing fan in '81, and the infamous 1987 "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n Roll" concert film with Chuck Berry, reappearing later in life with an open-G setup and the pickup toggle switched moved to replace one of the tone controls. The unique sound of the Fender Wide Range hi/lo humbucker in the neck, along with 1meg volume pots, set this Tele apart from Micawber and Malcolm, and may have interacted better with Keith's Mesa/Boogie amps of the era. There is a rumor that the original neck and/or body (or even the entire guitar) was replaced at some point, possibly with the original pickups transplanted into a newer model, but this is unconfirmed.

Oh, he definitely got some Satisfaction out of that...

Keith with his black Tele Custom in '78 (left), and more recently in '06 (right)

Gig Survival: Blown Amps, DI Guitars, & Fly Rigs

For the second time in a month, a guitarist's worst nightmare occurred: the house amp that I was relying on to get me thru the gig died after a few songs. Ironically, it worked perfectly fine for a friend the week in between my two follies, lending a false sense of security to me after the first debacle.


I should've learned my lesson and planned for backup, but alas, there I was, going straight into the PA system with nothing but a Pedaltrain Nano+ between my Strat and DI box. Fortunately, it helps a lot to have a Fulltone Plimsoul and Strymon Flint on that Nano; the Plimsoul does the compressed amp-in-a-box thing pretty damn well (I'd have been screwed with only a fuzz or boost that rely on a good amp to do their thing), and a touch of spring verb from the Strymon gave my guitar some depth in the flat, fake, plastic-y world of DI. All things considered, it could've been much worse, and actually sounded better than I ever would have imagined. Our screaming crowd (of about two dozen) didn't seem to mind... but it still bugged me.


Vowing to never let this happen again, I began to weigh my options, and digital modeling certainly would not be one of them (unless Kemper creates a pocket-sized Profiler for under a grand someday). Something gigbag-friendly would need to do the trick; a cabinet simulator like the H&K Redbox came to mind, as did the old-fashioned SansAmp pedal, but I felt there had to be something better out there.


With that in mind, I visited the Tech 21 NYC website to check out their latest offerings; a local company, based out of Clifton, NJ, I've long been a fan of their Bassdriver DI, and the PSA-1 rackmount unit was a studio favorite for mangling vocals and drum loops in my recording sessions. I also like the fact that they keep their amp simulation and overdrive circuits analog, with more of a natural feel than many digital modelers have. Knowing their lineup had expanded to feature many specialty products since my first experiences with the Sansamp Classic and GT2 boxes two decades ago, I didn't think it was asking too much to find a cleaner, Fender-style preamp pedal for the blues, maybe even with a switchable overdrive or boost. That was exactly when I came across something that I recognized from a couple of friends' rigs, the Fly Rig 5.

Pretty colors! But really, great to see on a dark stage.

Just last month, my friend and brilliant guitarist Mark Cocheo demoed his new Fly Rig 5 on a Facebook Live post, and although he was using it as an effects pedal thru an amplifier, I thought it sounded great (though with hands and talent like Mark, MOST gear sounds pretty great). Then, literally a week after that, I saw our mutual friend Coyote Anderson playing a gig on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, and he was using a Fly Rig, also as an effects unit for overdrive and delay. After asking him about it, he said it was literally the only "amp" he traveled with for the past two years since it's release, including a tour of Europe. With the glowing recommendation of two of the best players I know, I had to check it out, and was not disappointed.


First impressions upon receiving the package: how small and light it is! Seriously, it's the size of two foot-long rulers stacked atop each other, about 12" long and 2" wide. Weighs practically nothing, yet still feels very sturdy. In addition to the front pocket of my Mono M80, this thing fits perfectly alongside the guitar headlock (stuff a rag or cloth underneath to protect the guitar from any dings).

My Fly Rig 5 fit snuggly alongside the Mono M80 Headlock

Powering it up, the illuminated knobs are very easy to see on a dark stage, and indicate which sections of the pedal are engaged. Footswitches are incredibly high quality and silent, no audible pops whatsoever.  I began with the middle Sansamp section, and quickly found a wide range of usable tones, similar to the Tech 21 Blonde character pedal. Although this section can get pretty dirty in a vintage Tweed style, I found the Drive worked best from just past High Noon to about 3 o'clock, giving the otherwise clean tone some attitude and balls, similar to my Princeton Reverb when cranked up. It sounds fantastic as a preamp for my little Champion 600, as demonstrated below, and the simple one-knob Reverb is a nice touch. This will be my base tone to build upon.

Adding the first footswitch, Boost, to this Sansamp setting took me to instant SRV-land with my Strat, but caution: this boost is powerful! Anything beyond 12 o'clock seemed to overload the Sansamp section, but keeping it around 10-11 worked a charm.

Dialing in the Plexi overdrive took a little time, as the controls are very reactive to the Sansamp settings; it takes some balancing of the Drive and Level to find a copacetic pairing, as well as the tone control, which can get a little harsh depending on the Sansamp's Hi setting. I prefer keeping the Sansamp brighter and Plexi darker, that way the extra gain doesn't take your head off; a solid dose of Mids from the Sansamp fills out the Plexi very nicely, too. A/B'd with the Plimsoul, both feeding into the Sansamp, it got pretty close, but I'd have to give preference to the Fulltone (no shock there, as it's been a favorite of mine for some time). Overall, the Plexi is a very usable overdrive, particularly for classic rock and blues playing. The Boost also adds a nice smooth compression and fullness to single-note lead lines, creating a three-stage cascading gain front end that will cover most bases just fine.

The DLA section is a lot of fun, adding a vintage tape echo-style delay to the mix complete with a Tap Tempo footswitch and Drift control to dial in tape-style modulation. Although the delay is digital, it's processed in parallel to the main analog signal, and blended in courtesy of the Level knob. While not as warm as an analog delay, it's on par with any digital delay in the same price range, and excellent for anything from short slapback to longer Gilmour-style quarter notes.

Using it live for the first time this past Friday night at Pinks in NYC's East Village, it took about an hour to get a feel for it through the house PA... eventually I lowered the SansAmp section output level and boosted the signal on the mixing board to prevent overloading. After that, I was comfortable with both the clean and overdriven tones, had a lot of fun with the tap-tempo delay, and had a great gig. At one point late in the night, our friend Lawrence Coleman III from the band Eve To Adam jumped in for a tune, so I was able to stand back and listen to the tone as an audience member, and was very impressed! The next night, I took it to another gig along with my Princeton Reverb as a backup; it wasn't needed, but I like the insurance policy it provides in case the Princeton takes a bump on the Cross Bronx the wrong way.


Overall, the Fly Rig 5 is a much greater value than the sum of it's parts, and costs far less than purchasing each individual item from the Tech 21 catalog. Sure, you could spend much more on boutique standalone overdrives and delays, but without the SansAmp circuit in the middle, you'd be in the same boat I was, just trying not to sink. If you need a quality backup rig on a budget, or just a small, lightweight, convenient pedalboard for gigging, look no further.


While this may sound like a paid endorsement for Tech 21, I promise it's not... my point is to convey the importance of a solid backup plan, and cover all the situations you may encounter as a gigging musician. You may prefer a Line6 or Digitech product for great versatility, something unique like the EHX 44 Magnum, or even a small spare amp if transportation isn't a problem. Preparedness breeds confidence, and confidence leads to great gigs, in my personal experience. It's like Viagra for your guitar; always be ready.



(Disclaimer: i have no affiliation or endorsements with any of the manufacturers mentioned in this blog, it's simply my favorite gear that i've paid for myself)

Reelin' Thru The Years: The History of Tape Echo

If you turned on the radio in 1951 to the tune of Les Paul & Mary Ford's hit single, "How High the Moon", you'd have heard sounds unlike anything prior... harmony vocals in perfect synchronization, layer upon layer of overdubbed rhythm, and that unmistakable lead guitar tone, bouncing right back at you like a rubber ball hitting a wall; no big deal by today's production standards, but seemingly impossible to be accomplished by only two people at that time, with only a single mono tape machine at their disposal; this was innovation and ingenuity at it's absolute finest, ushering in a new era of recording techniques that would become common practice for decades.

While books have been written on the many technical innovations of Lester William Polsfuss, aka Les Paul, it was a simple discovery while experimenting with his first tape machine that led to one of the most-used audio effects of the past 60 years. While Les was collaborating with Bing Crosby in the late 1940s, an innovative German tape machine called the Magnetophon was brought back by an Army engineer as a spoil of war, using magnetic heads to record sound directly onto a reel of tape. After witnessing a demonstration of the machine at MGM studios in Hollywood, Crosby funded the initial development and production of the Ampex 200, a mono reel-to-reel tape machine based on the German machine. Bing kept the first unit for himself, and dropped #2 off at Les' front door. 

Paul soon discovered that the playback head reproduced the incoming signal milliseconds later than the record head captured it, and by varying the space between the heads, this delay time could be made shorter or longer. Blended with the direct sound of his guitar, it created a single repeat "slap-back" echo effect, which became a signature of Les' guitar tone on his many hits of the early '50s. The duration of the effect only lasted as long as the tape length, however, so Paul would shorten and "loop" the tape reel, making the effect infinite.

An original Ampex 200 tape machine

Les & Mary in studio

Musicians and record producers everywhere were scrambling to achieve this sound on their own, and by 1954, producer Sam Phillips of the famed Sun Studios in Memphis had two Ampex tape machines installed for this very purpose; one built into the console for recording, and another dedicated solely for slap-back echo, which became a staple of the Sun Records sound, most notably with the guitar playing of Scotty Moore on Elvis Presley's first big hit, "That's Alright", and subsequent releases that would shape the sound of modern music.

Sam Phillips working on one of this Ampex 350 tape machines at Sun Studios.

Guitarists still couldn't obtain this sound in live performance, though, until Illinois electronics wiz Ray Butts modified a Gibson 15-watt combo amp with a built-in tape echo at the request of his friend, guitarist Bill Gwaltney.  Named the EchoSonic, it featured a fixed delay time, optimized for the popular slapback sound, and was eventually bumped up to a punchier 25 watts using 6L6 output tubes (as opposed to the 6V6 circuit of the original modded Gibson). Butts took the second unit to Nashville, looked up Chet Atkins in the phonebook, and talked him into trying it out; Atkins used it at the Grand Ole Opry that very night, and agreed on a transaction for his new favorite amplifier. Atkins used the EchoSonic to record his first hit single, 1955's "Mr. Sandman", and on countless gigs and sessions to come. Butts worked with Atkins on the construction of his home studio, and also created a humbucking pickup for Chet's Gretsch guitar that may predate the Gibson PAF; it was later named the Filtertron and featured on Atkins' signature "Country Gentleman" model.

After hearing Atkins on the radio, Scotty Moore called up Butts and ordered an EchoSonic for himself; Carl Perkins soon followed suit. By all accounts, these amps were built impeccably well, with point-to-point wiring and military spec components throughout, and aside from the normal wear-and-tear of the tape mechanism, held up well over the years. Although less than 70 units were produced, the legacy of the EchoSonic was long-lasting, and influenced the standalone tape echo units that followed soon after.

Two EchoSonic combos, an early model (left), and a later build (right).

EchoSonic control panel (left), and interior rear view (right). Note the tape echo unit on the bottom.

1958 saw several major developments in the world of tape echo; first, in England, where Charlie Watkins developed the first portable self-contained tape echo, appropriately named the Copicat. It featured a tube circuit with three fixed playback heads, individually selectable with ability to be combined for multiple echo options. The very first unit was sold to Johnny Kidd of The Pirates, who scored a number one hit in 1960 with "Shakin' All Over" and influenced many British Mods to come over the next few years. Watkins soon formed the Watkins Electric Music company (WEM), building very popular PA systems as well as other musical equipment, and the Copicat became a hit in England, particularly after switching to less expensive transistor circuits in the mid-60s.

                                         

An original Copicat with partially open lid (left), and a slightly later version, fully open (right)

Around that same time, in Hollywood, the Ecco-Fonic was invented by Sunset Strip electronics shop owner Ray Stolle, the first to feature a variable delay knob to control the timing of the echo. Stolle quickly teamed up with fellow Californian Leo Fender, and although the original design was rough and a bit premature, was rushed to market in 1959, as the demand was clearly evident. The unit proved to be unreliable, requiring constant maintenance and tape replacement, and although many revisions came to pass (including the switch from tube to transistor many years before the rest of the industry), the Ecco-Fonic never caught on as widely as hoped; it's quirky design merely teased and influenced what was to come.

Original Ecco-Fonic advertisements, 1959.

Also in 1959, Akron, Ohio electronics tech Mike Battle and guitarist Don Dixon began modifying the EchoSonic circuit in a standalone unit, also featuring a variable delay time via slider control of the playback head, and eventually named it the Echoplex by the time the first prototypes were available in 1963. The real jem of this design was a removable cartridge for the actual tape reel, protecting the tape from dirt and damage, and enabling easy replacement when necessary. This propelled the Echoplex to the forefront of the industry, earning a patent for Battle in 1964 and large-scale production and distribution by Market Electronics of Cleveland, his place of employment. Originally using all-tube circuitry, the full, warm sound of the unit, combined with reliable engineering, was vastly superior to any prior or current competition. Revised in the later 60's as the EP-2 (thereby designating original units as EP-1) and adding Sound on Sound to it's features as a primitive form of looping based on the length and speed of the tape, the Echoplex quickly became an industry standard (Fulltone currently makes a modern recreation of the EP-2 unit called the Tube Tape Echo).

An original Maestro Echoplex (left), and EP-2 (right) with larger case for cable & pedal storage.

As transistor circuits began replacing vacuum tubes in the late 60s, Battle designed the EP-3 solid-state model, now under the Maestro brand in 1971. Although not fond of the sound himself (he left the company soon thereafter), this design became the sound of 70s rock guitar, not only for the echo, but for it's preamp circuit; many guitarists, including Jimmy Page, Brian May, and Eddie Van Halen, bypassed the delay and used the FET-based preamp to boost their guitars into their amp inputs as a form of overdrive (modern pedals such as the Xotic EP Booster and Dunlop EP101 provide this in more compact form). The Norlin company, which had just acquired Gibson, took over distribution of the Maestro brand as well, and the EP-3 was soon everywhere, from stage to studio. 

Maestro EP-3 Echoplex (left),  and Jimmy Page literally leaning on his EP-3 in 1975 (right).

Another great tape echo design of this era was the German Klemt Echolette NG51S, and later the Dynacord Echocord S65 variation. While neither model reached the wide popularity of the Echoplex or Copicat, both were quality units that have their own unique sounds (especially a great tube preamp drive) and devout fans. Klemt also made an Echolette amplifier, the M40, used by the Beatles in their early Hamburg Star Club days.

A Klemt Echolette NG51S (left), and a Dynacord Echocord S65 (right)

At this point, we have to mention two other designs that were not actually tape units, but utilized a rotating drum or wheel to generate a similar effect; the drum contained a magnetic wire which acted as the recording medium, and playback heads fixed around the perimeter of the drum to reproduce the signal as it spun. The Meazzi Echomatic was used with great success by Hank Marvin of The Shadows, particularly on their hit "Apache" in 1960, leading Vox to import and rebrand the design as their own Vox Echo (with endorsement by the Shadows). Meazzi would soon switch to a tape loop, as the rotating drum proved unreliable in their initial design. Another Italian product, the Binson Echorec, was used extensively by both Syd Barrett and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, from their beginnings up through 1977; the Echorec 2 is considered an integral part of Gilmour's sound on the legendary recordings of that era, particularly Dark Side of the Moon, and a highly collectible piece of equipment by vintage enthusiasts. Gilmour also used the studio-grade PE 603 and smaller Baby models. The Echorec 2 was licensed to Guild in the US, relabeled as the Guild Echorec by Binson, but otherwise identical to the original.

Under the hood of a Binson Echorec with rotating drum exposed. Note the heads around perimeter.

A Binson Echorec 2 (left),  and an Echorec PE 603 (right)

Gilmour playing with his Echorec 2 (left), and a live shot with his Echorec 2 atop a PE 603 (right).

The next major player in the tape echo game came from the Land of the Rising Sun; Ikutaro Kakehashi of Osaka, Japan, started the Ace Tone company in the late 1960s, developing a unit called the EC-1 Echo Chamber along with other innovative products like the FR-1 Rhythm Ace electronic preset drum machine. Kakehashi founded the Roland Corporation in 1972, and soon a series of multi-head tape echoes began to evolve, starting with the RE-100 and RE-200 models (the 200 adding spring reverb along with the delay effect). His major breakthru occurred in 1974 with the RE-101 and RE-201 Space Echo models, when Kakehashi abandoned the traditional motorized reel for an open-reel free-running tape loop, letting the 1/4" tape move freely in a "tape tank" cartridge-like enclosure, relying on capstan drive to feed the tape past the heads. This method increased tape life by not stretching or wearing it out as much as a running reel would, and cut down on noise considerably compared to other units with motorized reels. The RE-201 Space Echo was a game changer, still prized by many for it's warm, gritty tone, and ability to self-oscillate in a musically usable fashion.

An original Ace Tone EC-1 Echo Chamber (left), and the first Roland Space Echo, RE-100 (right)

The familiar face of the RE-201 Space Echo (left), and a look at it's open-reel tape operation (right).

Roland went on to produce the RE-301 Chorus Echo, which added analog chorus and Sound on Sound looping to the tonal pallette; Brian Setzer still performs with a pair of original 301s to this day, as they've been a crucial part of his slapback tone since his early days with the Stray Cats. The final Roland tape echo model was the RE-501 Chorus Echo, featuring the same chorus and reverb as the 301 plus a noise reduction system and professional line-level inputs and outputs for studio integration in addition to instrument use. I'm fortunate enough to have a 501 that belonged to my dear friend Nick Lombardi, and I'll treasure it until the day one of his sons might want it. Here's a brief demo of that 501, with a Telecaster and clean amp... starts out with a slapback echo and touch of reverb, then gets into multiple repeats and feedback:

An RE-301 Chorus Echo (left), and Brian Setzer's rig with a 301 atop one of his Bassman heads (right).

Other Japanese tape echoes of note were the Univox (known for their Super Fuzz and Univibe effects) EC-80a Echo Chamber, Multivox Multi Echo MX-201 and 312 (also rebadged as the Evans Super Echo), and Korg Stage Echo SE-300 and 500. These units can usually be found for lower prices than their Roland or Maestro counterparts, and can be lots of fun to play with. 

Although digital delays began taking over in the late 1970s, many guitarists preferred the warm tone of these analog tape units, and the entire Roland family of Space and Chorus Echoes became cult favorites over the years. Roland even kind of reissued the RE-201 in the digital form of the Boss RE-20 pedal, utilizing it's patented COSM modeling technology to replicate the tone of the original. Recently, many boutique stompbox builders have produced incredibly convincing recreations of the classics, notably Catalinbread with their Belle Epoch (EP-3 style) and Echorec designs, and Strymon's wonderful El Capistan delay. While these pedals sound great and are much more convenient than their forefathers, nothing beats the sound of an authentic and well-maintained tape echo, at least not to my ears. Just keep some rubbing alcohol and Q-tips handy.

Nick's beloved RE-501, hanging out in my home studio. A fitting end to this article, RIP buddy.

Guitarists Playing Bass!

And now, for something completely different...


My good friend and Voodoo Blues bassist Ant thinks guitarists look funny when they play bass. While not entirely false, I'm here to refute that statement as best I can, as a guitarist who sometimes plays bass (hey, at least I use my fingers).

The pic that started it all, Bob Dylan with a Jazz bass (identical to my dad's, in fact). A little big on him, but not bad.

An very cool-looking George Harrison with a block-inlay Jazz during the Abbey Road sessions.

Jimi on a white Jazz bass, jamming with Johnny Winter. He didn't even restring it! Still picks like a guitarist, though.

Jimi recording some bass parts in the studio, with a P-bass, Fender Dual Showman stack, and a Sunn head on top of that. Jimi played a lot of bass on the Experience's three studio albums, including much of Electric Ladyland.

By far the coolest-looking bass-playing guitarist, Keith Richards. He actually played some of the groovier Stones basslines, including "Sympathy For The Devil" & "Live With Me". 

More Keef, from the Sympathy documentary sessions. Looks like a real bassist!

Speaking of Stones, here's Ronnie Wood playing bass with the Jeff Beck Group. He also played some extra-funky bass on the Stones' "Emotional Rescue".

A young James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, playing an Epiphone Rivoli semi-hollow bass with the Yardbirds.

Speaking of Yardbirds, Clapton might've been God on bass, too.

Fellow Bluesbreaker alum Peter Green, with a Fender Bass VI while leading early Fleetwood Mac (Ok, maybe not a real bass, but still pretty cool).

Another Bass VI, here with John Lennon and Yoko.

A young David Gilmour (left) playing a P-bass, while Roger Waters strums acoustic. Gilmour actually played bass on many of Pink Floyd's studio recordings, including "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", "One of These Days", "Young Lust", and fretless on "Hey You".

Late-70s David Gilmour playing an Jaydee fretless bass with Kate Bush

Possibly that same concert, this time Gilmour playing a fretted Wal bass.

A very young Waylon Jennings (far left) playing bass with Buddy Holly

The King played bass, even while he served...

...and knew how to color-coordinate.

EVH played bass on a Sammy Hagar solo album, and taught Wolfgang 
a few things, i'm sure. 

Tom Petty played a Danelectro longhorn bass with The Traveling Wilburys...

...and thumped a Hofner with Mudcrutch in 2008





Multi-instrumentalist Lenny Kravitz with a P-bass in front of a vintage Helios console

A personal fav, Metallica's James Hetfield messing around on a P-bass

Last but certainly not least, I leave you with a Prince bass solo. Case closed.