Kieth Richards Fan

79Lespaul · #1 January 4th, 2008

Kieth Richards has played many different guitars over his career. Who can tell me which ones besides Les Paul.Telecaster, and Stratocaster????? I'm interested in those ones I've seen that don't seem to be around today.

P-90 · #2 January 4th, 2008

I gather that lately he mostly plays an ES-345 or ES-355, but the guy has a collection of over 1000 guitars, many of which were gifts that he's never gotten around to playing, so it would be pretty tough to make a good summary. I know he's also played a few Voxes, a few Guilds, and a number of others which I couldn't easily identify (common guitar style, blurry old photos). Don't think I ever saw him play a Rickenbacker or Danelectro, but pretty much anything else is possible (if not probable).

EDIT: Shoot... how could I have forgotten that clear acrylic Ampeg?

79Lespaul · #3 January 4th, 2008

Cool Photo! During Steel wheels, what were those white guitars Kieth and Ronnie plaid? Is there such a thing as a "Kieth Richards " signature guitar?

P-90 · #4 January 4th, 2008

If you're thinking of guitars that looked kinda like a strat or Jazzmaster, but with 4 tuning keys on one side of the head and 2 on the other, that would have been an Ernie Ball Music Man.

79Lespaul · #5 January 5th, 2008

In the movie about Jimi Hendrix, Kieth's girlfriend gave Jimi a Fender Stratocaster that Kieth played. I never saw Kieth Richards play a Stratocaster. Any photos of that?

P-90 · #6 January 6th, 2008

Noodler · #7 January 6th, 2008

A current magazine has an article on a guitar he once owned. It is a 1959 Les Paul with Bigsby tremolo fitted. It has been through the hands of many great players and I think is one of the most expensive guitars in history. They say it will be the first $1,000,000 Les Paul. You might find it in Guitarist Australia magazine issue 18.

I can't verify the veracity of this, but I heard on youtube that he plays his Tele with 5 strings tuned to open G. Anyone verify that?

79Lespaul · #8 January 6th, 2008

Thats a Stratocaster for sure! Cool!
Keith definately tunes his guitar to open G on the song "Brown Sugar" because I know how to play it. I've never heard that he uses 5 strings instead of 6. Seems it would make open tuning hard! Most of The Rolling Stones songs I've learned are open tunings. Does Keith Richards have a signature guitar made to his specs? If so , what company makes it?

Stratrat · #9 January 6th, 2008

His "Micawber" Tele only has 5 strings, tuned to open G. If you do a Google search for "Micawber" and "Keith Richards" you should find several links and maybe even some pics. I've seen several pictures of Micawber posted on the Telecaster page.

I don't think he has a "signature" guitar commercially available - but it shouldn't be too hard to replicate.

Noodler · #10 January 7th, 2008

TommyGuitars.com

For sale and reasonably affordable.

Can you make a short list (just the big hits) of which songs use open tunings? eg Start Me Up I can play in standard, but is it supposed to be open? I want to learn his style. Seems to be based a lot around this:

----5-----5
----5--h--6
----5-----5
----5--h--7
----5-----5
----x-----x

Also, does he use a pick/ fingers or hybrid. And who plays the most actively, him or Ron Wood?
Any Hotlicks series of Keef?

79Lespaul · #11 January 7th, 2008

Give me a little time on this, I,ve got some info you will definately interesred in, Just give me some time!

Ben_Sir_Amos · #12 January 7th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noodler

For sale and reasonably affordable.

But it's not very Micawber-like is it? It is Japanese. And I'm not sure if they actually do "52 reissues" (although they do ones with 50s specs). And it has a 6 saddle bridge. Er. Isn't that the point? Micawber has a 5 saddle bridge. Or am I getting muddled here?

P-90 · #13 January 7th, 2008

It looks to me as if Micawber has a standard bridge, but that the nut has been replaced with one cut for 5 strings.

The Keith Shrine by Blue Lena-guitar

Ben_Sir_Amos · #14 January 7th, 2008

I don't know. He is playing one here that looks like it has only 5 saddles http://www.patsguitars.com/images/au...le/keith06.jpg
The picture above the word Micawber in your link isn't Micawber both the telecaseters on that page have standard neck pickups rather than a humbucker.

P-90 · #15 January 7th, 2008

Looks like you're right, and the person whose website I cited was wrong.

I know some luthiers who would be happy to make a 5-string bridge for $500, and ones who would let you outdo Keith, and wind 5-string pickups for another $1000 or so. But if it was my money, I think I'd just leave the low E spot vacant, and save the cash for something else.